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“How’s my favorite girl?” Bryan hooked his arm around my waist and pulled me close.
Strained laughter spilled from my lips as I rolled my eyes. “I thought we agreed, less touching?”
“We did?” His brow arched knowingly, a playful smile tugging at his mouth. “Huh, I don’t recall—”
I elbowed him in the ribs, and he yelped, clutching his chest. “You wound me, Myers.”
“About time she put you in your place, man.” Gav winked at me.
Lily and Kaiden finally joined us and the four of them launched into a conversation about the game Friday night.
Bryan kept his arm around me, and for as much as I knew it was a fine line to walk with him, I made no effort to remove it. The truth was I didn’t want him, but I liked his comfort. I liked the feel of his strong arms braced around me.
A trickle of awareness ran up my spine as I glanced over at the door where Jase and Xander appeared. He barely looked twice in my direction. And it bothered me.
It shouldn’t have.
He didn’t owe me anything. But I guess I thought… I don’t know what I thought. All I knew is, when I woke up in the hospital, cold and confused, I’d immediately looked for him.
The man who saved me.
The man whose voice had tethered me to this life.
“I’ll pretend I can’t see this,” Jase said, throwing Lily and Kaiden a bemused look.
She burrowed into Kaiden’s side, fighting a smile. “We’re just hugging, Dad.”
“Yeah, well, I’m no fool. I know hugging leads to kissing, and kissing leads to—”
“Oh my God, Dad.” Her cheeks pinked, as the guys chuckled. Kaiden didn’t seem embarrassed or even intimidated by Jase. He was completely at ease, holding his girl in front of her father.
Good on him.
Lily deserved to have a guy who fought for her, who stood up for her and loved her without reservation.
My chest ached as my eyes fluttered to the ground. When I lifted them again, Xander was looking at me. No, not looking at me; he was staring at me, his brows drawn tight with concern.
My breath caught, my lips parting on a soft exhale. It seemed to shake him free from his thoughts and he ran a hand down his face. “I gotta go,” he said to no one in particular.
“You need a ride?” Jase asked, and Xander shook his head.
“I’m heading to Bell’s.”
“You sure that’s a good idea on a school night?”
“As good as any.” He smirked and walked off without so much as a backward glance.
“Hey, you okay?” Bryan murmured against my hair and Jase cleared his throat.
“Something you two want to tell me?” He eyed us carefully, a flicker of concern there when he looked at me.
I tried to wiggle out of Bryan’s hold, but he only pulled me closer. “No, sir,” he said smoothly. “We’re just friends… right, babe?”
“Bryan,” I hissed.
Laughter rumbled in his chest. “You don’t need to worry, Coach. I know the deal. Peyton doesn’t date.”
Oh my God, I was going to kill him. Knee him in the balls and—
