CHAPTER ELEVEN

Payton

Alex pulled up to my house and turned off the truck. I slipped out of his jacket and set it on the console between us. “Thanks for dinner.”

“Hey.” He grabbed my hand. “Workin’ shit out, yeah?”

I nodded.

“Call you next week.”

I nodded again.

He tugged me forward, but I pulled away from him. “I’m not kissing you in front of my parents’ house, Alex. Not yet, anyway.”

“So, it’s fuckin’ payback time, huh?”

“What?” I snapped. “No.”

“Let me guess. Your dad would go ape-shit over you datin’ someone like me, right?”

“No, not at—”

“Fine, babe. We’ll do it your way.”

“God, you make me crazy.” I let out a frustrated growl. He moved to leave the truck but I pulled him back. “Wait. This conversation isn’t done.”

“No?”

“No,” I snapped. “I don’t want to kiss you in front of anyone until we know where we’re going with this. It has nothing to do with my dad. And for your information, my dad isn’t like that. He knows me enough to know that if I want to date someone, it’s my decision and he trusts me to make it. Brock, on the other hand…”

“Fuck,” he whispered.

“I’m gonna go.”

“Wait, babe.” Alex grabbed my hand. “I’m sorry.”

“Thank you.”

“You really not gonna kiss me?”

I couldn’t stop a sigh of relief as I shook my head. “Does it make you feel better to know I want to just as much as you do?”

“Doubtful,” he grumbled.

I squeezed his hand. “I’m sorry if I said something earlier.”

“You didn’t.”

“Yeah, the silent treatment the whole way home proved that.”

Alex sighed. “Babe, you sayin’ shit like I’m ‘breakin’ the cycle’ drives home the fact that I’m fuckin’ failin’ at it.”

“So I did say something.”

“Fuck me, Payton. You ever not intuitive?”

“I’m paid to be intuitive,” I said. “It makes me a good teacher.”

He nodded. “Look. You have a charmed life, good family, fuckin’ great friends—”

“And you don’t?”

“It’s different, Payton. My club’s my family outside of Kayla and Lily. Before the club, I never had friends I could trust like you can trust yours.” He dragged his hands through his hair. “I know I’m fuckin’ Lily up big time. Shit, her teacher even said she’s behind in her language skills and asked me if I read to her at night… like if I don’t, I should be ashamed.”

“And do you?”

“If I’m home… sometimes. But not always.” He frowned. “I’m not breakin’ any cycles, babe. I’m just makin’ new ones to fuck up my daughter.”

“So I hit a nerve,” I observed, and smiled.

“Yeah, babe, you hit a nerve.”

“Can I put my two cents in regarding Lily… purely from a professional standpoint?”

“Have at it.”

“Okay, I’m not sure why her teacher would say she’s behind in her language skills. Yes, she sometimes says words a little softer than other girls her age, has some difficulty saying her r’s, but she forms full and coherent sentences and understands what you’re saying to her, so in my opinion, she’s right on track. She also has a pretty good sense of what people she can trust, considering I heard her crying for a little while in the store before she stopped and talked to me. She inherently knew I’d help her. I think her teacher is either an insensitive cow, or wants to offer up her personal services to help Lily in the hopes of getting in your pants.”

It took him a second to respond but then he let out a booming laugh that filled the cab of the truck. I was so distracted by the sound, I didn’t register him reaching for me until his mouth was on mine and I was melting into his arms.