Page 32 of Pretty Little Scars

He winks at me, climbs in his vehicle, and drives away.

Two seconds later, my phone pings with a text from Xander.

Xander: Is everyone still there? I don’t want to message the group text when they’re driving.

Me: They just left. Give it fifteen or so. It really was a great game. Good job.

Xander: I do my best. That’s why they pay me the big bucks.

I snort, and before I can respond, the bubbles are dancing again.

Xander: Who’s the new girl again? I could hardly hear you. She’s hot. Is she single?

I love my brother. He’s a good guy. He doesn’t even sleep around with all of the puck bunnies that hang around the team. He’s not an asshole in any way.

But I want to kick his ass for eventhinkingabout Darby in any sort of way.

As I stand here on the porch, I realize that I can smell smoke from the campfire out back, and I want to go sit with her, to make sure she’s okay. So, I quickly send him a response.

Me: She’s none of your fucking business.

Xander sends a laughing emoji, and I shove my phone in my pocket and wander around the house and past the side of the cabin to where Darby’s sitting by the roaring fire.

Without a word, I sit in the chair next to hers, and we silently watch the flames for a long minute.

She changed into sweatpants and my old T-shirt that she borrowed the other night, and it makes me feel good to know that she pulled it on.

“You’re never getting it back,” she says, surprising me.

“What?”

“The shirt. I like it. It’s mine now. Although, you might have to borrow it now and then to make it smell like you again.”

I shift so I’m facing her. “You like the way I smell, Duchess?”

“Yeah.” She doesn’t bother to try to deny it, and that’s sexy as fuck. “I do like it. You calm me, for reasons I don’t fully understand. I guess this fire is where I get vulnerable, and you should know in advance that I don’t usuallydovulnerable.”

“Okay. Got it.” Without overthinking it, I reach over and take her hand, link my fingers with hers, and give them a little squeeze. “What happens at the fire, stays at the fire.”

Her lips quirk, and it makes me relax just a bit. She has marks on her cheeks from where the tears ran, and I want to pull her into my lap, wipe the tear tracks away, and soothe her.

But for now, I hold her hand and give her time.

“I don’t know why I got emotional.” Her voice is so soft, I have to strain to hear her over the crackle of the fire. “You’d think after all these years, I wouldn’t freak out anymore.”

She takes a deep breath and looks up at the stars, then turns her face to look at me.

“I had a shit childhood. I mean,bad, Tucker. The CliffsNotes version is, my dad killed my mom when I was a week away from turning ten. He abused the fuck out of all five of us our entire lives because he could, and he got away with it. Holden raised us. He loved us. He’s still who I want when things go sideways.”

I swallow hard and manage to stay still. I want to tug her to me and hold her tight, but that’s not what she needs. Not yet.

“So when I see a father like yours, sometimes it makes my heart hurt, and I can’t help but wonder, what would that havebeen like? To have a dad who doesn’t get off on making you hurt. Who doesn’t make it his life’s ambition to terrorize you?”

“Fuck, baby.”

“I’m really fine. Most of the time, I’m fine. Your family is ... phenomenal. Really. There isn’t one bad vibe in that house, and I’m happy you have that.”

“Duchess—”