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ll in all, the explanation went well. Hunter redirected my attempts at evading some things. Meanwhile, Ben seemed to pick up on how distraught I was about details I tried to play off, and he ended up damaging a customer’s car when he shoved it in his anger, only to have it tip off the rolling jack it’d been propped on.

He’d been apologizing ever since.

“Seriously, Hunter. I’m sorry, bro. How can I help?”

Hunter waved him off. “Don’t worry about it. They needed a new ball joint anyway. If anything else is wrong, I’ll just blame it on that.”

Kolton stood beside me, his arms folded as he leaned against the workbench. He inclined his head in Ben’s direction. “You don’t have to stare at him like that, you know.”

I blinked, averting my gaze as my cheeks heated. “Sorry, it’s… Ben’s never done anything aggressive before.”

Kolton scoffed. “You’ve known him, what, a month? Two at best?”

His biting tone coaxed my ire to the forefront. “Do you have a problem with me?”

He crossed his arms. “Yeah, now that you fucking mention it, I don’t like the way you’re changing my best friend.”

That threw me for a loop. “What? I’m not changing Ben.”

His eyebrow inched up behind his blond fringe. “Again, how the fuck would you know? You’re the summer fling.”

My heart clenched, and my mind blanked, but I wouldn’t have needed to respond, because Ben did, with his fist to Kolton’s jaw. Hunter yanked me away as Kolton dabbed below his nose.

His fingers came away red. “The fu—”

Ben cut him off with a body check this time. “Don’t you dare take your issues out on Willa!”

“Yeah?” Kolton’s blue eyes blazed as he shoved him back. “Fuck you! You’ve got your head so far up her ass you don’t even realize how much you’ve changed!”

“So what if I have? You got a problem with me settling down because I really like a girl? Hmm, let me guess why.”

Kolton went black with fury, his voice low and dangerous. “Don’t. You. Fucking. Dare.”

Hunter chose that moment to wade in and forcibly separate them. “Really?” he demanded, giving Ben an extra shove. “You two heard that a teenage girl was almost murdered today, and you thought you’d pile on the trauma by fist fighting in front of her like a couple of dumb fucks?”

Ben’s normally warm brown eyes flashed obsidian. “He said—”

“I heard what he fucking said!” Hunter shook his head. “Even I know he’s just acting like a dick because he’s projecting his own shitty ass problems.”

Ben wasn’t deterred. “He can’t do that to Willa. She already—” He paused, cutting himself off as he glanced in my direction. She’s already worried she’s not good enough for me , was what he’d been about to say—or something along those lines. He’d nearly spilled the beans on my confession, and the last thing I wanted was my insecurities aired in the tense atmosphere, able to be weaponized against me.

“She already what?” Kolton demanded, latching onto the aborted phrase like a shark scenting blood.

Ben groaned in frustration, scrubbing a hand through his hair. “Nothing. Forget it.”

Kolton dogged Ben’s steps. “No, I want to know what the fuck you were going to say. Come on. Out with it! She’s the reason for this fight, so I have the right to know why.”

I winced, half expecting Ben to retaliate physically to Kolton’s pressing, but Ben had reclaimed his gentle giant nature. He didn’t even glance at his friend as he kept walking. “No, we’re fighting because you’re an immature bully, and we owe you nothing. Come on, Willa. Kolton can catch his own ride.”

Still in shock, I followed as he tucked me beneath his arm and guided us out the bay doors. We got as far as the cab of his truck before I dug my heels in because I’d seen the look of absolute betrayal on Kolton’s face when Ben turned away and ignored him.

“No, Ben.” Despite the very aggressive show of violence, I felt no fear around him.

Ben would never harm me. I held his secrets, and he held mine—well, most of mine.

Whatever expression I wore had him wincing and glancing away. He’d once confessed it was impossible to say no to my face. “Come on. You can’t be serious.”

“Ben, you didn’t see him. He looked like a kicked puppy.”

“Puppies can still bite, and their teeth are sharp. His words hurt you, Willa. I saw it.” He framed me between his arms and cradled my cheeks, his thumbs tracing my jawline. “He played right into your fears.”

I closed my eyes and swayed into him, soaking up his warmth. He tipped his head down and pressed a kiss to my forehead. The moment stretched. More than anything, I wished to bottle it up and preserve it forever—the smell, the feel, every part. Instead, I forced myself to uncurl from his chest and glance up. “I know that, but he didn’t.”

Ben doubled down. “So? He needs to learn some self-control. We hurt too many girls in the past, and he’s so bent on maintaining the status quo that he can’t see how happy you make me.”

