Page 49 of Reckless With You

And I couldn’t love anyone.

She needed me to stand in the way of her family and everyone else so she could have a moment to just be. To think. And I could be that guy for her. I didn’t think I could be anything else.

“You don’t hurt women,” Devin said, his shoulders lowering a fraction. “I know you. You go through them, but not the way everyone thinks. You’re a good man. But you fucking hurt my sister, I’ll kick your ass. Because I couldn’t do that for Tobey, but I can for you.”

I shook my head. “Thanks.” I laughed as I said it, and Caleb rolled his eyes. Dimitri winced.

“Don’t thank me. Just take care of her. Because even though I keep saying ‘don’t hurt her’ and all that shit, I don’t want her to hurt you either. You deserve good things, Tucker. And my sister’s the best. So, I hope it really fucking works out.”

I stood there shocked as Devin reached out, squeezed my shoulder, and then nodded at his brothers. The three of them walked out of the house, leaving me standing there alone, and now probably late to work.

What the fuck just happened? Was that a blessing?

Because it sure as hell sounded like a blessing. But that couldn’t be right. Because I was not right for Amelia. And this was a fake relationship. I was her beard, for God’s sake. We couldn’t be anything more to each other. That was how it had to be.

That’s what I needed it to be.

I shook my head and then made my way back to my bedroom so I could get the rest of my things and try to make it to work on time.

I had a long day ahead of me, and I needed to keep my mind on my patients, my files, and not on Amelia. But it was really hard when it came to her.

Everything seemed to be these days.

I worked a ten-hour shift, my eyes crossing by the end of it, but it was good work. I hadn’t been able to think about anyone but the people in front of me, and what they needed. There had been some bad cases, things that I needed to wash off and try to forget for a moment. Because while I could be in the moment with my patients and think about things clinically, I couldn’t take it home with me.

That might make me a bad person, but the things that I saw? No, I couldn’t bring it home every day and still be okay. The people that were sick had to bring it home, and I would always think of them, but I couldn’t be that person. I couldn’t be the person who lived it day in and day out in so many ways where I could still be human in the end. Because while at work, those people and their problems layered upon one another, and it ended up drowning me in everything all at once.

It was the way I dealt with things. It might not be the healthiest, but I knew I wasn’t alone in doing it.

Having things in little boxes in my mind helped me figure out how to make it through each day.

It helped me think about what I needed to be me.

I had to stop by the grocery store on my way home since I was completely out of vegetables, and I didn’t really want to live on burgers and fries—even though that sounded really fucking good.

Thankfully, I didn’t get hit on in the produce aisle as I had been prone to over the past few weeks. Maybe they saw that there was anoff-limitssign on me now.

I frowned, pausing as I picked up some broccoli. Off-limits? Since when was I off-limits?

But maybe I was. I couldn’t be with anyone else if I were even in a somewhat realistic relationship with Amelia. That wasn’t fair to her, and it would probably get my ass kicked by her brothers immediately. So I wasn’t going to look at anyone else. I wouldn’t even bother going on a date. Because I was protecting Amelia.

And myself.

It had nothing to do with any feelings.

Not at all.

I got to my car and put my groceries in, and then froze as I noticed the man two cars down.

Huh. I knew that guy. I knew him really fucking well. Or I thought I had.

“Tobey,” I growled out, hitting the button on my trunk so the door would close as I walked over to him.

Tobey’s eyes widened, and my fists clenched at my sides.

Oh, I was going to jail tonight. I was going to punch his lights out. Though he didn’t deserve that. Oh, I might want to kick his ass, but I wouldn’t. I didn’t think with my fists, even though I really wanted to at the moment.

“Hey, Tucker. What’s up?” Tobey spoke quickly, closing his trunk before he stuffed his hands into his pockets.