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I wave a hand of acknowledgment. Girl is just doing her job. I can’t be mad about that, but I’m not stopping either. It takes only a minute to climb the three flights of stairs. My heart stops racing when I see my guy loitering in front of Erika’s dorm room.
“Hey, my man,” Brix calls quietly. “She burst out of the place and I couldn’t tell her to go back inside so I just followed her here,” he explains.
I hand him another hundred and send him on his way.
“Babe? It’s Tank. You okay?”
She opens the door a second later, and by the tight, pinched look on her face, I know my question was a dumb one. She is clearly not okay. “What’s wrong?” Or, in Tank-speak, whose ass am I kicking?
She holds up her phone. “My parents are coming.”
CHAPTER16
ERIKA
Tank looksat my phone and shrugs. “Tell them to come to our place.” He pushes my door the rest of the way open. I have to step back to make room for him to come in. Our place? My heart gives a happy flutter, but I push it away. I have my parents to deal with first. They’d flip if they thought I was living with some man. The bullshit part about it is they would have never known what I was doing in my life if it weren’t for this dorm room being wrecked. They’d be none the wiser because they aren’t like normal parents who actually gave a shit about their kid. Especially after my leg injury. My mom pretty much wrote me off after that because I was no longer valuable to her. My anxiety is at an all-time high knowing that they are coming. My mom is good at putting me on edge. Everything I say or do is wrong or could be done better in her eyes.
“You can’t stay here,” he adds while looking around the room. It still smells weird in here even after the cleaning. I hadn’t wanted to come back, but this is where my parents will show up to. I’m not sure if they’re coming because they actually care or to save face. I’ve learned to stop hoping that they do anything because they care. I’ve been disappointed by them so many times that now it’s not even disappointment anymore. It just is what it is. That doesn’t mean their ways don’t still sting.
I know that Tank and the Audley twins took care of whoever messed with Liv and our dorm room, but he still isn’t keen on the idea of me sleeping here. I’m not sold on the idea either, but it isn’t because I’m scared to stay in the room or the underlying stench that still lingers. I don’t want to stay anywhere Tank isn’t going to be. How is it possible that a man that I’ve only known for a short period of time could have such a profound impact on my life? His ability to be vulnerable, to love, to have compassion is unlike anything I have ever known.
I want to spend every second soaking up all of the goodness that is in this man. Just by the sheer size of him, I’m going to need a long time to soak up all that good. Forever sounds like it might be the right amount of time. That thought is interrupted when I think of the possibility of my parents scaring him off. Unlike parenting, scaring people off is something they’re actually good at. I got away from them as fast as I legally could. What will Tank think about me not wanting to be around my parents? I almost feel guilty talking bad about them because at least I have them. It has me second guessing myself. I don’t want him to think I’m unappreciative when I talk about my parents negatively.
“I don’t care if the guys have been handled. The security around here is shit.” Tank opens my bathroom door, doing a sweep of the tiny room as if someone could really be hiding in here still.
“Let me deal with them and then I’ll come back to your place.” Tank stands after looking under my bed. Even I couldn't fit in the tiny space there, but he insists on looking under it anyway. If I wasn't a ball of anxiety right now I’d laugh. I hate that they can do this to me. I don’t really need anything from my mom or dad, but still I always try to please them and keep the peace between us.
He turns to look at me like I’ve lost my mind. I’m starting to feel like maybe I have, because as much as I want him out of here before they get here, I want to cling to him, too. Tank doesn't need my parents’ crap. Not to mention in the last year in the few short phone calls I’ve had with them, they’ve begun to talk about eligible people for me to marry. That came out of left field on me. I’m pretty sure they’re trying to set me up with an arranged marriage. They definitely want to pick men that they think are good enough for me. Their definition of “good enough” is not the same as mine. The qualities they deem important differ greatly from my own. Theirs would be based on monetary or materialistic things instead of my happiness. I would just listen quietly on the phone, knowing that I was never going to do what they were asking of me.
“You want me to leave.” His gaze searches my face. I can’t say the words, so I only nod because I don’t want him to leave. I hate facing them, but I don’t want their shit getting onto Tank. It’s hard to tell a man whose parents abandoned him that I don't much care for the ones who kept me. Still I know he’d be so pissed if he knew how they’ve treated me. Having all these thoughts jumbled around in my head isn't helping me. I’m not sure what the right thing to do is, but I know I want my choice to be whatever shields Tank the most. He is what I care about more than anything right now.
I shrug. “Maybe they’ll see me and they’ll leave and be done?” I sigh, wringing my fingers together. Tank walks over toward me, pulling my hands out and making me untangle my fingers so he can lock his own with mine.
“You’re worked up because they're on their way here?” he asks. I nod. I was fine before they called. I thought maybe the school hadn’t reached them or something. I didn't even know if they were in the country, to be honest. I was content lying in bed talking to Liv while we both knew our men were out handling business. It’s crazy how in two weeks I went from feeling so alone to having this makeshift new family around me.
He leans in, kissing me deep and stealing the breath right from me. I get lost in him for a moment and forget about everything. When he pulls away I am breathless.
“I’ll be back.” He turns and leaves me standing there shocked. I did not think he was going to do that. I try to get my wits about me. I’m a little surprised that he actually left. I thought there was going to be a fight, but he kissed me and left. My fingers go to my lips, still feeling him there. That wasn't a goodbye kiss, was it? My heart starts to pound. Great, now I have something else to worry about.
I run to the door and pull it open. Now I want him here for this. Tank is my person. I know that, and when I face my parents and whatever shit they want to throw at us, I want him with me because I know he’ll always stand by me.
I freeze when I see Tank standing there. My heart jumps to my throat. It’s clear to me now he wasn't leaving.
No, he was making sure he was getting to my parents first. I tear up at the realization. This man really is my human shield. I know now that Tank will always be the first line of defense when it involves me. My heart has never been so full as it is in this moment.
CHAPTER17
TANK
I don’t knowwhat I thought Erika’s parents would look like. I can’t say I was surprised to see two people marching down the hallway dressed up like the rich spectators who sit in the front row at matches, dripping in their diamonds and fur and looking at you like you’re the animal they hired to perform.
Her mom sizes me up with one look and discards me as unimportant. Her dad is glued to his phone. They have as much warmth as a polar ice cap and despite the narrow hall, there’s enough space between them to fit a small car.
Inwardly, I shudder at the kind of childhood Erika had with these two.
“Will you please move?” says the mother.
“You Erika’s parents?”
