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Without warning, she slugged him in the stomach.
Wade groaned, doubling over. Brielle had a great deal of power behind her arm, but she also knew right where to hit.
“And if you werereallysomeone bad, I’d lift up my knee right about now to get you in the nose.”
He flinched, bracing himself for that exact kind of contact, and another groan escaped his lips. Thankfully she refrained from proving her point.
“Think I can’t handle myself now?”
Twisting his head and straightening a little, Wade peeked at her. “I suppose not.” Had he been prepared for her to hit him, he might have been able to flex and save his stomach from its current predicament. “Where did you learn self-defense?”
“I dated a guy.”
“Of course you did,” he muttered.
She crossed her arms again, her dark gaze locking on him. “You should probably go.”
“Where’s your compassion? Don’t you think I should rest a bit before I drive off into the night?”
Her lips twitched at the corners. “I didn’t hit youthathard. Don’t be such a baby.”
He kept his arm around his stomach and gave her his best puppy dog eyes.
That’s when he saw the transformation. Brielle snickered, then rolled her eyes. “Fine. Come inside and I’ll get you something to drink.” She turned on her heel and hurried up the stairs toward the door. “But I’m going to have to tell Tad about this.”
“No, you won’t.”
She stopped at the top of the steps, her hands on her hips as she turned to face him. It was a sudden stop—one he wasn’t expecting—and he nearly pummeled into her. “Yes, I will. I’m not about to have my trustworthiness questioned. If I did this for you, then I’m going to have to do it for him, too. Do you want to always wonder whether I give him preferential treatment?”
“What if we made a deal?”
Brielle huffed. “What kind of deal?”
“You can keep his secret as long as you punch him first.” He didn’t know if she’d go for it, but it was worth a shot.
She pulled her lips to the side and pursed them as small as they could go. Then she sighed as she shoved his shoulder with her fingertips. “Fine. But no more of this sneaking over to my house after I go on a date with him.” She turned toward the door again, then paused, her hand on the knob. “You know what? Stay out here. We’re already crossing a lot of lines right now. I’ll bring you out something. Would you like water? Lemonade? A soda?”
“Water’s fine.” Wade stepped back to allow her to pull open the storm door before she disappeared inside. He turned around and headed for the steps, settling down on the top one.
His stomach still ached from the whopper she landed on him, but at the same time, it brought him a degree of comfort. She might seem like the kind of girl who needed his help, and maybe she did to an extent. But she was also incredibly capable at the same time.
Brielle knew how to hold her own, and he probably needed to step back and let her do so.
The door creaked open behind him and then snapped closed. Her heels echoed on the wooden slats of the porch until they stepped down onto the stair where he sat. She held out his glass, then tucked her skirt beneath her legs and settled beside him. Both of her hands wrapped around her glass as she hunched over her knees and stared out into the darkness.
“I have a confession to make,” she said softly.
He took a long sip of his drink. The start of this conversation didn’t sit well with him already. Maybe he should have left when she told him to.
Without looking in his direction, she heaved a sigh. “That night you came by… you surprised me.”
Wade couldn’t tear his eyes from her. Was her surprise a good thing or a bad thing?
Brielle’s lips lifted into a small smile. “You were so annoying.”
Definitely bad.
Finally, she turned her eyes on him and let out a soft laugh. “But you made me want to finally deal with this mess I’m in. I think you were the first person who was willing to go up against my stubborn streak—the first one who wanted to stick around.” She blew out a breath through pursed lips and another nervous laugh slipped out with it. “I can’t believe you’re still here.”
