Dare You To (Pushing the Limits, #2)(88)

Beth stops when she sees me leaning against the passenger door      of my Jeep. Her eyes widen and her face pales. “What are you doing here?”

“We have dinner plans.”

She blinks and Isaiah stiffens behind her. He may be looking      for a fight, but I’m not. “Can we talk for a second, Beth?” I stare at Isaiah.      “Alone.”

“I go only if she tells me to go.” Isaiah has a cool demeanor,      almost friendly, but all of it is forced.

“Isaiah,” says Beth, “I need to talk to him.”

From behind her, Isaiah places a hand on her shoulder, kisses      the top of her head, and stares straight at me. Bile rises in my throat. The      only thing keeping me from punching him is Beth’s expression. Her striking eyes      become too large for her face. Good girl. I like that she didn’t expect a move      like that from him.

Isaiah hops in an old Mustang and glares at me as he starts the      engine. It turns over immediately with an angry rumble. He backs out and leaves      the lot.

Beth kneads her fists against her eyes. A million questions      float in my brain, but right now I’m only interested in salvaging us. “I’m      sorry.”

She slowly lowers her hands. “For what?”

That this run-down shithole is her previous life. That she      doesn’t trust me enough to let me help her with her problems. That I’ve been      stupid enough to think she was nothing more than a spoiled brat who freeloaded      off her uncle. For being the ass she told me I was weeks ago.

“Mark was my best friend,” I tell her. “When he left, I felt      like he took part of me with him. When my dad threw him out, I couldn’t      understand why he wouldn’t stay and fight—if not for him, then for me.”

I’ve never told anyone that before. Not even Chris or Logan.      Beth’s the first person to ever call me out on something so major—so personal. I      deserve whatever wrath will come next.

With a weighty sigh, Beth deflates to the crumbling parking      curb. “I get it.” She looks small and lost again and my heart rips from my      chest.

I sit on the curb and everything in my world becomes right when      she rests her head on my shoulder. Wrapping an arm around her, I briefly close      my eyes as she inches her warm body next to mine. This is where Beth      belongs—tucked in close to me.

“You were still an * to Mark,” she says.

“Yeah.” The regret eats at my stomach. “But what do I do? It’s      him or my dad. The two of them have drawn battle lines. I’m supposed to choose      one or the other, but I need them both.”

Silence. A balmy breeze dances across the parking lot.

“She’s my mom,” Beth says with the same heaviness I’d heard in      Scott’s voice when he talked about Beth as a child. “In case you were      wondering.”

“I was.” But I wasn’t ready to push her. My fingers lightly      trace her arm and I swear she presses closer to me. I’d love to kiss her right      now. Not the type of kiss that makes her body come alive. The type of kiss that      shows her how much I care—the type that involves my soul.

Beth lifts her head and I drop my arm. She needs her space and      I need to learn how to give it.

“We suck at dating,” she says.

I chuckle. We do suck at it. Hoping for a perfect moment, I was      going to wait until after dinner to give her what I’ve brought with me, but the      one thing I’m learning with Beth is that perfection will never happen. I shove      my hand into my pocket, pull out the thin satin strip of material, and dangle it      in front of her. “This is my gift to you. This is my wow.”

Beth blinks once and her head slowly inclines to the left as      she stares at the ribbon. How do guys do it? How do they give gifts to the girls      they have feelings for and stay sane? I want her to be wowed so she’ll stay on      homecoming court, but more...I want this gift to prove that I know her and that      I see beyond black hair and nose rings and cut-up jeans. I see her as she really      is—I see Beth.

“You bought me a ribbon,” she whispers. “How did you know?”

My mouth is dry. “I saw a picture of you when you were young in      Scott’s office and you talked about it...in the barn.”

Her words were hypnotic. “Ribbons,” she said in a whimsical      voice. “I still love ribbons.”