Model behavior a forbidd.., p.28
Model Behavior: a forbidden roommate romance (Wrecked Roommates), page 28
“It’s your sister’s safety––”
“And like we discussed, Sonny and Jake will be there to keep an eye on her.” He steps closer, crowding River against the still-open passenger door. “We don’t need you. Go stick your dick somewhere else.”
“What the hell is your problem, Milo? It’s me, remember?” River snaps, slamming his hand against his chest to drive his point home. “We’ve been friends for years––”
“And yet you stabbed me in the back.”
Dropping his head back in frustration, he mutters, “I didn’t––”
Milo’s scoff cuts him off. “Yeah, you did. I know how you treat women, Riv. It’s the same way Sonny treats women. The same way I do. Hell, even Jake isn’t a saint, and he’s nothing compared to you. Why the hell do you think I would ever want an asshole like you for my sister?”
“I might’ve been an asshole to other girls, but they’ve always known exactly what they were getting when they climbed into my bed.”
“And that makes it okay for you to mess with Reese?” Milo’s sneer makes my stomach churn with acid before he laughs darkly. “Not a chance in Hell.”
“You guys––” I interrupt.
“Not now,” they bark in unison.
Practically vibrating with anger, River refuses to back down and steps forward, getting right up in Milo’s face and holding his piercing gaze with his own. He’s already had the crap kicked out of him once today, and I’m terrified to watch him get hit again.
Because he won’t fight back.
Not physically, anyway. Sure, he’ll stand up for himself in an attempt to explain his point of view, but I think a small part of him believes he deserves the broken nose my brother gifted him with.
Trembling, I fold my arms as my focus bounces between the two most important men in my life while I pray this conversation won’t end in more blows like it did this morning.
This is so messed up.
But I get what River’s trying to do. He’s trying to make Milo listen to him, no matter how hard it is. And I need Milo to listen too. I need him to understand that we weren’t trying to hurt him. I need him to see that this is more than a fling to us. So much more.
Listen to him, Milo, I silently beg. But I don’t waste my breath.
“You don’t get it,” River tells him, his voice bleeding sincerity. “Reese isn’t just some girl from SeaBird. Not to me.”
“Bullshit––”
“Do you think I made my decision lightly when I hooked up with her?” Riv crowds Milo even more until their chests are almost touching. But my brother refuses to back down, his face still red with anger.
Careful, Riv.
“I didn’t want her for a casual lay, Milo. Do you honestly think I care that little about her, let alone the years we’ve been friends?”
With a deathly calm voice, Milo murmurs, “Careful, River. I’ve already messed up your face once today, and we both know how much you care about your pretty boy appearance.”
“I don’t give a shit about my face, Milo. I screwed up, okay? I should’ve told you, and that’s on me. But I care about her. She’s it for me, and I’m going to spend the rest of my life treating Reese the way she deserves because after all the shit she’s been through, she’s earned it. And isn’t that all you want for her?”
Chewing on the inside of my cheek, I turn to Milo. But it isn’t my brother in front of me anymore. Stone cold expression. Fists tight. But a storm raging just beneath the surface.
And even though I know it would kill him if I ever voiced it aloud, he looks just like our father in this moment. Right before Milo would tell me to go to my room and lock the door. Right before I knew that I’d wake up to see his body bruised and broken. Right before I’d curl into a ball and cry for hours, wishing I was as strong as my older brother instead of his little sister, who needed protecting.
I pushed him here. I turned him into the monster he’s loathed more than anything else in the world. And just like all those times when we were younger, I’m paralyzed. I can’t find my voice. I can’t move a freaking muscle. So I watch. And I wait. For the fallout. The yelling. And the moment when my brother steps into his father’s shoes.
It’s all my fault.
All my fault.
My fault.
“Milo,” I whisper.
His Adam’s apple bobs in his throat. Then his gaze slides from River to me, and the first spark of hope ignites inside of me.
