Chapter Nine

“Dude. Tell me you didn’t.”

“Didn’t what?”

“Put my baby sister onboard the Tanner Train.”

“The ‘Tanner Train’? What the hell does that mean?”

“You know damn well what I’m talking about. You forget, we go way back. I know your history, ‘Good Time Greysen’,” Blake sneered. “Stay the hell away from her.”

“Okay, first of all, she’s a grown woman and can make her own decisions,” Tanner growled at him. “And second, that was back in high school, man. I’m not that guy anymore. Besides, you weren’t exactly pristine yourself, so don’t you dare bring that shit up to me. You played the field just as much as I did, and you know it.”

A long silence, then, “You’re right. And I know Mia can make up her own mind. But I don’t trust you with her, Tanner, I’ll tell you that right now. Hurt her and I’ll break you in half with my bare hands.”

The next thing Tanner heard was dead air as Blake hung up on him, and he closed his eyes as the most hurtful words his best friend could have possibly said hit him like a punch in the gut.

I don’t trust you with her.

***

When he finally walked out into the living room, Mia closed the distance between them and flung her arms around his neck.

“Where were we?” she whispered as she stood on tiptoe to try to kiss him again.

Tanner gently slid his hands from her shoulders up to her hands and removed them from around his neck.

“Wait… what… I don’t understand,” Mia stammered, her heart pounding, her green eyes welling with hurt. “I thought we…”

“I was wrong, Mia. We can’t do this,” he told her, and took two steps back to put some distance between them.

“Why not? We’re both single, right?”

“It’s complicated.”

She crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes.

“What did Blake say to you?”

Tanner just shook his head.

Mia lost the tenuous grasp she held on her temper.

“Dammit, Tanner,” she snarled as she paced, stomping from one end of the room to the other. “One minute you can’t wait to get into my pants. Then Blake calls, and suddenly you’re looking at me with disgust like I’m some sort of freak? What the hell did he say to you?”

Tanner’s eyes widened in surprise.

“What? No! I don’t think you’re a freak, Mia, I just…”

“Let me guess. Blake ran his big fat mouth about my crush on you and then he told you I’m still a virgin because I’ve been saving myself for you, right?”

Mia was confused when Tanner’s jaw dropped wide open.

“What? Why do you look so surprised? Didn’t Blabbermouth Blake tell you that?”

“Mia… Blake didn’t say any of that,” he answered quietly.

Mia stopped mid-pace and flushed scarlet all the way to her hairline.

“Oh,” she squeaked.

Now he took a step forward, a tenderness in his eyes that managed to make her melt and feel pitied all at once.

“Baby. You’ve been waiting? For me?”

“You know what? Forget I said anything,” she babbled, mortified, a single tear cascading down her cheek as she backed away from him.

“Mia, I…”

“No. Stay away from me. You’re not into me now for whatever reason. It’s fine. I don’t understand it, but whatever. I’ll just keep waiting for another man, is all, one who actually gives a shit about me. I refuse to be a pity screw on top of being a freaking idiot all these years. But don’t worry, Greysen, you’re blameless. The only thing that’s happened tonight is you’ve opened my eyes, and now I can finally see it clearly.”

“See what clearly?”

“The fact that you don’t deserve me,” she snapped. "Maybe I'll just give in to Derrick, give him what he wants and get it over with so I can move on with my life."

Tanner couldn't stop himself from growling, his eyes flashing with a deep possessiveness that burned into his core.

"Who the hell is Derrick?"

"None of your business," she whispered, and she turned and fled past him to lock herself in the bathroom and cry.

***

Tanner Greysen stood as still as a statue in his living room, shocked to his core, and processed everything she’d just said to him.

She’s been waiting. For me, his brain repeated, and the burst of emotion that flooded his heart both soothed and unsettled him.

I… I had no idea. How could I? The last time I saw her was a decade ago, for Christ’s sake. Just Blake’s bratty little sister. I never looked at her any other way, until tonight.

And as he pondered it all, the reason for Blake’s blunt comments, as hurtful as they might have been, hit him like a thunderbolt.

I get it now. She doesn’t take this lightly; she will jump in with her whole heart. And Blake’s afraid I’m going to treat Mia the same way I used to treat every girl I got involved with. He doesn’t know I left all that behind me years ago.

He hung his head.

I’ve got a lot to prove, and I need to make amends. Starting with Mia.

He walked slowly through his bedroom and stopped outside his bathroom door. Just as he raised his arm to knock, the sounds of her sobbing wrapped tightly around his heart, then tore it completely in two.

Overcome, Tanner retreated to the living room, pulled on his coat, grabbed his keys, and left.

***

Once she’d pulled herself together, Mia splashed water on her face, then cautiously opened the bathroom door, listening intently.

“Tanner?” she called out softly as she crept forward.

But he was nowhere to be found.

She turned and retreated to the bedroom long enough to grab a pillow and blanket and laid down on the couch. 

I'm such an idiot for waiting for him, she chastised herself as she watched the flames dance in the fireplace. I should have known he would break my heart regardless.

Then she gasped as the words she'd flung at Tanner in her angered embarrassment came rushing back.

Give in to Derrick? I really said that?

The mere thought of anyone but Tanner touching her not only made her flesh crawl, it called forth tears again, and she let them stream freely until she fell asleep.