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She hadn’t answered my question, opting to work quietly until she finished. When she got up again, she washed her hands in the sink and then turned to me.
“It’s going to take about thirty minutes to dry, so we have some time.”
I nodded, and she studied me.
“I’m a friend of his,” she answered finally.
Friend. The tone of her voice indicated that was a loose term, and I got the impression it was a restriction she didn’t like. I also didn’t believe they were just friends. She hadn’t dropped everything to come all the way out here just because Ace asked her to. When she looked at him, it was evident she knew him in a way I didn’t.
“Does that mean friends with benefits?” I asked.
Kylie tilted her head to the side, a smirk playing across her lips. Admittedly, I’d said it because I was looking for a reaction. But she was unfazed, and instead of giving me what I wanted, she called me on my bullshit.
“I’m not the enemy, you know.”
At that moment, I wished I could be half as cool as she was, and I hated myself a little bit for being so petty. I didn’t know why Ace was bringing out this side of me. I felt like he already belonged to me in some way, and that was ridiculous and irrational.
“I’m sorry.” I blew out a breath. “It’s been a long couple of days.”
“It looks like it,” Kylie acknowledged as her eyes drifted over my scrapes and bruises. “Mind if I ask what happened?”
“Nothing major.” I shrugged. “Just got lost wandering around the compound.”
Something shifted in her eyes, and I knew I’d said the wrong thing when she sat down. “You’re staying here?”
“Yes,” I admitted.
“At the clubhouse?”
I swallowed and tried to be casual, but it felt like I was delivering a blow I didn’t necessarily like. “At Ace’s house. Lucian asked him to keep an eye on me, I guess.”
“Huh.” Kylie removed a cigarette from her pocket and lit up, surprising me.
“Is that a problem?” I hedged. “You can tell him to turn me loose if it is.”
She turned her head to the side and released a puff of smoke. “I’ve never been to his house.”
I didn’t even know how to respond to that.
Her delicate fingers flicked the ashes into the tray beside her as she shrugged. “He told me he doesn’t bring women to his house.”
“Well, I’m sure he’d rather not have me there,” I assured her. “I’m a pain in his ass, and he’s just doing a favor for my sister.”
Kylie didn’t look convinced, but she accepted it the way I assumed she must accept everything. With a cool manner I could only dream of possessing.
“How old are you anyway?” she asked.
“Twenty.” And I’d never felt it until that moment. When she observed me, there was concern in her eyes. It was the same way Gypsy often looked at me. As though I was too young to navigate this world by myself. But my age was just a number. Mentally, I’d been forced to grow up a long time ago.
“You’re very pretty,” Kylie noted as she snuffed out her cigarette. “I can see why he likes you.”
“He doesn’t like me.” I laughed awkwardly. “He can barely tolerate me.”
She nodded, but it was apparent she was just humoring me. “I guess we should probably check that gauze, huh? I’m sure you’re ready to be done with the pain.”
AN HOUR HAD COME AND gone by the time Kylie finally came to get me. My discomfort with the situation was obvious, and she seemed to pick up on it as she approached.
“I told Birdie to lie down and rest for a bit,” she said.
I nodded. “Did you check her knees and ankles too?”
“Yes.” Kylie leaned against the bar, glancing up at me with an expression that spelled trouble ahead. “What happened to her?”
“She’s reckless.” I blew out a breath and shrugged.
My words didn’t improve Kylie’s expression, and I didn’t really expect them to. I wasn’t in the habit of explaining things to her because we didn’t have that type of relationship, but tonight I’d have to make an exception.
“You got her high,” she noted sourly.
“She was in pain.”
“I’d venture a guess that goes without saying. That girl has problems, Ace.”
Her observation triggered a defensiveness I didn’t know how to deflect. “She’s fine. Don’t talk about shit you don’t understand.”
“I’m a nurse.” Kylie glared. “Give me some credit, yeah? What is she doing with you anyway?”
I didn’t know how to answer that question. How could I when I didn’t even understand it myself?
“If you want to help her, maybe you should consider—”
“She doesn’t need your help,” I ground out. When it came to Birdie, I couldn’t check my protective instincts. She wasn’t the kind of girl who wanted people to know about her past, and I certainly wasn’t going to let anyone make assumptions about her, Kylie included.