Please, Milo, I silently beg. Please forgive me. Forgive him. Give us a chance. Don’t fight this with hate. And resentment. And every other toxic trait you were taught to embrace as a kid.
“I’m going to work,” he mutters, turning away from me. His keys glint in the dying sunlight as he dismisses us and strides toward his bike while simultaneously ending the conversation before it’s barely even begun.
Grabbing his arm, River prevents Milo from escaping as he pleads, “What can I do to fix this?”
Milo’s gaze slides down to where River is touching him. His jaw tightens, and his nostrils flare.
“Milo,” I plead.
“Stay away from my sister,” he breathes. “And don’t step a foot inside SeaBird tonight.”
And just like that, the tiny spark fizzles into a plume of smoke while the truth hits me square in the chest.
We’ll never get his blessing.
River drops his hand to his side, releasing his hold on my brother and any hope we had that Milo would forgive us. No one moves a muscle as Milo stalks toward his bike then throws his leg over the side of it before the rumble of his engine shakes me to my core.
River and Gibson stay frozen in place. The silence is deafening before Jake’s seat belt in the back of the car clicks into place and makes me jump.
“I’ll talk to him,” he mutters behind me.
My gaze stays glued to the windshield. “You don’t have to.”
With a sigh, he lifts his chin at Gibbs. “Let’s get you guys to work.”
I hesitate and turn to River as Gibson climbs behind the wheel. His hands are tucked into the front pockets of his jeans as he tilts his head toward his truck parked beside Gibson’s beater. “I’ll talk to you later, okay, Reese?”
Nodding, tears well in my eyes, but I blink them away. “Okay.”
I love you.
40
Reese
My knee bounces up and down as we pull into SeaBird’s parking lot a little while later. The sky is dark and angry, but only a few droplets of rain have fallen. For some reason, it seems to match my inner turmoil all too well.
“You okay?” Gibbs asks, turning off the ignition.
“Not really.”
“Give him time,” Jake tells me. Then he opens the backdoor of Gibson’s car and climbs out. Gibbs and I follow suit and head to the side entrance without another word when Jake pauses before stepping over the threshold.
Digging out his cell from his front pocket, Jake’s brows furrow as he recognizes the caller. “I’ll be there in a sec. It’s my professor.”
“No worries,” I return. “I’ll save you a booth.”
The music is already pounding through the bar as we slip into the break room and put our stuff in our lockers.
“Hey!” Ashton calls as soon as he sees us. “Gibbs, will you grab some more Jameson and a case of the local stouts from the storage room? We’re running low.”
“Sure thing.” He turns to me. “You gonna be okay?”
Rolling my eyes, I pat his shoulder. “I’ll be out front. See you in a few.”
“You sure?” he asks, stepping in front of me.
“I’m fine. Seriously. Now, let me go so I can find a booth for Jake to hang out in tonight, okay?”
The indecision is clear in his gaze before he releases a sigh and steps to the side of the dark hallway. “I’ll be out in five.”
“Yup. I know. And thank you for keeping an eye on me. You’re a pretty good friend, Gibbs.”
With a smirk, he challenges, “Only pretty good?”
“I mean, it would be nice if you did my laundry and didn’t play the guitar at three in the morning. But hey, there’s always room for improvement, right?”
He laughs. “Go find a booth for Jake, ya little shit. I’ll see you in a sec.”
I wiggle my fingers back and forth. “Bye.”
Then I head to the front of the building. The place is pretty crowded as I grab a washcloth from behind the bar and scan the area for an open seat. A recently vacated booth catches my eye in the back.
Perfect.
I bob and weave between customers, then start wiping it down when a familiar voice chills me to the bone.
“Hey, baby,” the voice slurs from behind me.
Flinching, I turn around. My pulse skyrockets as I look Ian up and down. “W-what the hell are you doing here?”
“Rocky said you like to hang out here.” He casually examines the place while nodding his approval. “Ya know, I like it too. We should come here more often.”
I wring the dirty rag in my hands and rise onto my tiptoes, desperate to find Gibbs. Or Jake. Or even Ashton.
