“Mija.” My mom laughed. “Don’t hurt yourself, all will be resolved. Go eat.”
The answer to everything. A full stomach.
I rubbed mine as I made my way into the kitchen.
“Mom?” Food was everywhere. How were they able to afford it? All the money I earned was going toward groceries, but this was too much. I didn’t make enough to line the tables with hot, steaming Mexican food.
“Oh, Gabi . . .” My mom shrugged. “It was the most wonderful thing. Ian offered to do the grocery shopping yesterday. I told him I was going to go by myself, but he wanted this to be his gift to us for our anniversary!”
My eyes filled with tears.
Damn, Ian! He had to go and do something nice and make me remember yet again why I loved him so much—why he was like a brother to me.
Why I couldn’t lose him. No matter what.
Chapter Forty
Lex
I’ve never met a tamale I wouldn’t devour.” I grabbed a fourth helping, then balanced a Corona in my other hand as I joined Gabi’s dad, Earl, in the living room.
“You sleeping with my daughter?” he asked without looking up.
Luckily, I had no food or drink in my mouth, though choking to death sounded a hell of a lot better than having that conversation. “Sir, I don’t know what Gabi has told you, but—”
“My wife. She has been suspecting for a while, and she says today she sees proof in how you stare at Gabi.”
I set down my beer and stared down at the floor, then back up at him. He had a dark salt-and-pepper mustache that curled around his lips. His white hair was cut close to his head and his stature was bulky, well fed. “Sir, I like your daughter, but—”
“Marie told me.” He motioned for me to lean closer. “I figure I don’t have to kill you; Ian will do the job for me. That way I don’t have to get my hands dirty.”
“Throwing your own son under the bus?”
“He’ll do better in prison.”
“He’s prettier, he’d get wrecked. Whereas you’re old, senile.” I smirked while her dad waved me off with a chuckle. At least I’d broken the awkwardness. “I give him two days, tops.”
“Boy wouldn’t last twenty-four hours.”
“Maybe we should just toss Ian in, take bets on his life?”
“Toss me in where?” Ian walked in, his eyes darting between us.
“Prison,” we said in unison.
“Who’d I kill?”
“Nobody.” Earl stared me down. “Yet.”
“You know”—I stood and patted my stomach—“I’m just gonna go find the restroom.”
I darted out of the living room and nearly collided with Gabs in my desperate escape.
“Whoa!” She tilted her head up at me. “Why are your eyes so big?”
“Honest moment, Gabs, was your dad ever involved with the Mexican mafia?”
“My dad voted for gun control.” Her cute little forehead furrowed.
“Yeah, he may be whistling another tune now.” I sidestepped her. “I had to make a quick escape. All the talk of prison and bets got me nervous.”
“Prison?” She laughed. “He threatened prison?”
“No.” I turned and smiled. “It was more along the lines of killing. Death. I’m sure dismemberment.”
She covered her mouth with her hands and choked out a strangled laugh.
“Oh, you think this is funny?”
She nodded her head while I charged her and carried her down the hall. “Where’s your room?”
“First one on the right!” she squealed. I deposited her on her feet in her childhood bedroom.
“Gabs . . .” I tsked. “Easy access? First floor? I could have just waltzed in here without a ladder? Man, I wish I would have stayed in Bellevue and gone to high school with you. Things would have been so much easier.”
“Scaled a lot of houses, did you?” She leaned against the doorframe, her smile wide, eyes happy. God, I just loved seeing her like that.
“You have no idea.” I fell back onto her bed and let out a loud exhale. “I have the slivers to prove it. Scaling walls isn’t for the weak, Gabs.”
“Good to know.” Waves of her laughter hit me square in the chest as she moved casually to the bed. Once she sat down, I moved to the side and hovered over her, needing to touch her lips so desperately that I’d completely forgotten the door was open.
“Gabi.” Her mother cleared her throat from the door. “A minute?”
I jerked away from Gabi as if we’d just gotten caught having sex, while her mother’s lips twitched in amusement. At least I had one fan.
I refused to count their dog, since it sniffed my ass and walked away as if I was a lesser human.
“Be right back.” Gabi tugged her T-shirt down over her thin frame and on wobbly legs made her way to the door. Too cute. It did something to me, something . . . powerful, to know I affected her that way.
I stood in the room for a few minutes, then realized I really did need to use the restroom. With a sigh, I walked out and blindly made my way down the hall, hoping I’d discover a bathroom.
Two more doors on the right, and I found what I was looking for.
Five minutes later I was just getting ready to go back to her room when I heard hushed whispers.
“Mom, I love you guys! Let me help!”
“It is too much, mija,” Gabi’s mother said softly. “You can’t keep giving us all of your money. You are not eating. You’re skin and bones! You even bring us food! Do we look like we need food?”
