Whatever It Takes (Second Chances #2) by L. E. Bross

present. Language.”
    Red tinged Tess’s cheeks and she reached for Noah’s hand.
    “We should get back to the playground,” she said, not really looking at anyone.
    Seth crossed his arms over his chest. He lifted one eyebrow and I knew, just knew, he was going to be a jackass before he opened his mouth.
    “Nice to see that taking your daddy’s offer paid off exactly like you planned, Tess. Makes everything worth it, doesn’t it? The whole coldhearted bitch thing.”
    Avery gasped, and Tess turned ten shades of red.
    Seth had no right talking to her like that and I rounded on him, getting right in his face. “Hey, man, cool it. That was an asshole thing to say.”
    “You’ve been seeing her again?” he demanded. “When the hell were you going to share that, Ry? Christ, I thought you learned your lesson the first time.”
    I clenched my fingers into fists. Tess and I weren’t anything anymore and he needed to back off and stop acting like an ass.
    “Ryan, drop it,” I heard Tess say faintly. “It’s fine. I need to get back to our table anyway. I’ll . . . I’ll see you around. Or not . . .” She murmured a goodbye before she pulled a very confused-looking Noah away from us.
    I loved Seth like a brother, but right now I seriously wanted to punch him. “What the fuck was that?” I growled.
    Seth shrugged. “What, it’s the truth. She had an offer for a better life and took it the first chance she had. Now look at her, saddled with a kid at twenty-one. You have to admit that’s some fucking fine irony right there.”
    I got it. Seth didn’t like Tess, but to be a dick like that. Not cool. I knew he’d never apologize, but someone needed to. I started after her when he grabbed my arm.
    “Seriously? You’re going after her? Why?” he demanded.
    “Maybe you should let Ryan handle this himself,” Avery said to him, putting a restraining hand on Seth’s wrist.
    Seth snorted. “Where Tess was concerned, he never thought straight. I can’t believe you didn’t tell me you saw her. Don’t go back there, man. She screwed you up big-time. How long was it before you actually admitted that she wasn’t going to call, half a year? You don’t need that again.”
    There was too much truth in those words to ignore and a slash of pain hit my chest. That fall after Tess stopped calling, my mom left. It was a fucked-up sophomore year, one that pretty much made me reevaluate everything I thought I knew. But Seth had been an ass and Tess deserved an apology. If not from him, then from me.
    With a sigh Seth let go of my arm. “But sure, be a moron. Go ahead and make another huge mistake. Then I’ll just get to say I told you so.”
    Seth stormed away, and Avery stood there biting her lip. “Look, he doesn’t mean to be an ass. He just cares about you.”
    “Well, Tess should get an apology from someone. No one deserves to be treated like that, no matter what they did seven years ago,” I said.
    “Oh, Seth is going to get an earful about his manners, believe me,” Avery replied with a glare.
    “So . . . should I ride back with them?” Shari asked. “So you can go find her?”
    I forgot she was even standing there. Fuck. I yanked my ball cap off and drove my fingers through my hair. I glanced in the direction Tess had taken, but the crowd of people had eaten her up already. I could go after her—hell, I knew where she lived—
    I shook my head. What the actual fuck was I doing?
    I knew it was more than just apologizing for Seth. That look in Tess’s eyes when Seth went off about brought me to my knees, and all I wanted to do was protect her. Take care of her.
    But then what? It didn’t change anything.
    I was still the same guy as I was three days ago, before I even ran into Tess.
    I sighed. My stomach felt twisted up in knots, but I reached out and took Shari’s hand. I knew what the score was with her. Uncomplicated. That’s all I wanted. It’s what Shari wanted. Casual I could do.