A small grin tickled my lips. “Oh? I make you happy?”

His matching smile had those adorable dimples popping out. He nipped my nose. “Immeasurably.”

My breath caught because I thought this was it. This was the moment I would get my first kiss.

Oh sure, Ben had smothered me in glancing cheek pecks that tickled and lingering eyebrow ones that tingled, and forehead ones that made me feel snuggled and cherished, but nothing further.

His eyes heated, bouncing between mine, before he cleared his throat and looked away, even as he pulled me into one more hug. “Come on. Let’s get you home.”

I nodded, boxing up my disappointment. “Sure, just go round up your best friend, and we’ll be on our way.”

His chest shook as he huffed. “You’re really going to make this a sticking point?”

I spread my hands helplessly. “He accused me of being the reason you changed. Don’t let me be the thing that comes between you.”

“You’re not.”

“But he won’t see it that way.”

Ben scoffed. “So? He—”

“If you don’t get him, I will,” I added.

Ben frowned. “No, I don’t want you around him on your own.” A beat passed before his expression shifted. “You fight dirty.”

“Only on Tuesdays.”

He gave me a gimlet stare. “It’s Wednesday.”

I winked. “Oh, is it?”

Shaking his head, he stepped up to the bay and yelled, “Kolton, we’re leaving. Get in the truck!” Not even a second later, he turned to me with a shrug. “Well, I tried. Let’s go.”

I deadpanned, “Really?”

“Yep,” he added, ushering me along without pause.

We were buckling in when the passenger door popped open, and I whirled.

“Sorry,” Kolton apologized with a smirk. “Didn’t mean to startle you.”

I held my hand over my racing heart, thinking he didn’t look the least bit apologetic.

“Look,” Ben cut in. “If you plan on being a jerk, you can consider the offer for a lift home expired. I didn’t want you tagging along anyway after how you treated her. Like Hunter said, someone tried to murder her today.”

I swallowed.

Kolton, to his credit, sobered, his mirth mellowing out. “You’re right. I am sorry, wordsmith. You have a free pass to be jumpy for the day, and if I fucking forget and rib you for it, then punch me in the arm.”

I considered him a moment before dipping my chin in acquiescence. “Sure.”

Kolton nodded, and since I’d already pressed myself against Ben, seeking his warmth, much to Ben’s chagrin with the sweltering outdoor temperature, Kolton climbed into the free seat.

Ben tensed. “You don’t just owe her an apology for scaring her.”

Kolton paused. “This ride has strings attached?”

“You’re dam—ang right it does,” Ben gritted out. Honestly, his near slip of a curse word shocked me more than the fist he threw earlier.

“Fair enough.” Kolton’s blue orbs switched to me. “Wordsmith, Ben has never bloodied my nose before, so I can honestly say… you’re probably not a fling.”

“That’s an awful apology,” Ben grumbled, but I heard the underlying hints of amusement returning.

“Fuck off. I wasn’t done.” Kolton cleared his throat. “Sure, Ben’s burned me in a Roman candle war, sprained my wrist on accident when we wrestled around as kids, and even gave me a black eye in middle school when I asked out that girl he liked—”

I coughed, and Ben sighed in resignation, glancing heavenward for help.

“—but he has never, ever, given me a bloody nose, so you must be special. Definitely not fling material.” With that, he buckled in. “Scoot over, wordsmith. I need room to manspread.”

My brows lowered. “Mans—”

“Don’t ask,” Ben advised, solving the issue by wrapping his arm around my shoulders and tugging me closer. “Trust me.”

“Okay?”

Ben pulled out onto the road. “So Hunter’s going to fix your brakes?”

“Yeah, he’ll replace the brake lines,” I replied, squishing against Ben even more when Kolton expanded his body to take up additional space. Apparently, that was manspreading.

“Not your dad?”

“Ah, no.”

Please don’t press it.

“Why not?” Ben asked. “Hunter’s boss probably won’t let him do it for free—”

“I told him I’d pay him.”

“Sure, but again, why pay when your dad will do it for free?”

The town passed by outside the windows, while we remained locked in a stalemate, before Kolton snorted. “Bro, she obviously doesn’t want her parents to find out what happened today. That might be fucking hard to do if her dad replaces the obviously cut brake lines.”

“Don’t help,” Ben ordered him before returning to his questioning. “Come on, Willa. You aren’t going to tell them at all? Your parents need to know.”

