Page 48 of Playing Hard to Hate

TATUM

PRESENT

The sound of banging at the door jolted Griffin awake, his body tensing as his arms instinctively tightened around me, pulling me closer. I could feel the muscles in his chest flex, and my breath hitched for a moment.

“Expecting visitors?” I whispered, my voice thick with sleep as I tried to keep the unease from creeping into my words.

Whoever was at the door would have had to get past the front desk, unless they had a gun .

But how would they even know to find us here, in the penthouse?

He was a Major League Baseball player, of course.

I mentally scolded myself for not thinking more clearly.

“Tate, we’re safe here,” he murmured, his voice still laced with the remnants of sleep. His lips brushed the shell of my ear with a soft, reassuring kiss.

I laid there, still trying to shake off the lingering sense of dread, my mind racing with thoughts of the door.

Who could it be at this hour? My heart continued to pound in my chest, but Griffin’s words echoed in my ears, calming me, even if just a little.

We’re safe here. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to find some sense of normalcy in the moment, but the thudding on the door wouldn’t stop.

It felt like it was growing louder, each bang sending a ripple of tension through my body.

Griffin didn’t hesitate. He shifted beside me, his muscles moving in fluid motion as he slipped out of the bed. I blinked, my eyes still adjusting to the dim light of the room, as he grabbed his discarded boxers from the floor.

“Stay here,” he said, his voice low, but firm, before he moved toward the door.

I didn’t protest. There was something in his presence that made me feel like he was the one who could protect us both.

I watched, still in bed, my body frozen under the soft, cozy blankets, as he stepped across the room, his bare feet barely making a sound against the cool hardwood floor.

I watched through the crack in the door, holding my breath as I pulled the shirt Griffin had peeled off me last night over my head.

It felt soft, still warm from his body, and I quickly slid into the boxers he gave me.

The fabric was loose, the waistband sitting just above my hips, and I tugged them into place with a quiet, shaky breath.

My heart pounded in my chest, thudding louder in my ears with each second that passed.

I edged toward the door, pressing my back against the cool wall as I tried to listen in on the conversation taking place in the hallway.

The door was slightly ajar, just wide enough for me to peek through without being seen.

I clutched the doorframe, my fingers digging into the wood, hoping no one noticed the small movement.

I saw Griffin standing at the door, his posture rigid, and for a split second, I caught the intense look in his eyes. It was a mix of confusion and determination, but there was something else, something I couldn’t quite place.

The knock came again, this time more insistent, followed by a muffled voice I couldn’t quite make out.

Griffin opened the door. The dim light from the doorway spilled in, revealing the figure standing on the other side. My breath caught when I saw him clearly.

It was Dustin. What was he doing here?

My stomach twisted into a knot. I hadn’t told Dustin what happened yet, but he seemed to know already. He was looking past Griffin, his eyes immediately locking onto me. The desperation in his face was unmistakable. He was absolutely frantic to see me.

“What the hell is going on, Tate?” he demanded, his gaze flickering back to Griffin before returning to me. “Are you all right? You’re—” He stopped, his eyes narrowing as he looked me up and down as if he was just piecing together the scene in front of him. “You two are fucking now?”

My cheeks flushed, my heart racing again, but this time for a completely different reason. I didn’t know what to say.

Griffin stepped back, crossing his arms over his chest, his jaw tense. He didn’t say anything, but I could feel the unspoken words hanging in the air between the three of us.

Dustin’s gaze moved between us again, his brows furrowing deeper with each passing second. Then it clicked. His eyes widened slightly, and his expression shifted. Something shifted in him. He was not angry. He was furious. Protective .

“What the hell happened, Griffin?” Dustin said, his voice colder now, a sharp edge to it. His tone had completely changed, and I could see the shift in his body language. His muscles tensed, like he was ready to go after Griffin at any moment.

“Dustin, it’s not what you think,” Griffin said calmly, his voice holding steady, but there was an intensity to his words that made me think he was holding back.

