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I turned and continued to walk over to my bike. “Goin’ home.”
* * *
“Where are you?” I snapped into the phone, standing in the middle of Trix’s silent apartment.
“I stayed late with some people at the library,” she whispered back.
“Jesus Christ, Bellatrix.”
“What? What’s the problem now?”
“Are you fucking with me right now?” I asked, lifting a hand to the back of my neck as I tried to get my racing heart under control. “You said you’d be home after class, I get here and you’re gone.”
“This is getting ridiculous,” she replied, her words clipped. “I don’t fucking answer to you, Cameron.”
My hand tightened so hard on my phone that I heard the cover crack. There were so many things I wanted to say to that, but I knew they would get me nowhere. She needed to get the fuck back to the apartment—then I would deal with her bullshit. “Come home.”
“I’ll be back when I’m done.”
Jesus.
It was so stupid. They’d fucked with Tommy’s car, such an asinine thing to do. But that was the thing about people who didn’t make any fucking sense—you never knew where they were going to aim next. We had no idea who they were or what their endgame was, and Trix was out doing whatever the fuck she wanted while I was literally sweating about her being the next target.
“Now, Bea. Don’t make me come get your ass,” I warned.
I heard her sharply inhaled breath and I knew right then that I was going to be even more pissed off by the time the night was over.
“Fuck off,” she spit before the line went dead.
Looks like I was headed to the university.
Twenty minutes later, I parked my bike next to her car outside the Knight Library. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and glanced around. The hair on the back of my neck was sticking straight up as I texted Trix.
Outside.
Less than five minutes later, a very pissed off Trix was stomping out the doors of the library.
“Get in the fucking car,” I ordered as she came close, reaching behind me in a nervous gesture to make sure my piece was still tucked into my belt.
“I’m studying,” she argued, situating her backpack strap higher on her shoulder. “I’ll be home later.” Her voice was even, but the look in her eyes was a giant ‘fuck you.’
“Bellatrix, I swear to God,” I grit out between my teeth, “if you don’t get in the motherfucking car right now…”
She must have seen something in my expression, or maybe what little sense of self-preservation she had left finally kicked in, because suddenly she was unlocking her car and climbing inside.
My stomach was one giant knot as I followed her home, keeping one eye on my rear view. There was nothing.
By the time we’d finally pulled up and parked in front of her building, my hands were shaking.
“Get the fuck inside,” I ordered. The sense of being watched no longer scraped at my skin like a thousand little razors, but my anger continued to rise until I wanted to smash something.
I followed her up the stairs to the second floor, and for the first time in a long time, I didn’t even glance at her ass.
“What the fuck is wrong with you?” she yelled as she threw her bag across the room. “I’m not your kid. You don’t get to fucking dictate to me.”
I didn’t answer her as I closed the front door and flipped the deadbolt.
I couldn’t.
I knew if I opened my mouth when I was feeling so out of control, I’d hurt her. I’d say something that I couldn’t take back.
I ignored her as I grabbed a beer out of the fridge and popped the top, and I didn’t even glance at her as I made my way to the spare bedroom and closed the door behind me.
Carefully setting my beer on the bedside table, I sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled off my boots. My cut came off next, and then I pulled my piece out of my waistband and set it beside me on the bed.
I didn’t move again except to lift the beer to my lips and set it gently back on the table over and over again until Trix quietly entered the room.
“This isn’t going to work,” she said, her voice shaky. “I’m an adult, Cam. I make my own choices. I want to be with you, but I’m not going to let you boss me around.”
I lifted the beer to my lips and emptied it, wishing I’d thought to bring another.
“I’m sorry I didn’t text you to let you know I’d be late. You’re usually not home until after six, so I—”
“Came home after I towed Tommy’s Nova to the shop.” I cut her off. “Someone slashed all four tires.”
