Page 85 of Vicious Little Snakes

I open the door and slide inside, rolling my shoulders because the confined space feels even smaller. Or maybe it’s because of all the tension filling it up. Kai stabs the address that he has on a piece of paper into the Nav, tensing his jaw.

“Look, man—” I start, but he cuts an Acura and me off as he begins to lay in.

“No. No ‘look, man.’ You hurt her. We may not be conventional, but that doesn’t mean I don’t love her or want to protect her.”

“Stop,” I breathe out, feeling my chest get tight again.

He doesn’t listen, still ranting, “You don’t get to speak or act like that. Caroline’s fragile, Liam. I know she puts up an act and pretends to be mean, but it’s out of survival.”

“Kai, stop.”

His head shakes. “If you knew her the way I do… If you really knew her, you’d know that deep down Caroline’s—”

“Stop,” I shout, smacking the dash.

Just fucking stop.

I take a deep breath, feeling it rattle around in my chest as I stay focused on my lap.

“Don’t fucking tell me what I’m supposed to know. Trust me, I know her better than anyone. I made my amends with the only person that matters—Caroline. So drop it.”

My hands run over my head as I stare out of the windshield, silence hemorrhaging the car.

“What the fuck do you mean amends?”

I don’t answer.

He hits the steering wheel. “This is bullshit, Liam. Did you see her since the party?”

The way he says it sounds like panic, not like jealousy. Because that’s who I’ve become—the person that hurts her. He doesn’t trust me anymore, and I can’t blame him. I don’t trust myself.

This time he asks quietly as the car pulls to a stop at a red light. “When?”

I turn my head to look at him because I’m pretty sure he just figured out why he wouldn’t know about it.

“I left her this morning. But am I having this conversation with her boyfriend? Or her friend? Because all I’m going to say is don’t put us in this place, dude. I didn’t. For three fucking years.”

Kai tugs his seat belt off, staring at me like he’s about to do something.

His eyes bore into mine. “Did you two—tell me you didn’t fuck with her head like that.”

My chest rises and falls faster because I can’t tell him that—I fucked with both our heads because I couldn’t stay away from her anymore. No matter the aftermath.

Kai’s head shakes. “You don’t see her anymore.”

“She can make her own decisions, Kai, but I don’t think you have to worry.”

My head lays back against the seat, feeling exhausted, as horns begin to blare around us, intensifying when we don’t move.

I point to the road, looking at him. “Are you gonna go?”

“That’s it, dick? Don’t worry about it. I don’t want to talk about it. You destroyed her, and according to you, you already know that because you know her best. But this is all you’ll say? Some bullshit line about whether or not I’m acting like a boyfriend or a friend.” He huffs, turning toward the front, and pulls his seat belt back. “For your information, I’m acting like a person who loves her.”

I try to take a breath, but it’s hard. It’s the way he said “a person who loves her”—as if I don’t, that’s making me feel paralyzed.

I’ve spent my whole life being what everyone expects, needs, fuck—just prefers. I’m Tucker’s Harvard-bound son, Babe’s artistic charmer. I’m Donovan’s partner in crime and Grey’s rationale, but I will never be the guy that doesn’t love Caroline.

The car starts forward but jerks to a stop because we sat through the green light.