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Chewing on my bottom lip, I shifted on my feet and tried desperately to hide my discomfort. The awkward silence filled the room for what felt like an eternity.
"Hey, Harper," Maverick said, breaking the silent stares. "We were trying to decide what we wanted to eat." I knew they weren't discussing food but I appreciated the subject change anyway.
"Little late for food, isn't it?" I asked, moving up to the massive guys towering over me.
"What?" Lincoln scowled, rubbing his rock-hard stomach. "It's never too late for tacos."
"Are you hungry?" Christian asked, stepping behind me, his hands settling on my hips. My stomach rumbled before I had the chance to answer. Iwashungry. "Let's go get tacos."
"We're glad you're back, Harper," Lincoln said. "I don't think we could have taken another day of Christian sulking around in misery all day."
"Funny." Christian rolled his eyes, and my cheeks heated. I knew it wasn't true, but thinking of Christian Chandler pining over a girl was funny. "Go pull the truck around. I'll take Harper to get some clothes."
Ten minutes later, I bounced down the main house's stairs, changed out of Christian's tee and boxers, and into a sundress from Christian's sister's old clothes.
"I'm ready," I said, passing by him towards the back door. Christian's long fingers wrapped around my wrist, stopping me before pulling me into him. One hand curled around my hip and the other cupped my face.
"I'm sorry, Harper," he whispered, running his thumb over the bruise on my cheekbone. "I know I can't change what happened, but I want to make it better."
"Christian, this is not your fault," I said, closing my eyes and leaning into his touch. "And you don't owe me anything. You're not obligated to help me out of guilt."
"I like you." He smiled. "I want to help you because I like you, and I would rather die than let that happen to you again because of me or not." His hands cupped my face, and our eyes locked together. I swallowed hard; my heart pounded against my chest. "By the way, you look amazing," he whispered. Biting down on my bottom lip, I leaned on my tiptoes, inching closer to his mouth, and tangled my hands into his black shirt to help steady myself against him. He dropped his face, brushing his lips against mine, his hands holding my face. He was going to kiss me, but a horn blew from outside, startling both of us.
"Let's go." Christian sighed, leaning his forehead against mine. "Before they die of starvation."
Sliding into the back of Lincoln's SUV, I situated myself between Maverick and Christian. Sebastian and Julian were behind us in the third-row seating, and Aiden was in the passenger seat next to Lincoln.
"Everyone ready for tacos?" Lincoln laughed, pulling his SUV out of the driveway. Everyone separated into their conversations, none of which I could pay attention to because Christian's fingers curled around my upper thigh just under the hem of my dress. The small gesture was oddly intimate. His fingers slowly caressed the bare skin as he stared out the window.
"We're here," Aiden announced as we pulled into The Taco Shack. "You ever eaten here before?" I nodded. Chloe brought me tacos from here a while back.
Everyone piled out of the SUV and headed for the entrance. Christian slid his fingers into mine and led me to the door. My heart raced as we stepped closer to the door. I didn't have any money to buy food, and the anxiety of telling everyone that I wasn't that hungry, so they didn't know I couldn't afford food was overwhelming.
"Go grab a table," Christian said. "I'll order. What do you want?"
"I'm okay." I turned to grab a table, but Christian was on my heels.
"Harper, what do you want?"
This was hard for me. It wasn't just hard for me to ask for help; it was hard for me to accept help. I didn't want to assume he was going to pay for it, and I didn't have the money to pay him if he asked for it, which was embarrassing for both of us. As if sensing why I was apprehensive, he said, "It's on me, Harper."
"Get me the same thing you get," I said, and he headed toward the front to order.
Pulling out a chair, I slid into the seat and waited. The restaurant was mostly filled with late-night drunks because this was the only place that stayed open late.
"Hey baby," a young dark-haired man moaned. "Why don't you drop the zero and get with a hero." He was a sloppy drunk, and I could smell the booze seeping from him and his friends.
"Ew." I scowled. "Does that line actually work?"
"What the fuck did you say, bitch?" the same dark-haired man growled, shoving out of his chair.
"I asked if that bullshit you spewed actually worked on women." His mouth opened but snapped shut as his eyes lifted over my head. I didn't have to turn to see what he was looking at.
"You should pick your next words very carefully," Christian snarled. "Or you'll end up choking on your teeth." My guess was not only was Christian behind me but also the rest of the guys.
"I don't want any trouble, Ms." He grunted. "My apologies." He and his friends collected their food and practically ran out the door.
"You okay?" Christian asked, setting the food on the table and sliding into the chair next to me. Holy shit, that was a lot of food. The guys piled in around the table, and I felt normal for the second time in forever. I wasn't the white trash girl from the Villas. I was another teen laughing and hanging out with her friends.
