Color Me Pretty: A Father's Best Friend Romance

Just as I started lifting my leg to wrap it around him, he pulled back and slammed a fist into the wall. I flinched at the abrupt change as he backed away, his fingers going to his hair. What I didn’t expect was the harsh glare that he gave me, like I was somehow to blame for him kissing me. Again. Had I egged him on? Yes. But he was a grown man who made his own decisions.

“Don’t you dare say it,” I warned, trying to hold back the sting of tears. My nose burned as I watched his jaw lock. He was in his head, thinking, overanalyzing, and all I wanted him to do was stop. “Christ, Adele, that was a mistake.”

Those words hurt even still.

“Maybe you’ll have some inspiration now,” was what he said instead, walking to the door.

What. The. Fuck. “Is that what we’re going to pretend that was? You helping me find some sort of emotion to use for my project?”

He paused by the door. “That was me giving you what you wanted, but stopping it before I couldn’t take it back.”

I wasn’t going to pretend that wasn’t a firm kick to the chest. So, instead of telling him as much, I stared at his tense back and walked toward the door. He blocked my way, so I brushed past him just barely touching his shoulder with mine and jerked away when he reached out.

Turning to look at him, I met his distant eyes and said, “For the record, you are the one who ruined this. Not me.”

“Della—” He murmured. I heard the guilt in his tone, the regret. But I refused to figure out if it was genuine or not because it was hard to tell with him sometimes. He was more than just hot and cold. Moments ago, he’d burned me, and I welcomed it freely. But now? Now I felt the ice take over my veins because it was the only way to simmer the boiling blood that came with seeing his mask slip back into place. The one he wore when he realized he saw me as more than little Della.

“If you really want to help me, figure out what you want without destroying everybody else. Okay?”

I was proud for walking away. For not looking back. I wouldn’t let him tell me it was a mistake or that he regretted anything. Once was enough. Twice? I knew I wouldn’t handle it well. Not that the first time was anything I wanted to remember. I’d cried for a week remembering how he looked at me. That wouldn’t be now.

And when a day passed and I heard nothing from him, I didn’t think about it.

Or when another came and went.

I took care of Ramsay after smuggling him back into my apartment, went to classes, and hung out with Ren like I was fine. Was I? No. But just like Theodore West, I was great at pretending.

Chapter Nine

Della

The strong arms came from nowhere and threw me over a broad shoulder before I knew what was happening. Yelping, I grabbed onto a white t-shirt, probably with some sports logo on it, and tried balancing myself while the strong scent of lemon drops suddenly hit me.

“Lawrence!”

His laugh was deep as he spun us around. I was glad I opted not to wear a dress today like I had planned considering the heatwave we’d been experiencing as spring hit. It wouldn’t have stopped him from flashing my panties to everybody around us though.

“Ren,” I complained, smacking my fists into his back. He only laughed louder and returned the favor. On my ass. Rolling my eyes as he set me down, I ignored the catcalls from people walking past us on the quad, recognizing some of his frat buddies and teammates. “Was that necessary?”

“You ask that every time and the answer never changes,” he mused, pecking my cheek.

He offered me his arm like nothing happened and I took it without second guessing it. “The Hut?”

“Sure.”

We walked side by side, weaving past groups of people who were talking in the middle of the sidewalk. “You’ve been unusually quiet lately. Don’t think I haven’t noticed just because I’ve been busy with practice.”

“And Ben,” I teased.

He knocked my shoulder with his. “He might be another distraction, but Coach is being his usual self to get us ready for the big game. You’re going right?”

I snorted unattractively. “Don’t I always?”

“You’ve been staying in a lot.”

The pause was there, other people’s conversations filling in the temporary silence between us. I was about to come up with an excuse, one he’d probably see right through, when Tiffany appeared a few feet away as we neared the building housing our favorite hangout.

My feet stopped, jerking Ren to a halt too. He looked at me with pinched brows, seeing my gaze on the blonde who was looking back. To my surprise, she lifted a hand and waved.