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What the fuck is going on?
Sasha sidles up next to me and my dad, looking just as confused as I feel.
Dad releases me and puts his arm around Sasha’s shoulder. “Be easy on him, baby girl. He’s just protecting you.”
“From what? I don’t need any protecting!” I scream at his back as he turns and leads Sasha away from me.
I feel him before I see him. Turning around, I find Ringer standing all too close behind me.
“What the fuck was that?” I ask him with a glare and a whole lot of attitude.
“Kid was talkin’ shit. Had to put him in his place,” he claims nonchalantly.
“Really? Cause from what I saw, you walked up and asked him for a fight.”
Ringer shrugs his shoulders like it’s no big deal.
“I don’t need anyone fighting for me.” I cross my arms over my chest. By following his gaze, I can tell my position has caused my shirt to rise up my stomach.
Ringer licks his lips as his eyes find mine again. “Who said I fought him for you, Princess?”
I stumble over myself as I try to form any words to respond. Maybe Beauwasjust talking shit. Beau is like that. He’s an arrogant dickwad that deserves to be put in his place. Do I think he deserves a Ringer size punishment? No. But a beat down? It would possibly knock his ego down a peg.
My eyes meet the concrete under my boots as embarrassment bubbles its way up my chest.
“You in love with him?” Ringer asks me directly.
My eyes whip up to his. “What?”
“Your dad told me you dated him,” Ringer growls, nodding to the ring where he just knocked my ex out.
His question sparks an idea in my head, but I quickly shut it down. There is no chance that Ringer decided to fight Beau just because my dad told him that we used to date.
“I don’t love him,” I utter, shaking my head.
“That’s good,” Ringer purrs with a grin that hits me straight between the thighs. “That’s very good.”
“Why is that good?” I ask, even though I’m nervous as all hell to hear the answer.
“Because that means there’s not a damn thing in my fucking way.” He winks before sauntering off towards the clubhouse, leaving me absolutely speechless in his shadow.
I only stay at the party for a little while longer, mainly to help Maria cleanup as much as I can. I can feel Ringer’s eyes follow me whenever we’re in the same vicinity. I try really hard to avoid any room that he is in as my nerves are shot to hell after our little chat. Right before I leave, something must be going down because most of the brother’s take off in two separate groups, effectively shutting the party down.
As I lay in bed, waiting for sleep to claim me, a million thoughts rush through my head as I think about what Ringer’s words could have meant.
What does he mean there is nothing in his way? In his way forwhat?
* * *
Staring at my reflection in the mirror the next morning, I make the decision to steer clear of Ringer. It shouldn’t be all that difficult. I only go to the clubhouse when I have to and my bakery keeps me busy usually six days a week.
Seeing him again after eight years, and knowing that the relationship we had before he went away is gone, hurts. Not only was I in love with him as a teenager, but he was my best friend. Even though he was older than me, he never made me feel like I was a burden or annoying to be around. It was like he enjoyed being around me as much as I did him. It feels like a line has been crossed, forever preventing us from getting back to that place, and it sucks. Majorly.
I’m not the naive teenage girl I was when he went away. I’m a woman, a woman that knows what it feels like to be touched by a man. There’s no way in hell I cannotimagine all of the thoughts I used to have for him when I was younger. Seeing him saunter around, fresh from behind bars is only going to fan that old flame.
I scrub the small amount of makeup from yesterday off of my face, cursing myself for not washing my face before I passed out, and turn towards the shower. Cranking the dial to a temperature Satan would be proud of, I peel my clothes off and throw them to the floor.
Lathering my hair with the sandalwood shampoo Maria forces me to buy, I decide that I’m going to do the one thing that always brings me joy.
