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“Leave her alone,” Tucker yells at me. “You've given her enough pain.”
I shove away from him, punching Tucker in the face and sending blood pouring from his nose. Tucker reels back, holding it as he cusses.
I take off in a full sprint, knowing I need to find Tillie.
Tillie
Sitting at the table, left with only Dakota for company, I find myself wondering what those two are doing. I stare at the door where they disappeared. It feels like it has been forever since they went outside.
I know they’re mad at one another. That would be hard to miss considering the way they were acting toward one another. Ryder really believes Tucker wants me. I thought it was insane, but today, Tucker seemed…different.I don’t have a lot of experience in this kind of thing, but even I had to admit that the man was putting off vibes that—had I not been hung up on Ryder—would make me weak in the knees.
Instead of being uneasy.
“What's going on with them?” I ask, watching Dakota intently.
“Tucker's pissed off at Ryder,” Dakota says, shrugging. “Brothers do that kind of thing. Don’t worry. This is just something they need to work out.”
He's acting cagey, looking anywhere but at me. “What's he upset about?” I ask, pushing for answers. I need to know I’m not being stupid. I mean, it’s hard enough to believe Ryder wants me… but both? And if they do, where does that leave me? I’m not the kind of girl to come between brothers.I don’t even want that.
“Just guy stuff,” he says, paying far too much attention to his plate.
“Oh,” I tell him, dropping it.
Clearly, Dakota doesn't want to spill and I’m not going to force the issue.
“Maybe you should go out there and bring them in before their food gets too cold,” I tell him.
“Nah. They're adults. If they get hungry, they'll come back in,” Dakota says, pushing away the topic. There's a heavy pause that lingers between us as I try to figure out how to make him go check on his brothers.
“So, how do you like working at the store?” he asks, obviously hoping to change the subject.
“Uh, it's fine. It pays the bills,” I respond with a shrug. “I saved up to buy Marilyn pretty easily.”
“Marilyn?” he asks.
“My Bronco,” I respond, only slightly blushing.
“It’s a sweet ride,” he responds, and I know it’s a throwaway comment, but it makes me feel good.
“Thanks. I really like it. “I've actually been thinking of buying my own place, but I have Mom and Dad’s basement apartment. It’s fixed up really nice. Plus, I'm available if my parents need me, so it's just a cost I'm not sure I can justify yet.”
Dakota nods. “Well, if you ever decide to move, let me know. I'd like a place of my own, and I'd pay whatever rent they charge. It’s not like Pine Ridge has a whole lot of rental properties.”
His comment surprises me.
“Oh, I didn't think about it like that.” I nibble on a french-fry as we talk. “If I do move out, I'll let you know. I know a rental income would be nice for my parents. They're wanting to do more traveling.”
“They’re out of town now, right?” He knows they’re out of town. He’s just trying to keep me distracted. I don’t understand it, but whatever Tucker and Ryder are saying, Dakota obviously doesn’t want me to witness or even hear about it.
“Yeah, they went out on an anniversary trip.” I push my food around my plate, wishing Ryder would come back.
I'm starting to wish I would've told Tucker I couldn’t do lunch. I still haven't decided if I can trust Ryder. He broke my heart once, but even then, I know he's not solely to blame. Emily masterminded everything. I know she did, and after my initial pain, I realized Ryder was probably clueless.That doesn’t make it hurt any less.
It did break up my friendship with Emily, but I can’t fully blame her. I mean I’m the one who was in love with my best friend's boyfriend, and I felt like that despite the fact that Ryder never once acted like he returned the feelings. If anything, it was the opposite. Getting involved with Ryder again is a big jump for me because I know—in the end—I’m going to be left heartbroken again. I’ve been trying to remind myself of that, but there’s this little, small voice that says, a little time with Ryder is better than none.
A chance—no matter how minuscule—might make the pain worth it.
We aren't kids anymore. We have different lives. It's the reality of it all. But is it so bad to taste a little of what I've always dreamt of? Would heartbreak be any worse than the pain of knowing I passed on the chance to make love with Ryder and—no matter how briefly—taste the sweet that I know would come with sharing time with him and loving him?