“Don’t,” Dustin snapped. “Don’t tell me that. I know my sister. And I sure as hell know what kind of guy you are. And I know how she feels about you.” His gaze swung back to me. “Tate, tell me you didn’t?—”

A flush of shame crept up my neck, but I swallowed it down. This wasn’t about Dustin’s opinion. It was about me and Griffin and what we’d done, what we were becoming. But Dustin wasn’t having it. He stepped forward, his eyes flashing with a protective fury I’d never seen before. This was all new.

“You don’t get to tell me who I can and can’t date, Dustin. Don’t forget you and I are still rebuilding our relationship because you left me and Mom. How did you even know to come find me?”

Dustin’s face hardened at my words, his jaw clenching.

I could feel the weight of every syllable hanging in the air between us.

His protective nature was obvious, but so was the guilt that lined his expression as I brought up the past. He didn’t respond immediately, and for a moment, I almost thought he was going to walk away.

But then his gaze sharpened, locking with mine.

“I’m not saying you can’t make your own decisions, Tate,” he said, voice low but steady.

“I’m just saying that the guy you’re with…

broke your heart. You don’t know what you’re getting yourself into.

I know you think you’re all grown up now, but I’ve seen the damage that can be done by guys like him. ”

I felt a sudden rush of heat in my chest. The nerve of him to tell me what I could and couldn’t do, to assume he knew better than I did about my own life.

A wave of frustration pulsed through me.

Who the hell did he think he was to barge into my life now and tell me who I should and shouldn’t be having sex with?

“And who are you to tell me what’s right for me?” I snapped, taking a step forward. “You left me and Mom, Dustin. You left when we needed you the most. You don’t get to walk back into my life and try to control it now.”

His expression faltered for a split second, but he quickly masked it with frustration and anger. His eyes flicked to Griffin, then back to me, his voice coming out harsh .

“Griffin doesn’t care about you, Tate. You think this is some fairy tale? You think he’s the guy who’s going to make everything right? I’ve seen his type before. He doesn’t care about you the way I do. The way your family should.”

I swallowed hard, the knot in my throat tightening. The words felt like a slap, but they didn’t hurt the way I thought they would. Because deep down, I knew he was wrong. Griffin cared. Maybe more than he knew.

“You left, Dustin,” I said quietly, my voice trembling but firm.

“You left when I needed you, and now you’re trying to run my life.

Maybe it’s time for you to step back and trust me to make my own decisions.

I thought we were making progress last time you came to visit, but the way you are acting now is like going ten steps back. ”

The room felt smaller with every breath, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife. My hands balled into fists at my sides.

Then Griffin’s voice cut through the silence, calm and grounded. “You’re not the only one who cares about her, Dustin. But that doesn’t mean she can’t make her own choices. You’ve got to stop acting like you’re the only one who’s allowed to protect her.”

Dustin’s eyes flickered to Griffin, the weight of his words sinking in. He hesitated, but only for a second. “I’m just trying to make sure she’s safe.”

“I know you are,” Griffin said, his tone softer now, almost understanding. “But she’s not a child anymore. She’s her own person. And I’m here for her. You’ve got to let her make her own decisions.”

I could feel the tension between the two of them, like a tug-of-war that neither of them would ever win. But for the first time in a while, I realized I’m the one who held the power in this situation. And maybe that’s what scared them both the most .

I looked back at Dustin, my voice steady but filled with emotion. “I’m not a little girl anymore, Dustin. I’ve been through a lot, and I can take care of myself. But if you want to keep protecting me, maybe you should start by respecting my choices.”

Dustin stared at me for a long moment, then exhaled sharply, frustration and uncertainty clouding his eyes. He didn’t respond. Instead, he took a step back, his hand running through his hair in a frustrated gesture.

Dustin’s footsteps faltered for a moment before he turned back to face Griffin. The weight of the tension between them felt like it could snap, but then, to my surprise, Dustin exhaled heavily and ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

“I’m sorry, Griffin,” he said, his voice low but sincere. “I’ve been acting like a protective older brother, and I’m not trying to start shit with you.”

He paused, swallowing, his shoulders slumping slightly. “I don’t know what I’m doing anymore. I don’t want to see Tate hurt, and I think I’ve been projecting all my own shit onto you.”