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Fuck. They’d made her self conscious. I shot Sebastian a glare and he immediately looked chagrined.
“Yeah, of course, sweetheart,” I murmured, grabbing her hand and bringing it to my lips so I could brush a kiss against her soft skin.
“Hey, come here, princess. I was only teasing,” Sebastian said softly, opening up his arms with a desperate look in his eyes.
She timidly walked over, letting him envelop her in his arms. Sebastian’s whole body relaxed as he held her.
Jealousy tugged at my insides, but it was muted. Almost nothing. We’d all been in pain these last five years. I’d never want to take her away from them.
“Okay, okay. My turn,” Jack said exasperatedly, pulling on Sebastian’s arm until he let her go and Jack could pull her into his arms.
He rocked her back and forth, nuzzling her hair until she was laughing. The sound of it made us all grin like a bunch of loons.
I held her hand the entire drive home, everything in me protesting as I walked her up to her door.
“Tomorrow.” I said, making sure there was no question in my voice. Our date was happening. I wasn’t going to give her much time to think about all the reasons she shouldn’t go out with me.
We’d done enough thinking on that topic for her.
“Tomorrow,” she repeated softly, and I pulled her towards me, kissing her once again. I needed a fix to hold me over until I saw her again. I didn’t think I’d be sleeping at all tonight. I’d just be reliving tonight over and over again.
The door closed behind her, and I wavered in front of it for a moment, trying to decide whether I wanted to break it down, grab her, and take her to our place.
I somehow managed to drag myself away, but only because I knew I’d see her soon.
My phone rang the second I’d gotten in my car.
“Some asshole completely destroyed my truck,” Jack snapped.
“What?” I growled, flipping around In the middle of the road and heading back towards the arena instead of home.
“I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”
“See ya,” Jack sighed, sounding devastated–he fucking loved that truck.
I pulled into the arena parking lot twenty minutes later, the eerie glow of the parking lot lights casting long shadows across the asphalt. I scanned the area, looking for Jack’s truck. Parked not far from the entrance, I spotted a marked police cruiser, its roof lights softly flashing in the darkness.
And then I saw Jack’s truck. It was a complete wreck. The front end was a mangled mess, the hood crumpled and twisted beyond recognition. The headlights were shattered, shards of glass glinting under the harsh lights. The grill had been ripped away, leaving only a jagged, gaping hole in its place.
But it was the spray-painted message that truly sent a shiver down my spine. The words, "I see her," were written in large, crude letters that marred the truck's paint job. The white spray paint stood out starkly against the vibrant red, a chilling message that left no room for ambiguity.
Anger and frustration were etched on Jack's face as he leaned against a nearby car, his arms crossed tightly. Sebastian, too, wore a grim expression, his jaw clenched in quiet anger.
My grip on the steering wheel tightened as I parked the car and quickly got out. There were two police officers, one of them snapping pictures of the damaged vehicle, while the other questioned Jack and Sebastian.
"Do you have any idea who the 'her' is the message is referencing, or who would do this?" the officer asked, his expression stern.
Jack leaned against a nearby car, his arms crossed, his demeanor casual despite the wreckage before us. "No idea," he replied with a nonchalant shrug. "Could be anyone."
“Steal anyone’s girl?” the officer joked, his grin fading when none of us laughed.
Sebastian shifted, tension in his jaw.
We were all well aware that this act was no random act of vandalism; it was a direct threat.
"What did the surveillance footage show?" I asked, since I knew there were cameras all over the parking lot.
“Somehow the camera over this area stopped working this morning. Security hadn’t gotten people out yet to fix it,” the officer with the camera said, not sounding nearly as suspicious as he should be.
