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“He’s my favorite too,” I replied, pulling back and staring at her. We’d spent the last couple of months talking nearly every day, helping each other heal from our trauma. It wasn’t easy, but we were in it together.
“Now that Romeo has disappeared, I can go and get the present,” I whispered, slipping past Vivianna and taking one quick look back into the kitchen. Antonio and Uncle Caden were leaning against the countertop, deep in conversation, but almost as if Uncle Caden could feel my gaze on him, he looked at me, a knowing smile on his face.
I’d missed him more than anything, especially when I was free but couldn’t have any contact. All of that was over now though—it was all over thanks to that scumbag taking his last breath right in front of me.
Shaking my head, I tried to dispel the thoughts and images in my mind as I spun around and headed out to the driveway and to the car that Uncle Caden had surprised me with last week. I hadn’t driven it yet, too scared to go out on my own, but it had made the perfect hiding place for Romeo’s birthday gift. It wasn’t anything special, just a silver chain with a plate on it that had the letters R + B engraved on the back.
He’d told me no presents, but I didn’t care, I refused not to get him anything.
I glanced up as I got to the passenger side of my car, hearing an engine and recognizing Raf’s dark blue Mustang. Pulling the small, wrapped present out of the glove compartment, I then locked my car and waited for him to exit his car, sauntering up to me like he was a badass mofo, which he was, but I wouldn’t let him know that.
“Raf,” I greeted, grinning at him.
“Bailey,” he replied, placing a quick kiss on my cheek. “How’s the par—”
Loud banging cut him off and we both whipped our heads around, finding the cause of it.
“Open the fuckin’ door, Peyton! I know you’re in there.”
“Who’s that?” Raf asked, his tone like thunder.
“Open up!” the man shouted again, banging his fist on her door, causing it to shake on its hinges.
Raf growled, cracking his knuckles as he sauntered past me, crossed both driveways, then stopped a few feet away from the man. I stumbled as I tried to stay on his heels, not wanting to miss whatever was happening, even though a small voice in the back of my brain told me to stay where I was, to not draw any attention.
I didn’t listen to that though, deciding to be brave today. It didn’t happen every day, but when the urge to push past the fear bubbled up, I always listened to it.
One step at a time.
“Can I help you?” Rafael asked the man. If Romeo knew I’d followed him over here to see who this person was, then he wouldn’t be happy at all. But I wanted to know what he was doing here and why he was demanding Peyton open her door.
“Mind your business,” the man snapped at Raf, not bothering to turn and face him, or me. I trailed my gaze over his designer suit and tie, his pristine-cut hair, and the flash of his cuff links. He looked like he’d stepped straight off the cover of a magazine.
“Peyton! Open this damn door.”
“She’s not in,” I told him, regretting saying a word as soon as Raf snapped his head around. He hadn’t realized I was there. Too bad for him, as Romeo always told me, you should always be aware of your surroundings.
“She is in.” He held up his cell. “I’m tracking her.”
I furrowed my brow, not liking how he’d said that. His tone was gruff, at complete odds to the perfect picture he was trying to paint with his appearance. I didn’t like him one bit.
“She had to rush to the store to get diapers.” It was the only thing that popped into my head as I pointed to the empty driveway where Peyton’s car was usually parked. “See? Her car isn’t here.” This guy didn’t need to know that it was at the shop getting some new tires after Romeo had told her they needed changing.
I smiled as I thought about the last couple of months. So much had changed, yet so much had stayed the same.
Romeo was still his protective broody self, but he also went out of his way to make me try new things, to have new experiences. I had a feeling that had something to do with his mom and the way she’d locked herself away over the years though.
The man huffed, throwing his arms up in the air like a toddler who couldn’t get his own way. “Tell her I’ll be back.” He stepped away, his height imposing. “I’m not letting this go—I’m not lettinghergo.”
I blinked, nodding, trying not to think about the fact that I’d spoken to a stranger—a man—and kept my cool. Maybe I really was making progress.
Both Raf and I stared out to the bottom of the driveway as the man got into his top-of-the-line sports car and sped away like he was a race car driver. Kids always played on this street and he was lucky none of them were out now. I shook my head, not liking how he’d disrespected the street I’d come to love.
“What a dick,” Raf murmured, then turned to me. “Romeo is gonna lose his shit when—”
“Really?” We both snapped our attention to Peyton’s voice. Her front door was wide open as she stood there, her hands on her hips. “Did you really need to do that, Rafael?”
He raised one brow, a ghost of a smirk shadowing his lips. “Do what, mama?”
