“If I were you, I’d get out of here before I break both your legs.”
He chuckled while getting to his feet. “I guess that’s Tenley’s speed these days. Brawn instead of brains. But that can’t last forever. She’ll come back to me when she realizes what a good thing we had.”
Rowan’s fists were clenched tight as he watched him walk away. He never instigated street fights because of the inherent risk to his career, but this guy deserved to get his teeth knocked out. He was seriously considering doing just that when Walker slapped him on the back.
“Sit down, man. I don’t want any trouble here tonight.”
Rowan closed his eyes as he slid into the booth, reminding himself this was Walker’s place of business. He had to respect that, and him, enough to keep his temper in check.
“What did he say to make you look like you wanna tear his head off?” Walker asked as he slid into the booth across from Rowan while Maura cleared and wiped down the table.
“Anything to drink, boys?” she asked.
“Not for me, thanks,” Walker said.
“No, thanks, Maura,” Rowan muttered before taking a few deep breaths to try to rein in his rage. He clasped his hands in front of his face, resting his elbows on the table.
“So tell me,” Walker said, spreading his hands. “What did he say?”
“You don’t want to know.” If it were his sister, Rowan wouldn’t want to hear another guy spewing lies about her.
“Try me.”
Rowan glanced at Tenley, who looked uncharacteristically nervous as she watched them while taking a customer’s order.
“He told me he and Tenley had a thing,” Rowan said, cracking his knuckles.
“Yeah, but you knew that. So what’s the big deal?”
“He said they hooked up.” Rowan narrowed his eyes as his gaze traveled from Tenley back to her brother. “That’s not true, is it?”
“How the hell would I know who she’s slept with, man?” Walker asked, looking uncomfortable. “We don’t talk about shit like that.”
“Then it could be true?” He didn’t know why the thought of that dirtbag touching Tenley made him so crazy, only that it did.
“You’ll have to ask her, Rowan. I’m not getting involved.”
***
Rowan hated that he even had to ask Tenley this question, but he couldn’t let it go. He curled his hand around the steering wheel when they stopped at a red light. “The car salesman says you were banging him. That true?”
They’d already been to her place to pick up an overnight bag and were headed to his house. He’d waited as long as he could to ask the question that had been eating at him most of the night. Instead of laughing at the absurdity of it, Tenley looked out the window. Which probably put Rowan’s blood pressure into the danger zone.
“What happened before we met doesn’t really matter, does it?”
It shouldn’t, but this did. Tenley had led him to believe she’d just had a couple of casual dates with the guy. When he went off on her that day in the park, she made him feel like an idiot for blowing it out of proportion. But if she’d actually slept with this guy…
“This matters. Did you or did you not sleep with him?” He knew he was pushing her too hard, but he just wanted a goddamn answer. The right one.
“It’s none of your business,” she said, crossing her arms as her chin jutted out.
“None of my business?” He couldn’t believe this shit. “You can ask me about anyone I’ve slept with, and I’ll tell you. I have nothing to hide. Can you say the same?” He needed to feel that he could trust her, that she would never lie to him, especially after the hell his ex had put him through.
“Everyone has a right to their privacy, Rowan. You don’t get to know every guy I’ve ever slept with, and I wouldn’t even think to ask about your sexual history.” She checked her watch. “Hell, if I did, we could still be sitting here when the sun comes up.”
He gritted his teeth, trying to ignore that shot. He wasn’t innocent, nor had he ever claimed to be. He liked women. He liked sex. But he’d never cheated on or lied to any of them, and right now, he got the feeling Tenley was doing just that—lying to him. And he hated it.
He pulled into an empty parking lot a few blocks from her apartment, needing to have this conversation while they were face to face, without distractions. “Just tell me whether or not you had sex with this guy.”
“I already told you…” She clenched her jaw, spitting out the words. “It’s. None. Of. Your. Business.”
“That’s how you wanna play it? Fine.” He threw the truck in drive and hammered the gas.
“Stop this goddamn truck!” she screamed, gripping the door handle.
“Tenley, just—”
“Stop it! Or I swear to god I’ll jump out.”
Judging by the wild look in her eye, he feared she might. “Look, we’ll go back to my house and talk this out,” he said, slowing the truck as he stopped to check for traffic.
“I’m not going anywhere with you!”
Before Rowan could stop her, she’d jumped out and was running down the street in her ridiculous heels. Since it was a busy street, he couldn’t very well creep along beside her, trying to reason with her. So he did the only thing he could—sped ahead and pulled into the next driveway to block her path. He knew things had gotten way out of hand already, but there was no way he was letting her walk home alone in the dark, knowing her ex could be after her.
He rolled down his window as she approached, expecting her to at least stop, but she walked right around his vehicle, forcing him to jump out.
“Dammit, Tenley, will you listen to me?” he said, reaching for her arm.
“Get away from me!”
Angry tears were streaming down her face, streaking her makeup, and he still wasn’t sure he understood what the hell he’d said or done to get her so worked up.
Just his luck, a cruiser pulled up to the curb and a cop jumped out. “Is there a problem here, miss?”
