Page 87 of Soul So Dark

I should just say it was fine, but I hesitate too long.

“What?” he asks.

“Jordy was talking about you,” I blurt out. “She said that—” I stop myself, suddenly wondering if I should say anything at all.

Alex rolls his head across the back of the seat, peering at me skeptically. “What did she say?”

It feels a lot like tattling, but I think I should tell him because it seemed so…icky. It’s nothing to joke about, at least to me. But, then again, maybe I have different expectations. I just watched my brother and his best friend double-team the quiet girl from the ride up here.

“She said she wanted to leave Dire Ridge with you, when you join the Marines.” He listens, seemingly unfazed as I stammer through. “And she might get pregnant without you knowing about it.”

That one leaves a sour taste on my tongue akin to battery acid.

“That’s rich,” Alex chuckles.

“Is she still your girlfriend?” I ask apprehensively.

But Alex doesn’t miss a beat. “No.”

“Does she know that?”

He studies me for a few seconds before his face softens. “You know what I was going to do tonight, Dallas?”

I shake my head.

“I came here because of Col, but I was going to leave as soon as I could because I was going to come find you. And I did,didn’t I?”

“I don’t belong here,” I mumble. “Colson was just too afraid to leave me at home. I’ll never be one of you.” Then I look away with a bitter laugh. “Colson’s little sister…”

“You want to be one of us? I can show you how.”

“Yeah,OK,” I say with a roll of my eyes. “I already tried your way out there, and I don’t want to meet up with any more of you in the dark.”

“Come here.”

“Where?”

Alex pats his thighs. “Have a seat.”

I stare back at him apprehensively, but he just waits for me to comply. The back seat feels huge all of a sudden, probably because this car is a freaking tuna boat. Slowly, I start scooting toward him and then grab the back of the front seat to lift myself up. I feel his hands on my waist, guiding me onto his lap as I lower myself down and settle back against his chest.

“OK, what now?” I clip, not ready to let my guard down.

Alex brushes my thick hair off my shoulder and back. “Don’t act like you’re in a hurry. I already know what a little hellion you are.”

“Where are your glasses?” I ask, trying to sound as condescending as possible. “I thought you said you have chronic dry-eye at night.”

Alex reaches into his hoodie pocket, marked with the Adidas emblem, and pulls out a glasses case—the same one I gave him. Seconds later, he’s sliding his thick black frames up the bridge of his nose.

“Better?” he asks, dropping the case onto the seat.

Yes, it is, because I really like how they look on him. It makes him look more like…me.But I hate the feeling I get deep in my belly as soon as he puts them on. He’s so fucking cute, and all I can do is avert my eyes again and hope he doesn’t notice.

“You know we all have marks?” he asks as he produces a knife and flips the black metal blade open at my thigh, “Our soccer numbersare in the same place on our ribs.” My eyes round as he toggles it back and forth. “Aiden gave me mine, I gave Aiden his, Col gave Mase his, and Mase gave Col his.” He runs the handle over my bare skin, pausing at my hip. “It’s like a tattoo, and it only counts if one of us gives it to you.”

Is he serious? Did they really do that? Did they really cut their numbers into each other? And is he talking about doing the same to me?

My eyes glued to the knife, I don’t notice when he reaches up and grabs the zipper of my hoodie. I flinch as he slowly starts pulling it down. He must feel my heartbeat right through my back and see every single goosebump pop on my skin as he slides it off my shoulders.