Addicted for Now (Addicted #2)(75)

Ernesto finally looks to me and begins to shake his head.

“Oh no,” Daisy says quickly. She wraps her arm around my waist and presses her head against my chest. I immobilize. “We’re on our honeymoon, you see, and I promised my sister I’d bring her back something. She’d just love this. I know it. Could you make an exception just this once, please?”

My eyes widen at Ryke, but he’s just glaring, and when I mean glaring, I mean he has the whole Frankenstein’s monster routine down. Hard set jaw, clenched fists, taut shoulders, and tight lips. He looks about ready for a fight. But I’m not sure who he wants to pummel.

“No. Two-sixty,” Ernesto repeats.

Daisy’s shoulders slacken and she turns to me, her hands on my chest. “Do you have any pesos on you, sweetie?”

“No, so maybe we should cut our losses, dear.”

“Give me your money,” Ryke says, holding out his hand to her.

Her face lights up and she thankfully steps away and returns to Ryke, out of earshot of the locals. I follow close behind. “Are you going to haggle in Spanish?” she asks him, sliding the bills into his palm.

“Sure,” he says. “First give me the rest of your cash.”

“It’s all in your hand.”

“It’s in your boobs.”

I scowl, not wanting him to say anything about her boobs. Ever. She’s Daisy Calloway.

Daisy looks down at her breasts with a frown, and I turn my grimace to the sky. I’m blaming this situation on you, God. For allowing little sisters to have breasts.

“I don’t see anything in there.”

“I would check myself, but I’m here with a girl,” Ryke says dryly.

Okay. No. If there’s one thing I’m good at, it’s speaking my f*cking mind. “There are actually a million other f*cking reasons you shouldn’t,” I say coldly, my blood turning to ice.

Daisy just ignores me and says, “Melissa left three minutes ago when you refused to go to her side. What’s your excuse now?”

She challenges him.

And he’s the type of guy willing to take it.

I stand between them before Ryke can answer her. I raise my eyebrows at Ryke in disbelief. I seriously thought I was dreaming what happened at the pool. It wasn’t f*cking anything, I told myself. He was being nice, prodding her to eat a taco, even though he should have passed it to her rather than let her bite it from his hand. He shouldn’t have rubbed sauce off her chin. He shouldn’t have joked with her about f*cking Melissa. There are so many things he should not do. But I let myself believe that he’s just an idiot. He doesn’t understand boundaries. That is Ryke’s biggest problem.

But now, how do I explain this.

“What?” Ryke growls in defense at me. “I’m trying to get us out of this f*cking situation.” He locks eyes with Daisy again and steps forward to try to reach her. I put my hand on his chest to stop him, and then I quickly turn to Daisy.

“Give me the rest of your money.”

“I don’t—”

“Now.” I can’t even hear my own voice or how mean it sounds. All I hear is my half-brother offering to feel up my girlfriend’s little sister. I don’t even f*cking care if it was a joke or sarcasm or f*cking anything. I think I’m going to kill him later.

Daisy’s smile instantly vanishes and she reaches into her bikini top again. I look at the sand, the sky, anywhere but her breasts until she places the money in my hand. I grab the rest of her cash from Ryke and start counting out two-hundred-and-sixty pesos.

“I was just trying to have fun,” she says softly, her voice layered with guilt. “I’m sorry.”

She’s apologized, and I know I should drop it. But I’m fuming. “There are other ways to have fun.” I hand Ernesto the money. Both guys nod in thanks and they walk off towards the resort near the string of straw huts and white cabanas. I look back to Daisy, and my nerves haven’t settled yet. “You’re the f*cking daughter of a multi-billion dollar mogul. Bartering with a man that makes a thousand times less than you is the equivalent of stealing.”

Her eyes go big and round and a little glassy, and it hurts to know that I’m causing her distress. The pain in my chest only intensifies because I can’t stop speaking. I don’t know how. “Next time rent a f*cking jet ski.”

“I just wanted to do something normal.”

“You’re not normal. None of us are.”

“Lo,” Ryke says, his tone warning. But his voice sends razorblades down my back.

“Don’t you even f*cking speak to me,” I snap. I hate him right now. I hate me, most of all. I hate that I just bitched out Daisy, who didn’t really do anything wrong. At least, nothing that warranted my harsh words. The remorse tastes like acid, and I usually drown it with whiskey.

My next breath comes out ragged and Ryke focuses on me for a long moment. But when Daisy inhales strongly, staring at the sand with tears brimming, trying to bottle her emotions, he turns his gaze on her. I watch his face change. If he was concerned for me, I don’t even know what to call the expression he has for her.

What the hell did I miss when I was in rehab?

“I have to get out of here.” I cringe when I realize I said it out loud. I start walking.