#Rev (GearShark #2)(26)

His eyes were glacial when they snapped to mine. “Would you?”

He looked at Romeo and then Braeden. “Would you?”

I blew out a breath. Well, when he put it that way…

“Dude’s got a point,” B allowed.

“You can’t just go beat up everybody,” Ivy declared, standing up and putting her hands on her hips. “That doesn’t solve anything.”

“Romeo and Braeden can’t get caught doing that.” Rimmel worried, twisting her hands in her laps. “The press would be all over it. You too, Drew. You can’t get in trouble.”

“We aren’t going to get caught, baby.” Romeo assured her.

The girls gave each other a doubtful look, and I watched the worry and fear roll over their faces. I glanced down at Nova, who was still playing with an array of toys scattered around, and then I glanced at Drew, still looking murderous.

My heart clenched.

So much turmoil.

“Fine.” Drew relented suddenly. Everyone looked at him. “I won’t do anything irrational.”

I stared at him. It was like he knew I was starting to spiral deep into that place inside me, the place that didn’t want anyone to hurt because of me.

“We’ll do this your way, frat boy.”

I’m not sure I liked being appeased either. But it was better than the alternative.

“You know,” Romeo drawled, “there might be a way we can do it both ways. Let them squirm and add a little hurt.”

“Let’s hear it, Rome.” Braeden sat forward.

I patted the cushion beside me and motioned for Drew. He didn’t hesitate coming to my side and sitting close.

I thought about linking our fingers together. I wanted to touch him, to reassure him… and maybe me, too. I didn’t, though. I hesitated. I knew he was still getting used to the idea of us being “out” in front of our family.

I wasn’t going to push.

I didn’t have to.

Seconds later, he reached for me. His warm, thick fingers tangled with mine, and he pulled my hand into his lap.

Damn.

Such a little thing to make such a huge impact on my heart. My stomach quivered with nerves and excitement I tried not to show.

Be casual. I reminded myself. Don’t make it a thing.

I did, however, glance at Drew at the same time he glanced at me. We smiled at each other.

My stomach trembled again.

No one else reacted to the fact we were sitting there holding hands. In fact, they didn’t not react either. You know… when someone looks, then looks away quickly like they don’t want to make it a thing, but it really is a thing?

There was none of that either.

It was just normal. Natural. Right.

I am so incredibly lucky to have these people.

Romeo sat forward and started talking.

I smiled.





Drew

It was a good plan.

I understood Trent’s reasoning.

But I didn’t like it.

What I did like?

An excuse to bash heads.

Thank you, Romeo.





Trent

House meeting. One hour. Be there. I sent the mass text to the entire frat.

Drew wasn’t happy. He wanted me to stay another night. I wanted that, too, but it was Sunday. I had classes tomorrow. All the guys at the frat did, too. I couldn’t put this off. If I walked around campus tomorrow looking like this, people would notice and start talking. I’d lose the shock value of being gone all day and then showing up looking rough.

I’d like to take a moment to say passing myself off as beaten or even roughed up was not something I wanted to do. At all. I could handle what happened to me. I’d been injured lots of times during football. I would heal. But this was necessary. Sometimes showing a little bit of weakness was better than being totally strong.

Plus, I wanted to put Romeo’s suggestion into play.

It was a clever idea, one that would make me look good but at the same time secretly stick it to the four who jumped me. And, of course, it would quench certain people’s thirst for bodily harm.

Certain people = Drew.

Surprisingly, I didn’t feel like fighting back, not physically anyway.

I was tired of fighting.

For so very long, I’d been fighting. Longer than anyone even knew.

I just wanted to be happy. I wanted to be with Drew and make sure he was happy. More than ever, I was ready to graduate. I still wasn’t one hundred percent sure what I would do once I did, but I would have a degree, and I was legit managing Drew.

We hadn’t really discussed the details, but I knew I’d probably get paid. Even if it was just enough to live on, I’d be okay for a while. Taking some time off seemed kinda nice. Focusing on Drew, our relationship, and the new racing division sounded like heaven to me. It would be work. I planned on getting Drew as many opportunities as I could, but it was something I would enjoy.

Too bad we weren’t there yet.

We had a lot of walls to break down. Walls to break through.

As I was lying on the couch, watching a movie with everyone (and Rimmel forced me to hold more ice on my face), I couldn’t shut off my brain.

Drew and I were moving forward, taking small steps toward creating the life we wanted to have together but never thought we would. It wasn’t going to be an easy life; we already knew this. That didn’t mean I couldn’t make it as good as I could. I wanted Drew to have everything. I was determined to give it to him.