It wouldn’t take a genius to see I’m freaking out right now, right?
“Y-you shouldn’t be here,” I whisper.
“Why the hell not?”
“Because we’re over, Ian.”
“We’re not over, babe. We were just taking a break. And you were right. I should’ve never let you go. I was being selfish. I swear I’ll never be selfish again. I just need you. Come on. Let’s get outta here.”
Aaaand, he’s officially lost it.
“Ian––”
Leaning closer, his pungent breath makes me gag as it fans across my face. “Look. My brother fired my ass. I’m lonely, and I miss you, and I just want to talk.”
“We’ve already talked multiple times.” My gaze darts over to the bar where Gibson is yet to be present.
“You cheated on me,” he mumbles, looking more hurt than anything else as he reaches for my arm. Not roughly. More like I’m a precious artifact that could break if it isn’t handled carefully.
I shy away from him and shake my head. “You cheated on me, Ian.”
His shoulders hunch, but his hand drops back to his side. “She didn’t mean anything.”
“I didn’t mean anything to you, either.”
“Will you just listen to me?”
“Why did you deliver the pictures to my brother?” I ask.
He shakes his head back and forth. “What pictures? Reese, I’m here ‘cause I love you. I want you back. You gotta understand––”
“Don’t play stupid, Ian––”
“I’m not playing––”
A gasp escapes me as he’s wrenched away like a ragdoll. I cover my mouth in surprise before my saviors come into view. With Gibbs on Ian’s right and Jake on his left, they step between us, using their massive frames as a barrier before crossing their arms and giving me their backs.
“It’s time for you to leave, Ian,” Jake growls. “The cops are looking for you.”
I peek around my protectors and watch the situation unfold like a damn train wreck in slow motion.
“W-what?” Ian’s face drains of blood. “Wait, why?”
“Because you broke into her fucking house, moron,” Gibbs spits. “She filed a restraining order a few hours ago. I suggest you turn around and get out of this bar before they find you on the premises.”
“Dammit, Reese!” Ian seethes, his confusion morphing into anger.
The band stops playing, and the constant chatter surrounding us ceases, making my flesh prickle with awareness.
I can feel everyone’s eyes on me. Their curiosity. Their confusion. Their pity. I can feel all of it, tainting my skin like a thick tar that I want to wash away. But I don’t know how. I want to run. I want to hide. I want this night––hell, this entire day––to be over.
“You need to go, Ian,” I whisper, choking back the need to curl into a ball and hide. My entire body is shaking like a freaking leaf, but I don’t know how to make it stop.
A pair of giant bouncers sense the commotion and zigzag through the onlookers before their sausage hands dig into Ian’s collarbones from both sides.
With a reddened face, he starts screaming my name over and over again. “Reese! Reese!”
My fingers dig into Jake’s navy blue T-shirt as I squeeze my eyes shut and try to block out the sound, but it’s no use. It’s already etched into my memory.
“Hey, what’s going on?” Dove squeaks.
I jump and clutch my chest. “Where the hell did you come from? I thought you weren’t working today.”
“I wasn’t, but my sister was particularly grouchy today, so I decided to give her some space and come listen to the band instead of tiptoeing around our apartment all night. I’m glad I did. Is everything okay? You look spooked.”
“That’s my ex. He’s been…”
“Stalking her,” Gibbs finishes for me. I can almost see the smoke coming from his ears as his face turns red with frustration. “He’s been stalking her. But the cops can’t arrest him for showing up in a bar when he hasn’t been served the restraining order yet. Ashton just called them to let them know where Ian is, but other than that, there’s not much we can do right now.”
His phone buzzes in his pocket, and he takes it out before giving us his back. Then he answers it in a hushed voice.
Looking helpless––and like my Jake for the first time today––Jake asks, “What can I do, Reese? How can I help?”
“I just want to go home,” I mutter under my breath, rubbing my hands along my bare arms.
