Chapter 18
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
EVERETT
S he’s late. It’s the first time she’s been late since she started last week. Things have been…quiet. Between school, hockey, and Raine working, we’ve barely even crossed paths other than our daily car rides and a few dinners here and there. Half the time, she scurries to her room as soon as her dishes are clean, but I haven’t pushed her on it. Honestly, part of me is grateful. Call me a bastard, but I have a feeling if she opened up to me, I’d let her in, and with all her baggage, it’s the last thing I need.
Yeah, I really am a bastard.
I stare at the entrance to Etch ‘N’ Ink when I cut off my car’s ignition. The open sign above the door is dimmed, but lights are still on inside. I can see through the glass door. She’s sweeping, mouthing the lyrics to whatever song is playing. Or maybe she’s talking to herself. I don’t know her well enough to say which possibility is more likely. She looks pretty, though. Dark hair braided over one shoulder. Messy. Chaotic. Like the storm she is. The black crop top and low-slung jeans showcase her lean stomach as she bends at the waist, sweeping under one of the black cabinets near the waiting area. Pretty sure my hand could reach from one hipbone to the next, covering her entirely. The thought hits out of nowhere, and I look down at my phone, making a mental note to get some food as soon as possible. Must be low blood sugar or something.
Yeah. That’s what it is.
I had a game tonight. We lost. It sucked. Now, all I want to do is head home and lick my wounds in private. Easier said than done since I’m parked out front, waiting for Raine to finish her shift. Normally, I wouldn’t mind waiting, but after tonight, I only want some good food, a hot shower, and my bed. As I continue watching through the glass, Raine nods at someone, rests the broom against the back wall, and disappears through a hall toward the back of the building.
When I catch myself staring at her swaying hips, I climb out of my car. I head inside, anxious to get home. A bell dings as I push the front door open, noting it’s past closing time as I shove my keys into my front pocket. It’s nice. Nicer than the other shop where she worked, though I didn’t mind that one. This place has less graffiti, though. Smells better, too. Like it’s cleaner, maybe. The walls are dark gray, with pictures scattered throughout. Some are black and white. Others have bold, vibrant colors. The images are so clear, most could pass for photographs.
Tilting my head, I study a particular piece. It’s a dandelion. Some parts are still yellow. White seeds are speckled throughout. And fuck me. I swear I can feel the wind through the image as I stare at one of the smaller seeds. It looks like it could let go and be carried away at any second. Actually, it’s…pretty sick.
“Hey,” a gruff voice calls.
I tear my attention from the artwork. A guy with wavy hair stands next to the front desk. Streaks of white weave through the blonde strands pulled into a messy bun on top of his head, leaving his weathered face on full display. I can’t tell if he looks happy or mad to see me here. With a Broken Vows T-shirt stretched across his body, he folds his arms, showcasing how built the guy really is. He might be older, but it’s clear he hasn’t let himself go.
“Welcome to Etch ‘N’ Ink,” the stranger adds. “We’re actually closing up, but you can make an appointment online, or if you’d prefer, I can help you schedule a time to come back another day.”
“I’m okay, thanks.”
He frowns.
“I’m here to give Raine a ride,” I explain.
“A ride?” The stranger cocks his head. “You know my daughter?”
My eyes widen. “Raine’s your daughter?”
“Yeah.” Whatever warmth was in his eyes vanishes. It’s replaced with cold calculation as he sizes me up. “Yeah, Raine’s my daughter. Who are you?”
“I’m, uh…” I tug at the collar of my T-shirt.
“Are you her boyfriend?” he demands.
Well, shit. I don’t know what she’s told him. I don’t know anything, actually, and lying to a guy like this feels like the wrong choice, but putting Raine in a bad spot doesn’t feel great, either. She doesn’t want her dad to know about Drake, and now that I’ve officially laid eyes on the bastard, I can’t blame her for wanting to keep him in the dark. He doesn’t exactly look like someone you’d want to mess with, and he definitely looks like someone who holds a grudge.
No, thank you.
Forcing a smile, I tear my attention from him and look at the empty hallway Raine disappeared through before I fucked up by walking in here. “Is she, uh, is she here?”
The guy’s chuckle is low as he steps even closer. I could back down. I probably should back down. Instead, I stand my ground. He’s taller than I guessed. Built like a tank. He might have a good twenty-five years on me—maybe more—but it’s clear he’s spent them in the weight room, probably in the boxing ring, too, with the way he carries himself.
“You there for the bar fight last week?” he demands.
Confused, my brows wrinkle, and Raine’s dad laughs. He moves even closer and glares down at me like I’m nothing but the scum of the earth.
“Nah, I didn’t think there was one, either.” His upper lip curls. “What’s your name?”
Where the hell is Raine?
Again, I glance toward where she disappeared. This would be a hell of a lot easier if I knew what I am and am not allowed to say to this guy.
“I’m sorry, but I think you’re confused?—”
“Name,” he growls.
“Everett Taylor.” My focus snaps from the hallway to the pissed-off father in front of me. “Nice to meet you. And you are?”
“I’m the last face you’ll ever see if you fuckin’ touch my daughter again. This isn’t a warning. It’s a promise. Now, get the fuck out of here.” He shoves me, but I barely move. Not because the guy can’t hold his own, but because I was waiting for it. Expecting it. Doesn’t take a genius to figure out he’s pegged me for Drake’s outburst, and even though I’m itching to set the record straight, Raine asked me not to, and for some reason I can’t explain, I don’t want to let her down or betray what little trust she’s given me since we first met.