“There won’t be once he leaves,” Tenley said, drying her face with trembling hands.
“You been drinking tonight, sir?” the cop asked Rowan, stepping closer, on the verge of invading his personal space.
Thankfully, Rowan hadn’t even finished the beer Walker had given him, so he wasn’t worried about being impaired. What he was worried about was letting Tenley walk away from him in this state.
“Just half a beer, officer,” Rowan said, deciding honesty was the best policy. He might be able to smell the alcohol on his breath if he got any closer.
“Is he your boyfriend?” he asked Tenley.
When she didn’t respond, Rowan frowned at her. “I am,” he told the cop, wondering what the hell she was thinking to let that question go unanswered. “We just had a little disagreement. Sorry to trouble you. We’ll get back in my truck and be on our way.”
“No, we won’t,” Tenley said, shifting her body so the cop stood between them. “I told you I’m not going with you, and I meant it.”
The cop narrowed his eyes, looking from Rowan to Tenley. “Sounds like you best be on your way,” he said to Rowan. “Maybe you two can work this out tomorrow when you’ve both had a chance to cool off. Or not. I don’t know. But the lady doesn’t want you bothering her tonight.”
Rowan clenched his fists at his side, knowing he had no choice but to follow his orders. If there was one thing he hated, it was taking orders… from anyone.
“Miss, can I give you a ride somewhere?” the officer asked, turning to face Tenley.
“Home, please.” She pointed at Rowan’s truck. “But I have a bag in his truck. I need to get it.”
“I’ll get it,” Rowan said, grinding his teeth as he took a few steps back toward the truck.
“Hold it,” the cop said, his voice sounding more urgent. “Let the lady get it.”
He was probably concerned that Rowan would haul out a gun and start firing if he let him reach into the vehicle. He r
eally couldn’t blame the guy, given all the shit he had to deal with on a daily basis.
“Fine,” Rowan said, raising his hands as he stepped away from the truck. “Be my guest, Tenley.”
She didn’t even look over her shoulder as she grabbed her bag and headed for the cruiser.
Rowan stared at the cruiser as it pulled away with his girl in the backseat. What the hell just happened?
***
Tenley was still fighting back tears when she walked into the apartment, and as luck would have it, Rowan’s best friend was curled up on her couch with a sleeping Stacey in his arms.
“Hey,” he whispered. “Rowan just texted me. You okay?”
She just wanted to go to bed and pretend this miserable night had never happened. “No, not really.”
His eyes landed on the chair as he said softly, “Sit down. Talk to me, girl. What the hell happened between you and Rowan tonight?”
She wasn’t even sure. She just knew that she and Justin and had been fighting the night he abducted her. He’d accused her of sleeping with another man and became enraged when she denied it. Tonight brought back bad memories, and even though she hadn’t expected it, her past and present had merged in a terrifying mirage that took her back to the worst day of her life. She’d started having flashbacks, and for a split second, she looked at Rowan and saw Justin. She would have jumped out of a moving vehicle to get away from him if she had to.
Tenley sank into the chair, leaning her head back as she stared at the dingy white ceiling.
“Rowan told me about your ex,” Ace whispered, running his hand through Stacey’s hair. “I’m sorry you had to go through that.”
Ace was looking at her with so much tenderness and understanding that she was on the verge of tears again. “I’m sorry. I’m not usually so emotional.” She choked back a sob. “In fact, I never cry.”
“It’s okay to cry sometimes,” he said, looking sympathetic.
“You want to know what happened tonight.” She sighed, crossing her arms. “I’m not even sure I know myself. Rowan got mad. He gave me the third degree about this guy I slept with, and I lost it.” It really was as simple and as complicated as that.
“Why’d you lose it?”
“It just reminded me of…” She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the barrage of painful memories. “The night Justin—”
“Does Rowan know that’s what happened?”
Tenley wasn’t even sure she could face Rowan after her outburst. She still couldn’t believe she’d let some cop bring her home because she didn’t feel safe being in the same car with Rowan. A man who just last night had made love to her so tenderly he’d made her feel worshipped.
“No.” She bit her trembling lip, suddenly noting that wasn’t the only part of her body trembling. Her hands were trembling too. She felt as though she was shaking all over, from the inside out.
“You need to talk to him, honey. He’ll understand.”
She shook her head, unable to imagine what she would say, how she would find the words to tell him she was still broken, still damaged, all these years later. “No, he won’t. How can he, Ace? I don’t even understand it myself.”
“Have you talked to someone about this? A therapist?”
Tenley nodded. Her brothers had insisted she see someone for a full year after it happened. Even though she still suffered migraines and night terrors, she’d convinced herself those were the only lasting effects. What a joke. Tonight brought it all back as though it just happened yesterday, reminding her that she would never really be free of Justin. He, and their relationship, would haunt her for the rest of her life.
“Maybe you should consider making another appointment with him or her tomorrow to talk about what happened tonight.” He shrugged when she looked at him. “It couldn’t hurt, could it?”
“She died.”
“What?”
“My therapist died.”
