Chapter 25: Chapter 25

I sneak another peek at Willow as we drive. It’s been a long time since there’s been a girl I was interested in sitting beside me in my truck.

There’s a slight furrow to her brow as she stares out the windshield. I get the feeling she’s lost in the thorny tangle of her thoughts. When I mentioned grabbing something to eat, reluctance had flashed across her face, and I knew her mind had circled back to River.

It had taken every ounce of self-control not to ask if she’d broken up with him yet. I’m trying to take this slow and give her time to make a decision. There’s no damn way he’d treat her the way I would. She already admitted that no one else has ever made her feel the way I do.

Shouldn’t that be enough?

Instead, I’d tangled my fingers with hers and pressed sweet kisses against her lips. What I’ve learned is that I can bend her to my will if I distract her with my mouth.

And hands.

And cock.

I’m not above doing any of those things to get what I want.

Which is her.

I just need to be patient.

My mind trips back to the library and everything I’d divulged. I never expected that opening up and sharing my fears about Mom would be so easy. The words had tumbled off my tongue before I could stop them. We might not know each other well, but I feel like I could share my deepest darkest secrets with her.

Stranger than that, I trust her to keep my confidence.

And I don’t have any reason to believe that. Especially when she’s with the one guy I can’t fucking stand.

But I do.

The knowledge is innate.

There are times in life when you meet someone that you instantly click with. Someone you feel like you’ve known forever, even though that’s not the case.

It’s a rare occurrence.

Like a shooting star.

That’s exactly what it feels like with Willow.

I’m afraid that if I loosen my grip, I’ll lose it.

I’ll lose her.

The more time we spend together, the more wrapped up in her I get.

I’m afraid of what will happen if she decides not to end it with River.

That thought is enough to have my fingers tightening around the steering wheel until the knuckles turn bone white.

It takes effort to loosen them.

I flick another glance in her direction. What I’ve discovered from the little time we’ve spent together is that she’s not very adept at hiding her feelings. Every thought is written across her expressive features for all to see.

It’s just one of the things I like about her.

Her kindness is the other. It hadn’t been easy to divulge my diagnosis, but when I did, she treated it as if it were normal.

As if I were normal.

Until that moment, I hadn’t realized that it was a burden I carried with me. Like it was a dirty secret, even though no one in my family had ever made me feel that way.

Sharing it with Willow had somehow lightened the load.

I steal another glance at her. The way she avoids my gaze, all the while pinning her lower lip with her teeth, is just more evidence that she’s conflicted about the situation.

It’s not like either of us saw this coming.

Sure, maybe the first night I took her home it was to strike out at River. But that had only been a small part of it.

More like the cherry on top of a decadent sundae.

The real reason is that I wanted her.

Had to have her.

I consider broaching the subject as I turn into the parking lot of Harvey’s Eats and Treats.

Maybe that’s exactly what I need to do.

Put it all on the table and tell her how I feel.

“Is this where we’re eating?” she asks, gaze sliding to me for the first time.

“Yeah. Have you been here before?”

She shakes her head. “Looks cute, though. Kind of like one of those diners you’d see in the movies.”

“A few of my teammates were talking about it, and I thought we could check it out.” I pull into a space and cut the engine. “You good with that?”

“Yeah.”

We exit the truck and meet near the tailgate. I don’t think twice about slipping my fingers around hers and tugging her closer. When we reach the glass door to the restaurant, I pull it open and usher her over the threshold. A little bell chimes as we step inside.

It’s like tumbling back in time.

The floor is made up of black and white checkered tiles while the ceiling is covered with shiny silver tin. Framed photographs of old Hollywood stars decorate the walls along with Coca-Cola memorabilia. Booths and tables dot the brightly lit space. The former are upholstered in red vinyl with gleaming white linoleum tops. Music from decades ago pours through the speakers from a jukebox at the far end of the restaurant.

The joint has a cool vibe.

Just as a waitress snags my attention, someone calls out from one of the tables, “Hey, Mav! Over here.”

I turn and scan the area, only to find Wolf and Colby along with their girlfriends.

I mean their wives.

I raise a hand to Wolf in greeting. I’ve always liked him. Even when he was moody and mostly kept to himself. Now that he’s with Fallyn, he’s opened up and seems happier. More content. Hell, every now and then, the guy actually cracks a smile.

“Pull up a chair,” Colby adds. “We just got here ten minutes ago.”

I glance at Willow with a raised brow, hoping she’s cool spending a little time with my teammates. “Is that okay?”

Uncertainty flashes across her face as she takes in the couples before her lips lift into a hesitant smile. “Sure.”

I grab two chairs from a nearby table before making introductions. Both Fallyn and Britt are friendly and welcoming. I could kiss them for doing their best to make Willow feel comfortable. They include her in the conversation, trying to get to know her. It doesn’t take long before Willow is laughing and chattering as if she’s known them for years.

Honestly, it’s nice to take a moment and simply watch her. The way her shoulders loosen and her eyes brighten. The throaty chuckle that falls from her lips feels like a warm blanket I want to cocoon myself in.

It’s strange to realize that I could spend the entire night doing exactly that.

The spell woven around me is only broken when Colby nudges my shoulder with his own. It takes effort to tear my attention away from Willow.

When our gazes finally collide, he gives me a knowing look before saying under his breath, “Looks like another Wildcat has bitten the dust.”