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Shame flooded me, and I had to tear my gaze away from his face. “I didn’t mean to. I just thought I would save you from carrying me.”
“Let me help you to the couch. Dinner will be ready in half an hour. Do you want a soda or anything?”
With long strides, Holden joined me. I wrapped my arm around his waist and leaned into him slightly as he protectively placed his hand on my back, steadying me. My stomach somersaulted, then flip-flopped again. Instead of wanting to flee, I found the warmth of his body calming. An air of protectiveness embraced me, and the voices in my head tapped me on my skull, reminding me that no one was safe and not to let my guard down. I ignored them and allowed myself to give in briefly.
After I was propped up on the sofa, Holden hurried over to the fireplace and flipped a switch. The fire immediately roared to life. He disappeared down the hall, then returned with a thick navy blanket and covered me.
“Do you happen to have any Dr Pepper?” I asked, a hint of hope in my tone. I’d rarely ever had one, but it was my first choice.
“Yup. It’s my favorite soda so there’s always some here.” Holden took a few steps, then turned around slowly. “I’m sorry, River. I never meant to make you feel less than. You’re not, and no one should ever treat you like that. I just opened my mouth and shit came out.” He kneaded the back of his neck, apologizing with his dark brown eyes and lulling me into a false sense of security.
The ice walls I’d erected around my heart melted a little. “I’m sorry I hit you. I’m so used to having to defend myself, I ... It wasn’t okay for me to do that.”
“So we’re good?”
“Yeah. We are.” I flashed him a little smile, trying to feel safe enough with him to show another emotion other than anger or fear. “But, Holden?”
He leaned over the back of the couch, the soft leather dipping with the weight of his elbows. “Yeah?”
“You know part of my story. What’s yours? What drives you to want to help me? I might have grown up in a bad situation, but it’s taught me to read people, and I’m getting the feeling that somewhere along the way, someone you loved broke you. You were just lucky enough to be put back together.”
Holden’s mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. I’d clearly caught him off guard. Although I hadn’t meant to, I’d backed him into an awkward corner like he’d done to me earlier. Conflicted, he placed his hand on my forearm. This time I didn’t flinch or pull away.
Before he could respond, the sliding glass door moved, and the platinum blonde I’d seen last night waltzed into the house. Two guys and one girl followed her in.
“Oh my God, Becky. Why did you stop like that?” one of the guys asked as he nearly knocked her over.
“Because of me,” I answered for Becky, waving at them.
“Whoa, dude, who’s the gorgeous chick that looks like she got hit by a fucking car?” A tall, tanned, hot as hell guy strode forward, his blue-gray eyes smiling. His broad shoulders were larger than Holden’s, and he was in amazing shape. I wondered if he played football.
Holden cringed and swore under his breath. “Jace, she did get hit by a car, actually. In front of my house. Everyone, this is River, my cousin from Michigan.”
This was the second time that story had saved us both from a ton of explaining that wasn’t people’s business. I appreciated Holden for not blabbing my situation to anyone who was interested.
“Oh, shit. I’m sorry. You just looked banged up, so I was being a smart-ass. I’m Jace, it’s nice to meet you, River, cousin of Holden.” He bowed, then plunked down on the couch, jostling the pillows beneath me, and I winced as a sharp pain stabbed my leg.
Holden slapped him on the side of the arm. “Careful, man! She’s hurting pretty bad.”
Becky continued to glare at me as she walked toward Holden, carrying a few bags. Instead of the see-through pajama shorts she had on last night, she wore a bright red, low-cut blouse tucked into light wash jeans. Her lipstick matched her top, and her foundation was a shade darker than the skin on her neck. I wasn’t sure why she thought it looked good, but I mentally raised my hand to tell her she needed a more natural look. Her black heels scraped the marble floor as she walked, and her hips swayed, calling attention to her too-tight pants. I wondered if anyone had told this girl that camel toe wasn’t sexy.
“Hi.” She batted her long eyelashes at Holden, and I nearly gagged. Thank fuck I wasn’t eating yet because I would’ve tossed up my dinner in a heartbeat. Who was this girl?
The timer on the oven dinged a few times, breaking through the awkwardness everyone was feeling.
“We were about to eat. There’s plenty if you guys are hungry,” Holden announced.
“Starving.” The tall blonde-haired guy I hadn’t met yet graced me with a huge grin as he closed the sliding glass door. His blue eyes sparkled with a hint of mischievousness.
“Chance, you’re a bottomless pit, dude.” Holden laughed while he set the bags on the counter and unloaded a few six-packs of beer.
“Hi, I’m Brynn. It’s nice to meet you.” I glanced up at a gorgeous redhead with a slightly upturned nose and a dusting of freckles across her cheeks. Her brilliant green eyes sparkled as she spoke. She was stunning in dark wash jeans that showed off every single curve of her slender waist and hips. Her black sweater accentuated her boobs and flat stomach. I could only hope to look as beautiful as her.
“Hi, and you, too.” I folded my hands in my lap and pretended I was more relaxed than I was. I was suddenly in a crowd of people I didn’t know, and not one single thing felt good about it. The anxiety infiltrated my veins and slithered into every part of me.
“You’ll get used to everyone.” Brynn sat on the edge of the coffee table. “So, Michigan, huh? I’ve never been.”
“You’re not missing much.” I attempted a smile, extremely self-conscious of my bruised face and wet hair. “It’s cold in the winter with mosquitoes large enough to carry off a small dog in the summer. I’m glad I’m here for a while. The change of scenery … Well, I was looking forward to it until I had my accident.” There were times I scared myself, especially when it was that easy to lie. The only reason I knew about Michigan was because Addison had lived there before Montana. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have had a damned clue.
