“Wow,” she says, looking around the large foyer. “This place is massive.”
“Not massive enough.” I blow out a breath, kicking the door shut behind us. “It would take an entire country to put the kind of distance between me and Oliver that I need.”
“Still no better on the brother front, huh?” she asks, following me to the kitchen.
“Stepbrother.” I correct her. “And no, unless you count a forced apology as better.”
“Well, have no fear, because now I’m here,” she sings, laying the bags on the kitchen island.
“Did you just rhyme on purpose?” I give her a funny look.
“Shut up and help me.” She laughs, pulling items out of the plastic grocery bags.
By the time we’re done, the island is covered with enough snacks to feed twenty people.
“I think maybe you went a little overboard,” I tell her, gesturing to all the food.
“I didn’t know what you were in the mood for, so I bought all your favorites.” She shrugs. “Plus, I have all the stuff for our facials and mani/pedis in my duffel. I raided my mom’s bathroom and brought the good stuff.”
“You seriously are the best, you know that?” I smile. “But really, you didn’t have to do all this. We do have food here, ya know.”
“Yeah, but if I know your mom, you don’t have any of this stuff.”
She’s not wrong there. What is it with doctors and healthy food? I guess they see firsthand the effects of a bad diet. My entire life my mom has preached about how important it is to put the right foods into your body.
“Okay, you got me there.”
“Let’s stick the ice cream and stuff in the freezer and take the rest up to your room. I’m dying to see the rest of this place.”
“Okay,” I agree, gathering up some of the cold items to put away.
Once we finish in the kitchen, I give Savannah a brief tour that ends at my bedroom. I know Oliver is home, because his car is outside, and music is coming from his room, but other than pointing to his door to say that’s his room, I make no attempt to introduce the two. Why would I? He’ll probably be mean to her just because she’s my friend—and I’m not having any of that. He can mess with me but messing with V is a line I’m not willing to let him cross.
“SO LET ME MAKE sure I’ve got all this straight. Zayden was in on the bullying in the beginning. And despite your better judgement, you were still crushing on him pretty hard. And now he’s acting as your protector, and you’re crushing on him even harder.” Savannah blows on her fingernails to speed up the drying process, recapping my relationship with Zayden in a nutshell.
We started with facials and are now finishing up our nails. While we kept the conversation light at first—with V filling me in on everything happening at Bristol, it didn’t take long for the conversation to turn back to me and the shit show that is now my life.
“I don’t know if he was so much bullying me as he was just playing along with Oliver, but yes, I guess you could say he’s protecting me now. Though in a weird way he kind of always has.”
“Ry, I love you, but from what you’ve told me, bullying you was exactly what he was doing—regardless of why he was doing it.”
“I guess. I just… I don’t know. He’s not who I thought he was. He’s surprisingly really gentle. For a guy the whole school is afraid of, and rightfully so, he’s got this really soft side to him. You should have seen the way he shielded me yesterday at school. He’s protective but in a very Zayden, bad ass, type of way. I don’t know, he’s just really… sweet.”
“Sweet?” Savannah smiles—not fully convinced. “A guy who does illegal underground fighting and helps your stepbrother make your life miserable?”
“I know how it probably sounds, but I’m telling you, V, there’s something about him. A side to him I don’t think many people know is there. Sure, he’s a little rough around the edges and he’s pretty damn intimidating, too. But when it’s just me and him—I don’t know? He’s different. He’s not the asshole he portrays to everyone else. He’s caring and attentive. He even helps his dad take care of his sick little sister. How many teenage guys can say they do that? And he’s smart. Like super smart. And my, can that boy kiss.” I can’
t stop the smile that spreads across my face.
“He sounds awesome, Ry, but….” She nibbles on her bottom lip.
“But what?”
“I just want you to be careful, okay? I know you, and I can see you’re already so smitten with him that you can’t see past your own nose. And I don’t want to see you get hurt because you let your guard down too quickly.”
“Oh, trust me, my guard is way up.” I shake my head. “But that doesn’t mean I’m not enjoying what’s happening between us. I just want to see where this goes, ya know? Good or bad.”
“I get that. And I hope it turns out the way you want. But sweetie, he is Oliver’s best friend.”