Time Will Tell (Maybe #3)(11)

Zach pauses the game and turns to me. “No, we don’t see each other like that. We’re good friends. Family even.”

I run my teeth along my bottom lip. “It’s just that last night, I thought she was yours. I know you said she wasn’t, so I thought it was casual or something.”

“She’s not casual,” he replies, a thoughtful expression on his face. “As long as I’ve known her, I’ve never seen or heard of her hooking up with anyone. She gets asked out, maybe even goes on a date or two, but that’s about it.”

“My mistake,” I reply.

My huge f*cking mistake.

She isn’t going to look twice at me now.

“You like her, don’t you?” Zach asks.

I look away. “She’s beautiful, of course…”

“Why didn’t you f*cking say something last night?” he growls, looking angry.

I sit up straighter. “When was I going to say something? When you were all over her? Or when your dad was giving me threatening looks and telling me how she’s such a good girl?”

Zach cringes. “I wasn’t all over her, and yeah, Dad’s protective, but he’ll get over it.”

“You were all over her.” And I didn’t f*cking like it.

“Why the f*ck would you go home with that girl if you liked Trillian? That’s f*ckin’ stupid.”

I look at my friend, and for the first time since we were kids, I want to strangle the shit out of him. “I thought you and she had a thing, your dad silently threatened me, and I’m just passing through and have nothing to offer except a quick f*ck. Pick one, Zachary.”

“Shit, no need to full name me,” he mutters.

“Why does it seem like you want me to hook up with Trill?” I ask, suspicious.

He resumes the game and continues to play. “You’re a good man, Xander. She could do a lot worse.”

Well, this good man left with another woman last night and ruined his chances.

“Thanks, I think. Not that it matters now.”

Zach flashes me an odd look. “I guess not. Do you want her number? Or will you just go next door?”

“Are you sure she wants to hang out with me?” I ask. Maybe she doesn’t even care that I left with Paula last night. Zach said she didn’t usually pay attention to any men. Why the hell would I be any different?

“Yeah, she said she would.”

Either she doesn’t care or the woman is a saint.

“I’ll just go over to her house then, I guess. Will her parents be there or what?” I ask, wondering what her parents will think of her hanging out with me. Then again, she hangs out with Zach, and I’m not any worse than he is. Unless they have a problem with tattoos, then I’m shit out of luck.

Zach’s body goes still. “She lives there alone. Why do you think I check on her all the time?”

“What do you mean, she lives there alone?” I ask, scowling.

A young, beautiful, sweet girl like her living alone? I don’t like it.

“Her dad died two years back,” Zach replies in a low tone.

“Shit.”

Looks like we have something f*cked up in common.

“Yeah, now she’s alone.”

“Her mum?” I ask, hoping she isn’t dead, too.

“Left her when she was a kid. No one knows where she is,” Zach replies sadly, turning off the game and staring straight ahead of him.

“That’s f*cked up,” I say quietly.

“Yeah, no idea how she came out so well. But her dad was awesome, loved her to bits. She was devastated when he died.”

That sounds familiar.

“And now she has no one?” I ask, feeling for the beautiful girl. She is way too young to have lost both her parents and to be living all alone. I’ve lost my dad, but I still have my mum and sister. She has no one, and here I am feeling sorry for myself when she has it a million times worse. I think about what it must have been like for her, my chest starting to hurt.

Does she do everything for herself with no help? How does she manage financially?

Fuck, she’s such an independent, strong girl.

Zach throws me a look. “She has me, dickhead.”

I really don’t think that makes up for the loss of her family, but I decide to change the subject. “Where’s Grim, anyway?”

“He stays at the clubhouse more often than not. It’s usually just me here. I’d probably be there more often, too if it weren’t for Trillian.”

So much for changing the subject.

“Dad’s got some club business tonight. He’s meeting with Sin, the president of another chapter of Wind Dragons.”

Sounded like club shit that I didn’t need to know.

“I could just stay in tonight,” I think aloud.

Zach shrugs. “Then she can keep you company for a bit. I already spoke to her about it. If you want, I’ll go over to her place and say you don’t feel like going out. She’ll probably assume you have other plans like—”

“I’ll go,” I interrupt. “It’s a Saturday night. There should be shit to do, right?”

Zach chuckles, knowing he has me. “Sure. The usual nightlife, movies, parties and all that shit.”