All the Sauce (IceCats 4)

He sits down beside me and wraps his arms around me, bringing me and my plants in close. “Okay, first, your dad can’t scare me off. And second, I’m going over there to kill him.”

“No, don’t. It’s not worth it, and I’m already worried about my job.”

“This is insane. He needs his ass kicked.”

“I know, but please don’t. I can’t handle it. I’m so overwhelmed right now.” I start to cry once more, and his grip on me tightens as he kisses my temple.

“It’s okay, sugar. I got you.”

“I’m sorry for showing up—and my dad.”

“Don’t be. I want you here. You’re safe here.”

“I know, which is why I came here.” I close my eyes and hold my plants as he holds me.

He kisses my temple and whispers, “Were you aware there was a pact made between your dad and my dad to keep us apart?”

I look up at him, confused. “Seriously? That was a real thing?”

“Apparently my dad forgot about it because he didn’t think we’d ever get together after we grew up.”

“I’m sorry. My dad is a weirdo.”

Owen grins. “He loves you,” he says softly. “I would have told him the same if he would have given me a chance, but he did a lot of yelling. I figured I’d let him get it out.”

I groan loudly. “He’s so ridiculous. What did he even say?”

“That you’re too good for anyone, no one deserves you, and that I need to stay away.”

“What did you say?” I ask, gawking at him and feeling so mortified that my dad is insane.

“That he was absolutely right. No one deserves you and you are way too good for me, but there was no way in hell I was staying away from you.”

My heart soars, and the tears come faster. How did I get so lucky? And why does he still want me? I’m embarrassed by me.

He leans in, kissing my nose. “But none of that matters. What are we doing about your living situation? Do you wanna go get your stuff tomorrow?”

I shake my head before leaning it on him. “No, my mom paid the rent for this month, so I am going to stay there. I just need to calm down, and then I’ll start looking for a place.”

Owen presses his lips to my temple. “You can live here.”

I close my eyes, loving his warmth. “I don’t even know. There is so much I need to consider, but I’m so stressed out I can’t even deal.”

He kisses me again before standing up and grabbing my plants from me. I watch as he carefully puts them on the bookcase by his window. He walks over to his bed and starts to push it toward Evan’s bed without saying anything to me. Before, he offered me Evan’s bed, but I guess that option is gone and he wants to share a bed with me. If I weren’t so stressed and totally overwhelmed, I’d find him completely irresistible. He grabs some sheets out of the drawer and throws them on the bed before pulling me to my feet.

He reaches for my bag and hands it to me. “Go get a shower. I’ll make up the bed.”

My lip starts to wobble at his kindness. “Are you sure? I know this is a lot, and I probably should have just sucked it up and gone to a—”

“Angie,” he says, taking me by the hips and bringing me to him. “I’m sure. It’s not a lot. I want to be there for you and make things easier. Most of all, I want to go crack this dude’s kneecaps with a hockey stick.”

A tear escapes down my cheek as a distressed laugh leaves my lips. “He isn’t worth it. He’s trash.”

“I agree, but I don’t want anyone making you sad,” he whispers, kissing my jaw. “Everything is going to be okay. We’ll figure it all out.”

Between his kindness and all the what-ifs, a sob rips out of me. “But what if I don’t get the job and I gotta go back home or something? It’s all such a mess,” I cry, falling into his chest face-first.

He slides his hands through my hair, tangling his fingers in it as he holds me close. “Then we’ll cross that bridge when we get there.”

“You’ll dump me, and I’ll be heartbroken. There is no way I’m worth the trouble of a long-distance relationship.”

His chuckle is low as he rubs the back of my neck. “Angie, you’re spiraling. Baby, go take a shower.”

He’s right. I am. I realize I haven’t taken my meds, so I sit up, setting my bag on the bed and opening it. I pull out the bottle of my meds that I take twice a day and glance at him. “Do you have water?”

He reaches for his cup on the nightstand. “It’s Coke.”