“Yes!” Gabi raised her voice. “You do! You have to take care of Dad, and I know you’re both tired, and it’s only until he finds something!”
“Gabi, he will find something, but in the meantime, you need to take care of yourself. It’s not that we don’t appreciate it. We do. We appreciate that you would sacrifice so much for us, but I’m worried about you.” Her mother sighed heavily. “Your father did find a small job working on the construction of the new Victoria’s Secret at the mall. The pay isn’t great, but he’ll be fine.”
“Construction?” Gabi repeated. “Mom, he’s so much better than that!”
“I know. But we do what we must. Now, take back your envelope full of money and fill your pantry with food and buy yourself a new dress.”
“But—”
“Mija.” Her voice was more stern this time. “Do as I say or I’m going to tell Ian.”
All talking stopped, and then, “I love you, Mom.”
“You too, mija.”
I quickly backed up a few steps and then ran down the hall so I wouldn’t get caught.
My head throbbed with sudden realization. The food I’d been giving her, she was giving to her parents.
The money she’d been earning at the club.
The money she was making from Wingmen.
All going to her parents.
“Hey.” Ian slapped me on the back. “You look like you’re about to be sick.”
“Do I?” My voice sounded hollow. Why the hell was I so pissed? I should feel sorry for her, right? I should feel bad, pull her in for a hug, tell her I’d help in any way I could.
But it wasn’t that.
It felt intense.
I felt like I’d been betrayed.
Like she’d . . . lied to me.
I had her body.
Did I have anything else?
Because I realized, in that moment, I wasn’t happy with just parts of her. I wanted every last piece.
And she’d purposefully withheld parts of herself. Was that life’s final cruel trick? I finally settle down with someone—find the person I car
e about the most in the world—only to discover that she’s been sharing the surface level of her heart and refusing to let me hold the rest.
It sucked.
It hurt.
More than it should.
But I wasn’t that guy, the one that got pissed and bailed. I deserved answers and I’d demand them—before I had a freaking nervous breakdown.
Chapter
Forty-One
Gabi
I wiped the tears from my cheeks and then splashed more water on my face. It would have to do.
I still looked semi-puffy, but knowing the guys, they’d probably be too focused on eating to notice.
Lex wasn’t in my room when I returned. Then again, he probably didn’t want to get caught hanging out on my bed where Ian or my dad could find him. It would look too suspicious.
My stomach clenched.
I was keeping secrets from Ian, secrets from Lex, and both sucked. I felt like I was ready to burst from it all.
“Hey.” Ian pulled me in for a hug once I was back in the living room. “You okay?”
Now he notices? Whoa. Where had that come from? I was ready to lash out at my best friend. For what reason? I took a step back from him.
He’d been so preoccupied lately.
And I’d purposefully pulled away because of Lex.
“Gabs?” Lex rounded the corner. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”
“Have you removed all pointy objects from the kitchen?” Ian teased.
Lex’s jaw ticked. “Laundry room. Safer there.”
He didn’t look amused.
I tried to read his expression, but he turned around and started walking away before I could do more than stare after him.
“Better go see what he needs. Just try not to kill him.” Ian pushed me after Lex.
The laundry room was small. There was only space enough for a washer and dryer and a small sink. It smelled like Tide.
“You lied.” Lex’s eyes met mine, nailing me to the wall, making it impossible to breathe, to move. He seemed hurt and sad. “You lied to me.”
I racked my brain for anything I could have lied about. I would never hurt him, and I had no secrets except—
“Your parents.” He clarified.
“No.” I shook my head, desperate to find my voice. “No, you don’t understand, I would never lie to you.”
“But,” Lex sighed. “It feels like a lie. Like betrayal, Gabs. It sure as hell equals a pretty large omission on your part. First about the food, next about your parents. Damn it, Gabs. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I was too embarrassed, and you guys had already done so much for me!” I clenched my fists. “And I didn’t want help! I had it under control!”
“Under control?” Lex roared back. “Under control?”
“Yes!”
“You mean when you were pressured every day to dance at the club? Or how about when you almost got raped in the freaking parking lot! Was that having things under control?”
“I didn’t ask you to save me!” I shouted.
“You didn’t have to!” He matched my tone as he charged toward me. “Because I always will!” His voice laced with hurt. “Because that’s what friends do, Gabs! They save each other. They hold your head above water when you’re drowning. They give you the life vest and promise you everything will be okay! Are we at least that, Gabs?”
Tears clouded my vision. “You said we were never friends.”
“Gabs—” Lex’s voice cracked. “We’re so much more and you know it.”
I nodded, unable to trust my voice.
“I don’t want this if I can’t have all of you.”
“What?” I jerked my head up. “What do you mean?”
“This.” He pointed between us. “I need you to be all in . . . I need all of you, Gabs. Not just the parts you think I want.”
