Page 16 of Tangled Hearts

I all but run to my car and duck inside. I’m trembling a little when I reach up to turn the key. Must be the cold. Although, this jacket is really damn warm. Tonight wasn’t the shitshow I thought it was going to be. I’m about to back out of the driveway when I catch sight of Nic in his car.

He looks… sad. Really fucking sad—eyes downcast, the smile that he wore a few seconds ago completely gone. Damn. Why does that make my stomach feel all funny? He catches me staring, and I resist the urge to look away. Mostly because I want to see if he tries to slip his mask back on. It takes him a second, but he does. His eyes brighten, and a grin stretches his lips as he gives me a little wave.

What exactly are you hiding, Nic? And why the fuck do I want to find out what it is so bad?

The second I walk in the door at home and let Kassie out, I FaceTime Liam. When his face pops up on the screen, he’s already in bed. “Hey.”

“You were right,” I blurt out.

He sits up, rubbing a hand down his face. “What do you mean?”

“He’s stupidly fucking hot. And he smells good.”

Liam blinks at me. “How do you know he smells good?”

I roll my eyes. “He gave me his jacket.” Liam’s jaw drops. “Anyway, not the point. He’snice.Andfunny.And did I mention hot? Stupidly fucking hot. It’s obscene. It’s unfair.”

Liam laughs. “Why are you so upset about that?”

“Because,” I say, glaring at him. “He’s not supposed to be friendly and approachable and hot. He’s supposed to be a fucking gutter troll with a beer gut and a shitty personality. He’s prettier than Holden.”

Liam scoffs. “Not a fucking chance.”

If only I were lying. When I first met Holden, I thought he was the most beautiful person in the world, and truly? He is gorgeous. But Nic? Nowhe’ssomething else entirely. “It’s just the audacity.”

Liam goes back to blinking at me. “The audacity?”

“Yes,” I groan. “He’s trying to steal my familyandhe has the audacity to be that fucking hot while he’s doing it? How am I even supposed to be mean to him? And then we leave at the same time, and he sees that I’m cold andgives me his fucking jacket.Like right off his body. It’s terrible.”

Liam nods, his expression morose. “Yes. He seems positively awful.”

“I wasn’t supposed to like him. I was supposed to be casually indifferent and survive by pretending he wasn’t a real person.”

“Eli, listen to yourself right now,” Liam says, concern marring his features. “First off, he’s not trying to steal your family.” I open my mouth to speak, but I’m silenced by a glare. “No. Not doing it. Hecan’t.He literally can’t. I know your family. Longer than you have, even. Holden’s brother doesn’t threaten your place in his life. You’re smarter than this.”

“I hate you.” I know I’m being a brat. IknowI am. I can’t help it, though. I feel like everything is spiraling out of control, and I’m fourteen again, standing in the middle of my room at Safe Haven, sobbing my eyes out because I just found out my bio dad didn’t want me anymore.

Liam laughs. “You don’t.”

“I don’t.” I sigh. “I’m being overdramatic, huh?”

“Little bit.” Liam punctuates his words by doing the gesture with his hand.

“You’re right. I just… I built it up in my head so much and I wanted to dislike him, but I don’t think I can. He’s nice.”

“I want to meet him.”

I glare at him through the screen, my stomach going a little tight, but I’m not sure why. “No. It’s bad enough that you objectify Holden. I’m not going to let you do the same with Nic.”

“Interesting that you’re already protective of him,” Liam muses.

Well, I don’t really have a response to that. Of course I’m already protective of him. I can tell he’s already important to Holden, which makes him important to me. “Maybe that’s the answer.”

Liam’s brows pull together. “What are you talking about?”

I nod. Yeah, I like that. If I just ‘take him under my wing,’ so to speak, and be friends with him, maybe I can keep myself from being pushed out of my own family. It doesn’t have to be a competition at all. Not that I’d really be competing. Like Liam said, no one can take my place. “I’ve gotta go.”

“Uhh, okay. Have a good night, you fucking weirdo.”