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“I know.” I press my lips to his throat. Inhale the aroma of his oatmeal soap and that dark and spicy cologne that makes my mouth water. My lips grow hungry. More of my kisses fall on his neck. “I’m sorry that I’m being difficult.”
He sighs into my hair and his hands tighten on my waist. “You’re not being difficult, Ivy.”
“I’m not easy to love,” I say. What am I saying? Just because that’s how I feel about him, doesn’t mean that’s where we’re at. We’ve been dating for such a short time. “That wasn’t what I meant. Only that I’m not easy to care about.”
“Ivy.” His voice cracks like a whip.
“It’s okay,” I say into his neck. I don’t want him to see the truth in my face. I’m head over heels and desperate for him to feel the same way. I’m also more scared of his love than I am of anything else in this world, because if he loves me then I have so much to lose. And I barely survived losing my dad. “I’m okay with it.”
His fingers thread through my hair and he tugs me from my hiding spot so that he can search my face. “You need to know that isn’t true.”
I wince. I want to look anywhere but at him. If it weren’t true wouldn’t my mother love me despite my failings?
“It’s not true, baby.” This time he sounds resigned. “And I am going to prove that to you.”
“I’ll keep the car,” I blurt. I don’t want to hear all the ways he intends to prove to me that I’m not difficult to love. It’ll only make me love him more. And right now I need to keep my walls up. Protect him. Protect myself. “Thank you for the gift.”
“Good.” He sighs. “But we’re not done with this—"
His phone rings and he blinks rapidly. With a heavy breath he pulls the device out of his pocket and sticks it to his ear. “Hey.”
His brow ticks to one side as his gaze narrows on me. “You’re fucking joking?”
My heart pounds in my ears. Who is he talking to? And what are they telling him? My whole world tapers as the space in my lungs constricts. It’s been days since I saw Alec. But that doesn’t mean that someone hasn’t worked out who I am. That journalist working with Ro for instance.
What if someone did their homework? Rebel was suspicious of me, and surely he isn’t the only one. Photos of me aren’t easy to find, but I’m mentioned in a handful of articles that also reference Alec, because technically I’m there, even if I’ve managed to be invisible to the camera. If anyone really wanted to snoop they could work it out. “Everything okay?”
He jerks his chin in acknowledgment of my question as he straightens and steps away. He could bruise bricks with the sharpness of his jaw. “Where are you now?”
A car drives past and I find myself watching the lights until it disappears around the corner. A flash catches the corner of my eye and I automatically turn toward it.
Across the road Rogue’s friendly neighborhood stalker has his zoom lens trained on us. I duck my face and lower my body against the Mercedes. My Mercedes. That Rogue bought me because he wants me to be safe. Just like I need him to be safe. From my brother. How far would I go to make my brother go away so Rogue and I could be happy?
Anything, I would do anything. Even keeping things from Rogue after I promised I wouldn’t. I wish I didn’t have to. But Alec has backed me into a corner. If I could do this any other way…without my best friend taking the fall…
I glance over my shoulder through the tinted windows of the E Class to the photographer. Drawing the camera away from his face, he smiles. At me. I swear he does.
The lights on my vehicle flash as Rogue unlocks it. “Get in, baby. We need to go.”
“Shouldn’t I drive?” I ask, trying to be as excited as he hoped I would be, but I don’t think he notices as he yanks open the door for me. I slip into the passenger seat and put my seat belt on.
He races around the car and climbs into the driver’s seat. A second later we pull out of the parking spot and rocket along the road.
His hands are white around the steering wheel. “Rochelle’s place was broken into.”
I drop my hand onto his thigh. “Is she okay? Did they take anything important?”
“It wasn’t that kind of break in.” His jaw snaps with the force of his anger. “Her bed was ripped apart. And he…” He forces a breath that speaks a thousand words. “You shouldn’t have to know this.”
It makes my insides squeeze and not in a good way. “Rogue, tell me. I can deal.”
“It’s so fucked up,” he grinds out as he pulls onto the shoulder. He slams his hand against the steering wheel so hard I finch.
I don’t mean to. I want to be strong for him, but my gut instinct is to shy away from his outburst. Just another effect of living with Nicole and my brother.
He covers his eyes while he rubs at his forehead and groans. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay.” My phone vibrates in my bag.
