Page 92 of A Wreck, You Make Me (Bad Boys of Bardstown #3)

Chapter Thirty-Five

I’m evil.

I can’t believe I’m doing this. I can’t believe I came up with something like this, let alone going through with this. But more than that, I can’t believe he agreed .

Yes, he did.

He not only agreed, he told me to pick a guy.

On the street, right then and there. He told me to pick a restaurant too and the time.

His only condition was he got to stay and watch.

As in, when I asked the guy out on a date.

And that I stay at least eight feet apart from him and I don’t exchange phone numbers.

He also wanted me to tell him I’d meet him at the restaurant at the assigned time so there was no pick-up at the door kind of situation.

There was a lot I wanted to say to him. That I didn’t have a measuring tape to make sure how much distance was there between us.

Or if we didn’t exchange phone numbers—I’d give him Isadora’s house phone number—how would he contact me if plans changed.

But I didn’t. Because he already looked like he wanted to kill someone, and I genuinely thought he would when I went into the coffee shop by Isadora’s apartment to pick my guy.

I obviously wasn’t going to pick a random guy; I’m not that crazy.

I already knew I was going to ask the barista behind the counter, Alex.

I’d seen him a couple of times while getting coffee and he had a friendly smile.

I asked him if he’d like to get dinner with me and he agreed.

We decided to meet the next night at 8PM at a nearby Italian place.

All of this happened under his intense scrutiny and it’s a wonder I was able to get any of the words out with the way I could feel his stare.

And then Alex opened his big mouth and said, “Hope you don’t think it’s creepy, but I’ve noticed you for the past couple of days and you’re super pretty. Can’t believe we’re going out.”

Nerves churned in my belly, and I clenched my muscles because I know he heard that.

And even though he was standing a few paces behind me, looking like he was perusing the menu with his feet shoulder-length apart and his arms folded across his chest, I knew I heard a feral growl.

I thought he was going to come charging at Alex any second, punch him in the face and throw me over his shoulder and carry me out while I kicked and screamed to anyone who listened what an asshole he was.

I thought he was going to prove me right. That even though he loved me and finally admitted it, he wasn’t capable of changing. He wasn’t capable of listening and compromising and just…feeling. That if things went bad, he’d shut down on me and push me away.

He didn’t though. He kept a lid on it and walked me home. As in, he walked a few paces behind me, his eyes on me at all times. And God, I wanted to call it off then. Just throw my arms around him and tell him I loved him too.

But I didn’t and now, here we are. At the restaurant.

Just for the record, he also walked me to the restaurant. He was already standing outside the apartment when I came out and when I started walking down the street, he followed. Again, a few paces behind me, both his intense stare and his agitation following me like a heated beam.

In any case, I’m sitting with Alex at the table and he’s sitting at a different table but in full view of ours.

He looks even worse than he did yesterday, all hollow cheeks and red-rimmed eyes, stubble, the thickest I’ve seen, hair all mussed up.

And the way he’s watching intently, with his features pinched and sharp, and his eyes all dark and dangerous, he actually looks like a stalker.

A shady character with nefarious intentions.

He isn’t though. His intentions are noble.

He’s doing this for me. To prove to me that he’ll do anything for me.

He can kneel on broken glass, lick his leather boot and watch me on a date with another man for thirty minutes without losing his shit.

Just because I asked. Just because he’s okay if I give him nightmares as long as I don’t leave him.

And I know despite everything he’s done for me in apology, this one’s really going to steal his sleep.

This is his biggest fear. Me, leaving him.

I look at Alex as he tells me about his band and how they’re going to play at a club soon.

I’m sorry to say I’ve already tuned him out several times.

I’ve already glanced away from him to the man I really want to see, the man I’m really here for.

And then I look down at my watch—yes, I’m wearing one; found it in Isadora’s dresser—and realize we’ve been here fifteen minutes already.

