the heat radiating off of me from my anger. He goes back to his car mumbling under his breath. Just as Patrick’s car screeches around the corner at the end of the street, I hear Derek. He must have pulled in behind me while I was trying not to snap the twig’s neck.
“Hey man, everything okay here? Lexi, are you alright?” he asks, looking back and forth between Lexi and me.
“Yes, Derek, we’re fine. Thanks to Coen,” Lexi says, curling her luscious lips into a smile. She’s spinning one of the key rings on her set of keys around between her thumb and index finger. “Patrick is on one of his little drunken rampages and was trying to show his ass, that’s all.” Lexi shrugs. Sounds like she broke up with this asshole at the right time. No woman should have to put up with being treated or spoken to that way. She’s even stronger than I thought. She’s blowing this off like it’s no big deal. This is not okay with me. She shouldn’t be comfortable with him acting that way. I don’t trust that piece of shit, and fuck if I’m going to leave her here alone. That idiot will probably try to come back again later when he thinks I’m gone.
I walk over to Derek and grip his hand. “Thanks, bro, it’s handled. I’m taking Lexi back to my place for the night,” I say, walking back toward Lexi’s driveway.
Her eyes widen and her mouth falls open. “Uh, what?”
“Well then, um, you two have a good night.” Derek yells over his shoulder as he walks back across his yard and goes inside. My eyes are still on Lexi. Her arms are now crossed. Her lips are pressed together, and she has one eyebrow raised. She’s waiting for me to explain what the hell I’m thinking.
I stand directly in front of her and slip my hands in my pockets to avoid reaching out to her, because I’m not sure if she wants to hug me or hit me right now. I’m guessing by the look on her face, it isn’t the first option.
“Look, Lex, I know you can take care of yourself, but that fucking tool is a loose cannon. I won’t get any sleep tonight if I’m sitting up wondering if that dumbass came back here after I left. So come home with me, just for tonight. I’ll sleep on the couch, you can have the bed.”
She exhales with a heavy sigh. “Coen, I…”
I stop her before she can argue. “Lexi. Please. Don’t make me pick you up and carry you, because I can, and I will. I know we’ve only known each other for a day, but I would never forgive myself if something happened. Now run in and grab what you need. I’ll be waiting in the car.” I couldn’t protect my parents from the drunk driver when I was eight, but I’m going to do everything in my power to save Lex now.
She opens her mouth again like she’s going to speak, but instead rubs the back of her neck, turns on her heels and does as I ask. I walk back to my car, get in, and wait for her to come back. I wonder how in the hell the rest of this twisted fucking day is going to go.
I’M WALKING THROUGH my house, grabbing things I think I might need. Where the hell does Coen get off telling me what to do? And why the fuck was Patrick at the race tonight? Is he stalking me? This is so fucked up. With Patrick pulling his little stunts tonight, though, I’m starting to think a night with Coen may be just what I need. I’ll stay at his place, and then tomorrow we’ll go our separate ways and life will go back to normal. Whatever that is.
I walk into my bedroom and glance at myself in the mirror as I walk past. Wow, I’m a hot mess. I don’t want to keep Coen waiting long, so I quickly strip off my t-shirt and shorts and throw on my favorite summery black dress, but keep on my Chucks. I pull the elastic out of my hair and run my brush through it a few times. At least now it doesn’t look quite as much like a rat’s nest. I grab my bag and jog out of the house, stopping to lock the door before I get into Coen’s car.
Fuck me, his car is hot!
I shut the door, and
“Hey man, everything okay here? Lexi, are you alright?” he asks, looking back and forth between Lexi and me.
“Yes, Derek, we’re fine. Thanks to Coen,” Lexi says, curling her luscious lips into a smile. She’s spinning one of the key rings on her set of keys around between her thumb and index finger. “Patrick is on one of his little drunken rampages and was trying to show his ass, that’s all.” Lexi shrugs. Sounds like she broke up with this asshole at the right time. No woman should have to put up with being treated or spoken to that way. She’s even stronger than I thought. She’s blowing this off like it’s no big deal. This is not okay with me. She shouldn’t be comfortable with him acting that way. I don’t trust that piece of shit, and fuck if I’m going to leave her here alone. That idiot will probably try to come back again later when he thinks I’m gone.
I walk over to Derek and grip his hand. “Thanks, bro, it’s handled. I’m taking Lexi back to my place for the night,” I say, walking back toward Lexi’s driveway.
Her eyes widen and her mouth falls open. “Uh, what?”
“Well then, um, you two have a good night.” Derek yells over his shoulder as he walks back across his yard and goes inside. My eyes are still on Lexi. Her arms are now crossed. Her lips are pressed together, and she has one eyebrow raised. She’s waiting for me to explain what the hell I’m thinking.
I stand directly in front of her and slip my hands in my pockets to avoid reaching out to her, because I’m not sure if she wants to hug me or hit me right now. I’m guessing by the look on her face, it isn’t the first option.
“Look, Lex, I know you can take care of yourself, but that fucking tool is a loose cannon. I won’t get any sleep tonight if I’m sitting up wondering if that dumbass came back here after I left. So come home with me, just for tonight. I’ll sleep on the couch, you can have the bed.”
She exhales with a heavy sigh. “Coen, I…”
I stop her before she can argue. “Lexi. Please. Don’t make me pick you up and carry you, because I can, and I will. I know we’ve only known each other for a day, but I would never forgive myself if something happened. Now run in and grab what you need. I’ll be waiting in the car.” I couldn’t protect my parents from the drunk driver when I was eight, but I’m going to do everything in my power to save Lex now.
She opens her mouth again like she’s going to speak, but instead rubs the back of her neck, turns on her heels and does as I ask. I walk back to my car, get in, and wait for her to come back. I wonder how in the hell the rest of this twisted fucking day is going to go.
I’M WALKING THROUGH my house, grabbing things I think I might need. Where the hell does Coen get off telling me what to do? And why the fuck was Patrick at the race tonight? Is he stalking me? This is so fucked up. With Patrick pulling his little stunts tonight, though, I’m starting to think a night with Coen may be just what I need. I’ll stay at his place, and then tomorrow we’ll go our separate ways and life will go back to normal. Whatever that is.
I walk into my bedroom and glance at myself in the mirror as I walk past. Wow, I’m a hot mess. I don’t want to keep Coen waiting long, so I quickly strip off my t-shirt and shorts and throw on my favorite summery black dress, but keep on my Chucks. I pull the elastic out of my hair and run my brush through it a few times. At least now it doesn’t look quite as much like a rat’s nest. I grab my bag and jog out of the house, stopping to lock the door before I get into Coen’s car.
Fuck me, his car is hot!
I shut the door, and
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