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“It’s okay,” I said. “I don’t exactly have a very high opinion of myself at the moment either.”
Reed’s frown softened a little and he gave me a sympathetic half smile.
“So, why don’t you like Jeremy?” I asked.
The boys shared another look. I knew from Mia that Reed and Jeremy had a fight on the ice, but I sensed their bad blood ran deeper than that. I was intrigued to hear the Darling brothers’ side of the story.
“It’s Hoffman,” Parker said as though that alone answered my question. “He’s the worst.”
Even Grayson uttered a low growl in agreement, and I glanced at Reed to see if he felt the same, but his expression was hard to decipher.
“In case you hadn’t noticed, there’s a little bit of a rivalry between us and the Saints,” Reed explained.
“A little rivalry,” Parker gasped. “It’s more than that. Back in freshman year, Hoffman and Reed?—”
“Parker, leave it.” Reed was glaring at his brother again as he cut him off. I assumed Parker was going to tell me about the fight, but apparently, it was a touchy subject.
“Okay, okay,” Parker held up his hands. “All I’m saying is Hoffman’s a dick. And now I know what he’s done to my new bestie, I think maybe we should make a quick stop at his house after we drop Violet off.”
There was a look of excitement in Parker’s eyes that left me a little concerned about what he meant by that. It couldn’t be anything good because these boys seemed to really dislike Jeremy. And I couldn’t shake the feeling there was something more than just hockey to blame for their hatred.
“Don’t be an ass, Parker,” Reed said before he whispered to me, “Don’t worry, he’s all talk.”
“Sorry, Reed, I didn’t hear that. Were you complimenting my ass again?” Parker asked.
I might have been feeling down after bringing up Jeremy, but even so, I struggled not to smile.
It wasn’t long before Reed pulled up outside my uncle’s house, and I drew in a deep breath. The porch light was on, and I could see the glow of the TV through the lounge window. Luke must have been waiting up for me, which meant I was going to have to tell him what had happened to my car. I suddenly wasn’t quite so eager to get away from Reed and his brothers.
“Thanks for the ride,” I said as Reed turned off the ignition. “And for bringing me my bag…and for helping with the car.” I was yammering. “Uh, just, thanks.”
Reed nodded. “Anytime, Sunshine.”
I turned in my seat and awkwardly said goodbye to Parker and Grayson. Parker was only too happy to give me a cheery wave in response while Grayson simply acknowledged my departure with another brief nod. It had been a strange ride home, one I wouldn’t forget any time soon.
I climbed out of the truck and was surprised when Reed jumped out after me.
“You don’t have to walk me to my door,” I said as he met me on the sidewalk. “I’ll be okay.”
“Oh, I’m not worried about that,” he replied with a smirk. “This is a nice neighborhood. I just want to make sure no more cars are abused tonight.”
“Very funny.” I laughed.
We walked up the driveway together, but I stopped a little way from the house where we were still shielded by the bushes that lined the front yard. If my uncle saw a strange boy dropping me off, I’d only have more questions to answer about what had gone down tonight.
I started to peel Reed’s jacket from my arms, already dreading the cold and missing the subtle scent of his aftershave that coated it. But Reed stopped me.
“Keep it on until you get inside.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’ll be inside in two seconds. Surely, you must be cold.”
“Nah, the Darlings are part snowman, so I’m good.” One side of his mouth lifted, giving him a crooked smile, which revealed the barest hint of a dimple. It softened him somehow. Who knew devils had dimples.
“Besides, it looks better on you than it ever has on me,” he added.
I smiled and shook my head. It felt like this guy had an answer for everything.
“Well, thanks. You don’t have to worry though. I’ll get it back to you. And again, thank you for being there for me tonight when everything went to hell.”