I was terrified by the words coming out of his mouth, because I knew what they meant for me, for him. This wasn’t just a fling, it wasn’t just a onetime thing, a playbook training exercise.
It was me and Lex.
I could only stare at him. Was he sure he wanted this? “But—”
“I want the sickness.” Lex’s lips twitched as a heartbreaking smile flashed across his face, making me dizzy. “I want to bring you soup when you don’t feel well. I want to give you pot scones.”
I burst out laughing as tears cascaded down my face.
“I want your body, Gabs. Believe me, it’s probably unhealthy the number of times I think of you naked. But, Gabs, I need this too.” He pressed his hand against my chest. “I want it all. Or I’m out.”
“You ask a lot for a villain.”
“Hey, yesterday I was a hero. Can’t I be both?”
“You already are,” I whispered.
“Gabi.” Lex pulled me into his arms. “I love you.”
My heart dropped to my knees, then came flying back up into my chest, taking off in crazy cadence as words got caught in my throat. Finally, I found my voice. “I love you too.”
Giddiness swept through me as my stomach erupted with butterflies, as if I’d been keeping this giant secret, maybe from myself and clearly from Lex and Ian. I loved him. I’d loved him a long time. It felt so good saying it out loud, as if the pieces I was holding so close to my chest finally broke free and found their home.
In his arms.
His lips twisted into a half-smile. “Of course you do. I’m awesome.”
“You ruined our moment.” I giggled as he picked me up into his arms and set me on the washing machine.
“Guess I’ll have to create another one.” He nipped my lips once, twice, then kissed me hard across the mouth. His tongue teased my lower lip until I whimpered in frustration.
His hands gripped my butt as he slid me closer to his body. “You’re mine, Gabi. Always have been. Always will be.”
“Yes,” I agreed, rocking into him as he rained kisses down my neck. “Yes.”
“What the HELL is this!” Ian’s voice boomed from the door.
Lex’s mouth froze on mine.
Our eyes locked.
And for the first time in my life, I saw legitimate fear in Lex’s eyes as he slowly turned his head toward Ian. “Man, listen—”
“Listen!” Ian repeated. “You want me to listen?”
In a blur of yelling and obscenities, Ian was on top of Lex, punching the crap out of him while Lex took it.
“Ian, stop it!” I wailed. “Stop!”
“You bastard! I warned you!” Another punch to the jaw, while Lex still refused to defend himself. “You promised!”
“Ian, stop!” I tried prying him free, but he shook me off.
Blood poured from Lex’s nose and maybe from his mouth—it was impossible to tell.
Crack, thump. Ian struck with a one-two motion. Bruises were already forming on Lex’s cheeks, and a cut above his right eye smeared a trail of blood down his temple. Crack. Another hit sprayed blood across the top of the dryer.
My screams and pleas didn’t faze him as my best friend kept hitting Lex until I was convinced the man who’d finally declared his love was going to pass out from blood loss.
Finally, my dad came charging in and pulled Ian free from a battered Lex.
I ran to Lex’s side, tears blurring my vision. “Are you okay?”
“Can’t feel my face,” Lex muttered through a swollen bottom lip. “Isn’t that a song?”
“We’re done!” Ian screamed. “You hear me? We. Are. Done!”
He stalked out of the room.
The front door slammed.
And Lex Luthor, super villain, my
hero, boyfriend, and the strongest guy I’d ever known, crumpled into my arms and didn’t let go.
Since Ian had driven us, my mom had to drop us back off at the house. We could only hope Ian hadn’t burned it down by then.
Lex couldn’t see out of one eye, and his face was turning more purple by the minute. One cheek was so swollen I worried it was broken. Surely some of those cracks had been bones shattering. He hadn’t said a word to me since the fight.
It was my fault.
I was the one who had pressured him to wait.
And now his face was broken. And quite possibly his heart.
I kept the tears in—a huge effort on my part, since it felt like someone had just died in my family and I hadn’t been given enough time to grieve.
“Mija,” my mom said from the front seat. “Just give Ian some time.”
“Yeah,” I croaked. “I will.”
“And Lex.” She reached back one of her hands. He squeezed it. “Take care of my girl.”
“Always.” He answered quickly, though his words were thick and a little slurred.
Once she drove off, we both stared at the house.
Unsure of what would greet us once we made it inside.
Lex reached for my hand just as I reached for his.
“He’s not going to get over this.” Tears clouded my vision as I looked up at Lex. “Is he?”
Lex’s eyes were sad as he glanced down at me, not answering but choosing to kiss the top of my head instead.
We walked hand in hand into the house.
From the deathly silence inside, it was clear no one was home. The house was completely empty, but Ian’s car was there.
A note sat on the counter beneath the walnut knife block. At least all the knives rested in their slots.