Leather.
Only when we parted, and my heart stopped racing, did I tear my gaze away from him long enough to take in the leather vest he was wearing. Similar to Uncle Dex’s but without the same patches.
“Where’d you get this? And the bike?” Anger and hurt crept into my tone. “How’d you get out? When? Why didn’t you call me?”
“Easy.” He kissed my cheek. “One thing at a time.”
“I missed you.”
His eyes softened. “Missed you too, butterfly.”
I slugged him in the stomach, which probably hurt my hand more than his gut. “I’m mad at you. Furious.”
His steady gaze drilled into me. “You have every reason to be.”
We stood there staring at each other. Anger and love warred inside me. I was so happy he was here but still mad he hadn’t let me be there for him when he needed me.
He lifted his chin toward Vienna’s car. “You two have plans?”
“We went to the mall to try on graduation dresses.”
His jaw tightened for a brief second. “You find one?”
“I did. My stuff’s still in V’s trunk.” Nervous and flustered, I rushed over to the car and she smiled at me.
“Lucky wench.” She popped the latch of the trunk and stepped out. “Welcome home, Roman.”
“Hey, Vienna.” Roman’s quiet greeting seemed off. But he accepted a quick hug from her before pulling away.
“Got everything?” Vienna asked me.
I held up my bags and nodded.
“All right.” She climbed into her car again. “If you still need a ride, let me know.” Her gaze flicked toward Roman. “But I think you’ll have it covered.”
“Thanks, V.” I waved as she backed out of the driveway.
Then Roman and I were alone.
Strong arms slipped around my waist and he pulled my back against his chest. His warm breath slipped over my cheek. “I want to see the dress you bought.”
“I don’t think I’m going to the ceremony now.”
“Yes, you are.”
I turned and lifted my gaze. “I want to spend time with you.”
He leaned down, staring into my eyes. “And I want to watch you graduate.”
Roman
I wasn’t letting my girl go without a fight.
Seeing her with some other guy shook me for a minute. But I hadn’t survived all the bad in life by giving up whenever a situation seemed bleak. Juliet and I were embedded in each other’s souls. A little jail time couldn’t alter our destiny.
I would’ve sat in her driveway waiting all damn night if I had to.
And if that guy came home with her, I would’ve slugged him in his smug, preppy face a few times just for thinking he was good enough for my girl.
“Why didn’t you go inside?” Juliet asked as she keyed open the front door. “Did you lose your key? You still haven’t told me when you got out.”
Anger turned her questions into accusatory word bullets.
Fuck. The realization of what showing up with a new bike must suggest to her slammed into me. She thought I’d been out for days—maybe longer—and hadn’t bothered to see her.
“I got out this morning. The bike was a thanks-for-not-snitching gift from Dex’s club. Or Ulfric’s. Dex was fuzzy on the details.” I had to tell her at least that much. She deserved to know. And if Dex didn’t like it, too bad.
“Dex knew you were getting out?”
Now she just sounded hurt.
“Why didn’t he tell me?” she persisted.
“I don’t think he knew for sure they’d let me go today.” I rested my hand on her shoulder. “Maybe he didn’t want to get your hopes up in case I wasn’t released.”
“Hmm.”
Her hum neither agreed nor disagreed with my statement. She tossed her bags on the end of the couch and kicked off her shoes. “Are you hungry? I ate at the mall.” She clutched her stomach. “The pizza didn’t agree with me, though.”
I’d certainly lost my appetite at the mall. “No? You looked satisfied to me.”
Oh, fuck. Why had that come out of my mouth?
“What?” She stared up at me with wide eyes. “What are you talking about?”
“Nothing.” I ran my hand over the back of my head. Damn, I needed a haircut. Maybe some super glue for my mouth too. “I stopped there to get something. Saw you and Vienna in the food court with some preppy guys and that jockstrap-for-brains Doug.”
She blinked and frowned.
I’d said all that in English, right?
“You seemed, uh, kinda cozy with the one guy,” I added.
Might as well dig my grave nice and deep.
“Frankie?” Her frown intensified. “I just met him today.”
I closed my eyes and blew out a long, relieved breath.
She popped her little fist against my abs, like she’d done out in the driveway. It tickled. I caught her hand in mine.
“What’d you think? I was on a date?” she snapped.
“Kinda, yeah.” I shrugged and leaned over to brush my lips against her knuckles, silently asking her to forgive my big mouth and all the dumb stuff shooting out of it.