Dare You To (Pushing the Limits, #2)(113)

“Tell me about your dad.” Ryan stays lazily stretched on the      bed while I straighten my spine by his pillows. How can he be so arrogant as to      think he deserves answers from me?

“That is none of your business.” That’s no one’s      business.

“Come on. Tell me something. Tell me about your mom.” His      voice becomes taunting and I curl my legs into my chest.

“Her name is Sky.” There, I gave him something.

“You can do better.” Anger creeps into his patient tone.      “Tell me why Scott won’t let you see her. Tell me something. Anything. You told      me once that you aren’t scared of anything. Right now I see a liar, because      you’re terrified.”

My head snaps up. “Fuck you.”

Ryan doesn’t flinch. “Tell me why you’re back in Groveton.      Why aren’t you still in Louisville with your mom?”

“I was arrested, all right?” My pulse thunders at every      pressure point in my body. Will this be it? The final blow that pushes him from      me? Three days. I have three days until I leave and this is not how tonight was      supposed to go.

Not expecting that answer, Ryan’s eyebrows furrow together.      Nausea spins in my stomach. He’s judging me. I know it. Ryan grabs hold of my      ankle before I can step onto the floor. “You already know my opinion on running.      What were you arrested for?”

Sweat breaks out on my skin. I can imagine the thoughts in      his head and his impending judgment. “Does it matter?”

He loosens his grip as his fingers slowly slide up my leg      and massage my calf through the material of my jeans. “I don’t care who you were      in Louisville because I’m in love with the girl you are now.”

Love. That word      from him makes my heart flutter and my head hurt. “Then why do you want to      know?”

“Because I want you to trust me.”

Blah. Trust. “I’m half-naked on your bed. We could be doing      so many other things.”

The right side of Ryan’s mouth quirks up. “And if you tell      me, maybe we’ll get around to those things.”

I pull my hair forward. What do I tell him? The official      story or the real story? He told me about his brother and his parents. I can      trust him with this. “My mom broke out the windows of her * boyfriend’s      car after he hit her. He was going to hit her again, so I picked up the bat and      was swinging it over my shoulder to hit him when the cops showed. Mom is on      probation, so I took the fall for the destruction of property. My aunt called      Scott to bail me out so...” I wave my hand in the air. “Here I am.”

Silence. I hate silence. Silence means thinking and thinking      means judgment.

Ryan edges closer to me and flips my hair from my face. “You      let the police arrest you instead of your mom?”

Missing my shirt, I draw my knees back up. “Wouldn’t      you?”

“Beth.” I hear the tense hesitation in his voice. “What you      did is admirable, but it’s not normal. You shouldn’t have to take the fall for      your mom. You shouldn’t have to pick up a baseball bat to defend her...or      anyone.”

He straightens and I watch as our trip into Louisville      clicks into place. “In fact, you shouldn’t even be taking care of your mom. You      knew she would be at the bar, didn’t you? You knew what you would be up against.      This is screwed up. Your mom should be taking care of you. Not the other way      around.”

My throat tightens. There is no way he could ever      understand. “It’s what I do. She needs me.”

Ryan runs a hand over his face and shifts off the bed. His      body pulsates with a dangerous energy as he paces the floor. “What were you      fighting about with Isaiah that night outside the coaching facility?”

“Nothing.” I give the answer too quickly, and the pointed      glare from Ryan tells me he knows I’m hiding the truth.

He continues his circle of the room. “I heard him tell you      that you belonged in Groveton, and that’s when you went nuts. You were going to      run away that night, weren’t you? That’s why you were mad at him. He stopped you      from going.”

Panic surges through my body and I hop off the bed. Where      did he throw my shirt? I have to go before he figures it out. A black blob lies      in the corner. I take two steps and strong arms grab my waist.