Most of it has gone by in perusing the menu—I didn’t really grasp anything and have asked for more time with no intention of ordering because I’m getting out of here at the thirty minute mark—and flagging down the server because Alex wanted a drink.

So it didn’t feel like it. I thought I still had a long way to go before I could run to him.

And yes, I’m running to him because God, I can’t stay away from him.

I’ve tried and tried and always failed. And he’s already done everything I asked him to do.

He’s done more . I never even expected him to agree to my absurd condition, let alone get through the whole me-asking-another-guy-out part.

Let alone sitting through fifteen minutes of my date with the said guy.

Fifteen minutes . He’s made it halfway. That should be enough to teach him a lesson, right?

It’s definitely enough for me to believe I’m safe with him.

My heart is safe with him. Not that I ever truly believed otherwise but maybe I got scared of heartbreak, of the pain.

But then how can I expect him to open up himself—the man who’s never done that in his life and for such a noble reason as to take care of his family—when I’m trying to take the easy way out.

All he had to show me that he was willing to try and he has. So there’s no reason to prolong this. I spring up from my seat, cutting Alex mid-speech. “I’m so sorry. But I have to go.”

I look away from his flabbergasted face and lock my gaze with the man I love.

I give him a tremulous smile and his eyes flare.

And I see palpable relief going through his body but it’s so big, in his case, that his entire frame shakes with it and he ends up shattering the glass of water he had a hold on.

The noise makes me flinch and I take off toward him.

He springs up from his seat, his chair screeching against the floor and he opens his arms for me.

I’m so fast that I practically dive into them and he picks me up off the floor.

My legs go around his hips and his arms snake around my back, and then he’s taking me away.

He’s carrying me away from this place and all the shocked onlookers as I burrow my face in his neck and hug him tightly.

But not as tightly as he hugs me back and burrows his face in my hair.

I left them loose and flowing down my back, just as he likes it.

Actually, everything about me is just as he likes it.

My red lipstick, my make up free face and a pretty green dress the exact color of the t-shirt he saw me in for the first time.

I’m not sure where we’re going but I feel him turn the corner into a hallway at the back of the restaurant. He keeps walking until he finds the bathroom and lets us in. At which point, he pins me to the door, and I look up at him. “Your hand. Your?—”

He’s shaking. He has tremors going through his body now that weren’t there before. Probably because he thought he had to get me away from Alex and quite possibly all the eyes that were watching. And now that he has, he can take a breath. Only that breath is coming at a price.

“That was…” His chest shudders, his eyes looking almost haunted. “The w-worst thing I had to…”

I frame his face with my hands, my heart twisting in my chest. “It’s over. It’s over now. I’m here.”

He shakes his head, his hands on my waist gripping me so tightly. “I c-can’t… Don’t ever make me…”

I press my forehead to his and whisper, “I won’t.

Not ever. I promise. Just… breathe, okay?

Just breathe with me.” I coach him through it like I’ve done before.

I tell him to breathe in and breathe out and we do it several times.

He does calm down a bit but it’s still not enough and then it occurs to me. And I say, “I love you.”

His eyes snap open at this and I tell him again. “I love you so much, Shepard. And I will never ever leave you. Never.”

He stares at me a beat as if trying to ascertain the truth of my words before closing his eyes again and at last, breathing easy. His body going loose and his grip on me relaxing a bit. God, he’s crazy, my baby. Then, “You were really going to sit there for all of thirty minutes, weren’t you?”

He opens his eyes again, still as intense but no trace of agitation. “Yeah.”

“Without attempting to ruin it.”

“You told me not to.” Then, swallowing, “Although I would’ve liked to kick his fucking teeth in for calling you pretty yesterday.”

Biting my lip, I shake my head. “To prove to me that I’m safe with you.”

Something passes through his features. “Because I…” His grip on my waist flexes, his blood wetting the dress, seeping into my skin. “I didn’t before. I couldn’t. On so many levels. And I?—”

I press my forehead against his and cut him off. “You avenged me though.” He freezes and I continue, “Snow told me what you did.”