Tenley had been shocked when she heard the vibrant forty-three-year-old mother of three had been killed in a car accident on her way to work. She heard about it on the news even before the office called to tell her. She’d never found another therapist after that, even though her brothers told her she should.
“Jesus.”
“Yeah, I know.” She thought of calling Corrie, but the idea of opening up to another professional, even if she was a friend, was terrifying. Reopening all those old wounds she thought had healed felt like taking a step backward instead of forward.
Stacey shifted in Ace’s arms, and Tenley watched him brush a strand of hair off her face. Her heart ached because as much as she loved her friend and wanted her to be happy, she didn’t think she could ever have what Stacey had found with Ace—a healthy, normal relationship.
“She told me you asked her to move in with you.”
“I know it seems soon, but I want her with me every minute.” He smiled. “Does that sound crazy?”
Tenley shook her head. Up until tonight, there had been moments when the idea of living with Rowan hadn’t seemed so far-fetched. “No, it doesn’t. She’s a good girl. Please do right by her; that’s all I ask.”
“I will. I promise.”
She didn’t know why it was so easy for her to trust him but not Rowan. Maybe because with Ace, it wasn’t her heart on the line.
“She doesn’t want to leave you, you know,” he said.
Tenley looked at her best friend, thinking how lucky she was Stacey had wormed her way into her life, around her guard, making Tenley love her even though she rarely admitted it.
“She would have eventually. I’ve always known that. Stacey was looking for love.” She tucked her legs under her, reaching for the chenille throw on the back of the chair to cover herself from chin to toes. “It was only a matter of time before she found it.”
“She thought she found it with your brother, I think.”
Shit. She did not want to talk to Ace about her brother’s feelings for his girlfriend, or her feelings for him. It was messy and complicated, and Ace seemed like a good guy who deserved a simple and straightforward love.
“Tell me the truth, Tenley. Does he still have feelings for her?”
There was no easy way to answer that. She had her suspicions, but she didn’t know for sure. Walker was a tough read, especially when it came to matters of the heart. He tried to protect himself, just like she did.
“I don’t know. You’d have to ask him.” She had no doubt Ace would confront Walker. Two strong, stubborn men in love with the same woman going toe-to-toe? Tenley hated to think what might happen. “Not that I’m suggesting that.”
“What are you suggesting?” He looked at Stacey. “I don’t want her past to ruin the future she could have with me. But I don’t want to be her second choice either. You know?”
“I’m not sure that it matters how Walker feels about her. I think the only thing that matters is how she feels about you. I love my brother, but he had his chance, and he blew it. It’s your turn. Yours and Stacey’s.”
He smiled as though he appreciated the sentiment. “My buddy’s a good guy too. I think he’s ready to settle down, whether he’s willing to admit it or not. He wants someone he can count on, someone who’ll love him even when he’s being an irrational hothead.” There was a beat of silence before he asked, “Do you think you can be that person?”
“I don’t know. I never expected Rowan.” She thought back to that late-night phone call that changed everything. “He’s made me feel things I haven’t felt in a long time.”
“Have you ever felt this way?” he asked. “Honestly?”
She shook her head slowly, scared to imagine what losing the only man she’d ever really cared about would feel like. “But I’m scared to hurt him. I’m not sure I can be what he needs.”
“You could try.”
“What if I fail?” she asked, meeting his intense gaze.
“There are worse things than failing, hon.”
“Like w
hat?” At the moment, she couldn’t think of any.
“Being so shut off from the rest of the world that you never put yourself out there.”
***
Tenley woke to a man hovering over her, and she screamed loudly enough to wake the dead, or at least the neighbors.
“Sssh,” a familiar voice whispered. “Tenley, it’s me. It’s Ace. You had a nightmare, honey.” He pulled her into his arms, rubbing her damp hair as she tried to remember how to breathe.
“Stacey?” she croaked, wondering why he’d come, instead of her best friend, to comfort her.
“I told her I wanted to make sure you were all right.”
“Thanks,” she murmured when he handed her the bottle of water she’d left on her nightstand. “I’m sorry I woke you guys.”
“Don’t worry about us. You okay?”
She felt terrible, but she didn’t want to worry him any more than she already had. “The nightmares are fewer and further between now,” she said, as though that somehow made the shock of waking up to a raving lunatic more palatable.
“That’s not what I asked.” He fixed the pillows behind her head and set her back to rest on them. “Are. You. Okay?” He’d turned on the hall light, presumably before he came into the room, and it cast just enough light for him to look into her eyes.
“I will be.” She took a sip of water. “I just need a few more minutes before I can fall back to sleep.”
“Was this because of what happened tonight? Your flashbacks?”
“Probably. And the stress of knowing that Justin’s messing with me again.”
“What do you mean he’s messing with you?” Ace demanded, his eyes conveying his suppressed rage. “What’s he done?”
“Nothing, really.” She was trying to downplay it, but judging by his fierce expression, it wasn’t working. “Honestly, I can’t even prove that it’s him doing these things. It just seems like quite a coincidence, since everything started after Justin got out of jail.”
Sweet Spot (Summer Rush #1) Page 17