I sighed and scrubbed a hand over my face. “Well, let me break it down for you. I was splashing around in a kiddie pool and fell over, face first in the water. Mom was four feet away and got me righted before I even panicked. That night, she made me take a bath wearing a coast guard approved life vest. To this day, we’re still not allowed to have a pool at our house.”

Kolton coughed into his fist. “I, uh… Wow.”

I glanced at him. “Oh, I’m not done. Second grade, I was invited to Cindy Gratin’s house for a slumber party. Of course Mom said no to that. A sleepover? Was I insane?”

“Honestly, that’s not too bad,” Ben hedged. “You don’t always know what adults are lurking…” He trailed off when I held up my finger.

“But never let it be said Mom didn’t compromise. She drove me over to Cindy’s house for the party with the cake and presents and whatnot, but… there was a trampoline in the backyard.”

Kolton frowned. “Okay?”

“Mom spotted it from the driveway when we pulled in and instantly backed us right out. It took me ten minutes during the drive home to even get her to explain why we were suddenly going home.”

She also wouldn’t let me give Cindy the present in school the following week to help smooth things over. Only, that was a little too insane to admit, even to Ben, so I withheld that part.

“Oh.” Ben readjusted his hands on the steering wheel.

“Fourth grade,” I continued, but Ben stopped me.

“No, I get it. I mean, she didn’t seem that overprotective when I met her, but she’s also usually been working a lot of hours.”

My phone rang, interrupting our conversation. I pulled it from my pocket, somewhat relieved it wasn’t dad until I recognized the number. I sighed.

“What?” Ben asked. “Is it your dad?”

“No, it’s this stupid wrong num—” I paused, my mind sparking.

What if it wasn’t?

Without warning or explanation, my body broke into full body chills. Suffocating dread, followed by an all-encompassing pain, engulfed me. I whispered, “I’m going to be sick.”

Kolton jerked. “What? Now ?”

Luckily, Ben was already veering to the side, and no sooner than Kolton had cleared the seat, I was flying out and dropping to the sidewalk so hard my knees cracked.

I heaved hard enough to spill my entrails bloody, shiny, and pink, across the dirt. My insides had completely liquified, and they colored the area around me.

A hand landed on my shoulder, warm and comforting, and I blinked.

Entrails?

I didn’t use the word entrails.

Nor was there any dirt on the ground, just concrete and grass—not even the vomit I was sure I’d thrown up could be found.

I shook my head, feeling the disorienting sense of double vision.

“Willa, you’re shaking like a leaf.”

Ben , my mind murmured as my soul latched onto that fact like a person adrift in the middle of an angry ocean.

Another hand felt my forehead. “Fuck. Her skin’s ice cold.”

“She’s sweating too. This can’t be shock, right?”

“Hours after?” Kolton mused, because the disorienting sensory overload had receded enough for me to see him crouched in front of me with genuine worry in his eyes. “Can it be that delayed?”

Ben shifted at my side. “I don’t know. Reberger ran on that jacked ankle the entire game without knowing it was broken.”

Kolton shifted his hand from my forehead to my other shoulder for some reason, and I leaned into both their touches. “Mmm,” I said, wanting to cry at the relief after such debilitating pain. It’d felt like I was dying. “You two feel nice.”

They froze, sharing a glance. How many times had they done that on the football field while silently communicating a play?

Who knew?

Not me. I’d never attended a game in my life.

I should change that.

Yes, I’d probably enjoy snuggling up under a blanket with a thermos of hot cocoa and cheering on my boyfriend.

“Yeah, so I’m going to go with shock,” Kolton quipped.

Ben shifted me farther into him, dislodging Kolton’s hand. “Are you still feeling nauseous?”

Shaky, sore, and a lot unsettled—check and check, but nauseous? “No.”

“Think you’re good to get in the truck? We should probably get you home.”

“Or feed her,” Kolton added, having climbed to his feet.

We both paused our slow shuffle glance at him.

“What?” he defended. “Hunter said he had to feed her when she started getting loopy after talking to the cops.”

“Thanks.” My voice sounded raspy as heck. The flash of… whatever had happened sent another wave of nausea swirling through my system. “And normally, I’d take you up on that.”

That drew Ben’s attention. “Wait. You don’t want food? You?”

My throat went tight, and I fought to control myself. “Hard pass.”

I scrambled into the truck.

“Here.” Kolton placed my phone in my hands. It was cracked. “Sorry. It flew out when you—”

“Not your fault.” Still, that was unfortunate. When I thumbed it, it was still functional. The screen lit with the missed call from the unknown number.

Oh.

Right.