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Holly strode over to Eli and grabbed his hand, then flashed the car full of guys a bright smile. “He gets jealous so easily these days. Come on, babe, let’s go. Have a good night,” she told them with finality, pulling Eli toward the convenience store.
Once inside, she whirled on him. “Eli, are you out of your goddamned mind? You could have beenkilledif they got out of that car and went after you!”
He made a dismissive noise and glanced back out at the parking lot as the SUV pulled out of the station. “Please. You don’t give me enough credit.”
“Oh, really? And exactly how were you going to defend yourself against six other men, hotshot?” She jabbed at his chest. “Are you a karate champion in your spare time or something? Jesus, Eli. For a smart guy, sometimes you’re incredibly dumb.”
“They had no right to say that shit to you, Holly,” he said hotly. “That’s fucked up.”
She covered her face with her hands. “Pick your battles, Donnelley. If one of them had wrestled me to the ground, then I would have needed your help. But I was handling things just fine. They weren’t going to do anything. They were just running their mouths like typical assholes.”
“I heard the shit they said. It was beyond inexcusable.”
Holly shrugged and headed down the aisle in search of chocolate. “Also, newsflash: I’m not your girl. What was that all about?”
“Relax, it was nothing. Staking a claim helps in situations like that. It’s guy code. Guys know not to mess with someone else’s woman, that’s all.”
Holly grabbed three different types of chocolate bars before turning around. “I’m not touching that statement because I’m already pissed off. But know this: I can handle myself. I’ve always been able to handle myself. I don’t need you to ride in and rescue me, got it?”
“Yeah, I’ve got it. You’re a strong, independent woman. It’s one of the things I like most about you, Wilkes.” He tipped her chin up with his finger. “But know this: I will not hesitate to step in if someone is talking shit to you, or if I think they mean you harm. Understand?”
His little speech stunned her silent. She peered up at him, holding her chocolate bars, not sure how to respond.
It was the kind of thing he did that left her in a state of eternal confusion.
He’d done the same thing seven years ago—he’d acted like a jealous, protective boyfriend. Then he’d turn around and act like a friend.
Holly shook her head and pushed past him, then dumped her chocolate bars on the counter. She rooted around in her purse for her bank card, but he waved a hand at the cashier.
“I’ve got these, plus gas on pump seven,” Eli told the woman behind the counter.
“I can buy my own chocolate bars,” she muttered, glancing over her shoulder at him.
“I’ve got it.”
Biting down on her lip, she waited until the cashier rang them up, then grabbed the candy and headed back out to the sedan. The car made a beeping sound as Eli unlocked it, and she practically ripped open the door and climbed inside.
She was desperate for a bite of her Hershey bar, but she had no idea if he would flip out if she ate in the car.
Well, fuck it. If she didn’t get chocolate into her in the span of the next five seconds, she was going to scream. After ripping open the package, she shoved half of the candy bar into her mouth.
Okay, that was a little better.
Eli climbed back into the driver’s seat and glanced over as she broke off another hunk of the candy. He looked amused but said nothing.
Good thing, too, or she would probably have ripped his head off.
He pressed a button to turn on the stereo, and to her dismay, Tipping Purple’s “Lock, Color, Loaded” began to play.
And just like that, she was right back in college. Right back to that night she’d been so angry with him after the first party, when she’d played the band on her cell phone out in the quad.
“Did you make this playlist?” she asked.
“Yeah, why?”
She lifted her shoulder and shoved another piece of chocolate into her mouth. He probably didn’t even remember that she loved this band. Or that she’d been playing one of their albums that night.
“You like them, don’t you?”
