Page 89 of Spring Break Fling

Nikko let out a harsh laugh that ended more like a grunt of pain. “You’re leaving in two days. Why start worrying now?”

Diego stepped in, his voice calm. “Seriously, what happened to you?”

Nikko’s jaw clenched. For a moment, I thought he might not answer. “My old man’s debt caught up with me.”

I couldn’t stop myself. I moved closer, my hand reaching out almost involuntarily to touch his face. “Nikko? Are you okay?”

He flinched away from my touch and I hated the way my throat tightened and my vision blurred with tears. He was the one hurting and I didn’t dare make this about me, but him recoiling from me hurt.

“You need to clean yourself up, bro,” Diego said, grabbing his shoulder. “You look like refried ass.”

“Get off me,” Nikko snapped, shrugging him away. “I’m fine.”

“You’re not fine!” I blurted, my frustration boiling over. “Look at yourself. You look like you got hit by a bus.”

He pushed himself upright, wincing. “I don’t need to look at myself. I can feel all of it.”

“Did you get jumped?” I asked. “Do you need to get to a hospital?”

“You don’t get it, Hannah. You don’t know shit about my life, so stop acting like you do. It doesn’t matter what happened to me. This doesn’t concern you.”

The tears threatened to spill free. “Nikko, I⁠—”

“Don’t say it,” he said. “I don’t want to hear it. I don’t need your judgment. Yeah, my life is fucked up. Good thing you’re headed back to Idaho and your career and your uncomplicated life.”

His words felt like a knife slashing through my heart.

Jessie grabbed my hand and tugged me toward the door. “Come on,” she said firmly. “He’s in a mood. Diego’s got this. Let’s go.”

“But—”

“No buts,” Jessie said, her tone leaving no room for argument. “His head must have been shoved up his ass in the beatdown.”

“Whatever,” Nikko muttered. “I held my own.”

We stepped outside. I inhaled deeply, trying to steady my nerves. Jessie leaned against the car; her sharp gaze fixed on me.

“You want to talk about it?” she asked.

I rubbed my arms, feeling small under her scrutiny. “I don’t know what to say. Maybe he’s right. Maybe I don’t know him and I never did.”

Jessie tilted her head. “Then why are you so torn up about leaving him?”

I hesitated, the words catching in my throat. “I didn’t expect this,” I admitted. “When I came to Miami, it was all supposed to be a ploy.”

Jessie raised an eyebrow. “A ploy?”

Heat rushed to my face. “Revenge.”

“Revenge on who?”

I was on thin ice here. She was Nikko’s friend. His family.

“Nikko and I hooked up the night before I got my tattoo. It was supposed to be one night. I don’t do that kind of thing. And then we show up at the shop, and surprise, surprise, he tattooed his initials on my arm. I didn’t notice it until we were on the plane home. I was pissed, obviously.”

“Obviously. That’s messed up.” She shook her head.

“Thank you. It felt like he branded me. When I found out I was coming back here for a work trip, I decided I was going to get back at him a little.”