I’ve been here for what? Ten minutes? But it’s too much. First, Jake. Then, Milo. And now, Ian. What the hell am I supposed to do? And how did it spiral out of control so quickly? I’m so emotionally drained that I just want to curl into a ball and sleep for a week. Right now, there are too many stares and too many witnesses to the drama in my private life that should’ve never been aired out at work. It’ll be a miracle if they let me keep my job.
Dove pulls me into a quick hug before I even register her arms around me. “I’ll cover your shift.”
“You don’t have to do that,” I whisper. My focus drifts to the concrete floor beneath my scuffed sneakers.
“I want to. Besides, I might as well get paid if I’m here to listen to the band, right? Go and get some rest. It looks like you need it.”
I purse my lips. “Gee, thanks.”
Her laughter lightens the somber blanket enveloping me as she gently nudges me toward the exit. “Seriously. Go.”
“I’ll take you.” Jake’s arm snakes around my shoulder, and I lean into his touch before Gibbs disconnects his call and turns to me.
The air whooshes from his lungs as if a thousand pounds are weighing him down.
“What’s wrong?” I ask.
“River’s outside.”
“River?” I rasp.
A fresh wave of adrenaline courses through my veins as soon as his name slips past my lips. It’s laced with a desperation that’s so potent I’m afraid I might choke on it. I need to see him. To have him hold me and tell me that everything’s going to be okay. That tomorrow will be better. And that we’ll figure it out together.
“Yeah.” Gibbs sighs. “He may have pissed off Ian when the bouncers threw him outside. Apparently, there weren’t any fists thrown or anything, but he wanted to give us a heads-up that he’s here.”
“But…what’s he doing here?” I ask. “Milo said––”
“That he couldn’t step foot inside SeaBird. He didn’t mention being outside,” Gibbs clarifies with an amused smirk. “It’s your call, though, Jake. If you want to take her instead of handing her off to Riv, you can use my car. But he sounded pretty distraught after seeing Ian get thrown out on his ass and would like to see Reese to make sure she’s okay.”
“River’s never distraught,” Jake mutters.
“Yeah, well, tonight he is. Might be good for him to spend a few minutes with Reese after everything that went down, don’t you think?”
I can see what Gibson’s doing. And even though it kind of pisses me off that he’s letting Jake think he has a right to tell me what I can and can’t do, I appreciate his effort. Because if Jake can give his blessing on the relationship, he might be able to convince Milo to do the same.
“Please, Jake?” I murmur.
He exhales and pinches the bridge of his nose, mulling it over as I wait with bated breath.
“Let me walk you out,” he finally decides. The defeat is clear in his voice, but it manages to ease the ache in my chest.
“Thank you,” I breathe out.
With his hand pressed to my lower back, Jake guides me through the crowded bar. The people are slowly snapping back to their own little realities and give us a wide berth as we sneak out the front.
As soon as the cold air kisses my cheeks beneath the awning, a set of strong hands tug me into a hard chest. I recognize who it belongs to instantly. And even though it’s pouring outside and River is soaked to the bone, his warmth surrounds me. Comforting me in a way that I didn’t even know was possible. He squeezes me tighter, and I breathe deep, committing to memory his familiar scent combined with the smell of fresh rain.
“You okay?” he murmurs. His breath brushes against the crown of my head as he leans closer. “I saw them throw Ian out and lost my shit.”
“I’m fine,” I mumble against him. “Promise.”
Jake clears his throat and steps back to give us a bit of space. “Take care of her.”
Riv nods. “I will.”
Then Jake heads inside, taking a small piece of my heart with him.
“Let’s get out of here,” River murmurs before he lets me go and leads me into the parking lot. The rain has picked up from a slow drizzle to an angry thunderstorm. As the lightning sparks in the distance, we pick up our pace, racing to his truck that’s only a few stalls away. I hunch my shoulders and cover my head, but it doesn’t stop the water droplets from soaking me to the bone in a matter of seconds.
“Get in,” Riv orders, cupping my ass before pushing me inside his truck.