Carefully, coolly, I clear my throat and reply, “I didn’t touch your daughter, and I’m not going?—”
He grabs my shirt, twists the fabric in his hands, and brings us nose-to-nose. It takes everything inside of me to keep my cool. To not fight back. To let him treat me like a rag doll when I’m already too close to the edge, thanks to tonight’s loss and, well, his assumption I’d touch a single hair on his daughter’s head. On anyone’s head.
“You ever heard assuming shit makes an ass out of you and me?” I grit out, attempting to de-escalate the situation without airing Raine’s dirty laundry.
His grip tightens on my shirt. “Nah, I think I’ll take my chances.”
“You have no idea what you’re talking about,” I warn him.
I should’ve waited in the car. Should’ve stayed as far away from here as possible. But I didn’t know he was still here. She said she wanted to keep her parents in the dark, and here I am, talking to her dad, er, being talked at by her dad. The semantics don’t really matter because Raine’s gonna be pissed.
“Dad?”
Aaaand, there she is.
Raine’s dad turns toward his daughter, lets my shirt go, and steps away from me. “Glad to finally meet your boyfriend.”
My attention slides to Raine, and I wait to see what she says. How she handles this. Does he think I’m Drake? I hope not since I introduced myself as Everett. Whoops.
Her words from our argument the first night at the cabin come screaming to the front of my mind. Right. Drake never met Raine’s family. If that isn’t a red flag, I don’t know what is.
What the hell am I supposed to do? What does she want me to do? She just saw her dad pushing me against the wall with my shirt fisted in his hand. She has to say something or defend me.
Doesn’t she?
With a fake-ass smile, Raine moves closer to us, but even I can see the rigidity in her muscles. The way she looks like she’s been blindsided—join the club, Raine—and left uneasy, trying to come up with a lie that doesn’t create an even more tangled web than the one she’s already made for herself. “Uh…”
“I’m sure your mom would love an introduction,” the behemoth adds. “And Penny. And Dodge when he gets back from his tour. You should bring this guy to dinner next week.”
“Everett’s going out of town for an away game,” she rushes out.
“Away game?”
She tucks some loose strands from her braid behind her ear, her gaze darting everywhere around the room. “H-he plays hockey, actually. He’s really good, too.”
“Yeah, I’m sure he is. Shame he’ll be gone next week.” Her dad doesn’t even bother hiding his sarcasm. “Dodge will be home at the end of the month. You can bring your boy to his concert at SeaBird.”
Raine opens her mouth to argue but closes it quickly, forcing herself to nod. “Uh, yeah. We’ll have to look at our schedules, but that sounds…like a lot of fun.”
“Good,” he grunts. “Can’t wait to hear all about the bar fight from last week, too.”
Raine blanches, and I wait for her to defend me. Instead, all she chokes out is, “Sounds great.”
Seriously? We’re gonna ignore the part where he thinks I hit his daughter? Ignore how she walked in on him threatening my own fucking life and completely sweeping his not-so-subtle remark about her swollen lip under the rug like he wasn’t insinuating I was the culprit behind it?
What. The actual. Fuck?
I turn my stare on Raine beside me and wait. For what? Honestly, at this point, I’m not even sure. I feel like I entered the Twilight Zone, and now, I’m just along for the bumpy-as-shit ride .
Raine must sense it, too. The tension. The assumptions. The haze of miscommunication twisting around us. Because she looks like she’s about to puke.
“Raine,” I prod.
Rocking back on her heels, she murmurs, “You’re totally right. We, uh, we should probably get going, so…”
“ We ?” her dad challenges.
“Uh, yup. It’s late, and…my boyfriend here is probably tired from his game, so…” She loops her arm through mine and rests her head on my shoulder. “It’s, uh, it’s best if we head out. Thanks for today, though.”
“ We ,” he repeats, as accusatory as before.
“Yup,” Raine says, though this time she tacks on a smile as if it’ll erase the fact she’s about to walk out of this door with an assumed abusive boyfriend.
Seriously, at this point, I’m convinced the girl is trying to get my ass kicked by her old man. Still, I keep my head held high and tuck my hands into the front pockets of my jeans, attempting to look like I don’t beat women on the weekends despite knowing it’s exactly what Raine’s dad has pegged me for.
“Well, don’t let me keep you, I guess,” he growls.
My brows hitch, but I stay quiet.
With another frigid look at me, he grunts, “Drive safe. Understand?”
Touch her again, and I’ll hunt you down , is what he’s really saying. Not with his mouth, but rather with his eyes. Honestly, I’m surprised I’m still standing at this point. This guy wants to rip me limb from limb, and if the roles were reversed, I would, too, so all I can do is dip my chin in response.
Yeah, old man. I hear you loud and clear.
“Night, Dad.” An oblivious Raine lets me go to give him a quick side hug. Then, she rushes toward the back corner of the large room. Thanks to the half walls spread throughout, it's broken into small spaces. She reappears with her purse and a notebook tucked beneath her arm. Without looking up at me, she slips past and out the door like a bat out of hell, leaving me no choice but to follow.
What. The actual. Fuck?