I'm standing in the kitchen, trying to sort out my conflicted feelings about Mollie by staring into my open fridge. The chef-prepared meals, the bottled Evian, the Norwegian protein shakes that taste awful but fulfill my macros; none of these can settle the gnawing, anxious feeling at the core of me that says that I'm fucking everything up.
Am I?
When Mollie bangs the front door open, sniffling, I close the fridge and look her way. She's wearing another short black dress, this time with tiny flowers dotting the fabric. Her flaming red hair has been shoved all to one side, and her mascara is smudged. Mollie looks at me, her eyes shimmering with tears, and then makes a break for the stairs.
She's upset. Even worse, she feels like she needs to hide it from me.
Fuck. "Mollie," I shout.
She freezes on the first step, her shoulders hunching. I move toward her, taking every inch of her in. She takes a shuddering breath and pins me with her soft chocolate gaze. "Not tonight, okay?"
"Not okay." I grab her wrist and tug her away from the stairs. "What's wrong?"
Mollie looks at the front door. " I—I had a bad date."
My chest tightens. She had a date?
"Who?" I turn her head so I can see her face. Two spots of bright pink settle high in her cheeks. "Who did this to you, Mollie? I want a name."
She brushes away a tear and shakes her head. "It was no one worth remembering."
"If you won't tell me, I'll ask Indie." I arch a brow. "She's who you went out with, right?"
She rolls her eyes. "Thorne. Be serious."
"I'm serious as a heart attack. What happened?"
She looks me in the eye, as if trying to decide how much to reveal to someone she doesn't fully trust. Which, fair. I might be her temporary roommate, but I'm also her big brother's teammate.
"What happened, Thorne," she says. The edge of sarcasm is back in her tone. "Is that some guy tried to rush me. I freaked out, because I'm basically completely inexperienced. And then he called me what I am." She lifts her chin, eyes blazing. "A stuck-up virgin. I couldn't even be mad. That's exactly what I am."
"Jesus." Her words hit me like a fist to the solar plexus. "I wasn't thinking that."
She huffs. "No?"
"No."
"What were you thinking, then?" She nibbles on her lush lower lip. It shouldn't make my cock stiff, but it does.
I release a sigh. "That whoever you finally decide to trust is a lucky guy."
She swallows, her eyes on me. "Thorne..."
I move closer because she's so goddamn magnetic. "Yeah?"
"I trust you. I should have said that the first time. I want someone experienced, yes. But I also feel safe with you."
"Oh, Freckles." I should step back, excuse myself from the room. Probably go upstairs and jerk my cock, imagining what it would be like if I'd said yes.
But I can't bring myself to say the goddamn words.
Instead, I tug her closer. Burrowing my hands into her silky hair, I tip her face up to mine, kissing the corner of her mouth.
"I'm no good," I whisper.
Mollie's eyes sink closed. "I know."
Another kiss to the other side of her lips. "I'm your brother's best friend. His teammate."
