4. Lexi
4
LEXI
“ T ara, I’m fine. Will you quit asking me if I’m okay? I’m good. I’ve been busy at school and?—”
“Bullshit,” she says and it’s loud as it comes through the speakers of the car.
“Tsk, tsk. I swear since you started dating my brother, you curse a lot more, but hey, I get it. He’s bossy and makes me want to cuss half the time.”
“Lexi, stop trying to avoid the subject. I’m your best friend, and I know something is up, so talk to me.”
I pull to the side of the road and put my car in park. I can’t have this conversation and drive at the same time. “Okay, listen, I really am busy with school but?—”
Tara starts to interrupt me, and I stop her. “But! There was a guy I was interested in, and I thought he was interested too, but...” I wince, thinking back on that day at the tattoo shop and him telling me he wasn’t interested in breaking in a virgin. “Well, come to find out, I’m not his type.”
Tara blows out a breath. “It’s Ben, right? Cruz was right when he said there was something going on between you two.”
I sit up in my seat. “Wait. What? My brother? How does Cruz know anything… I didn’t even tell you.”
“At my sister’s wedding, Ben asked me about you, and Cruz sort of figured it out. I told him there’s no way you were interested in Ben, but I didn’t know. Why didn’t you tell me?”
I start to laugh. “What was I going to tell you? That I liked your ex boyfriend’s brother? You had enough crap you were dealing with. Plus, nothing happened, so…”
I let my voice trail off. It’s crazy to think that I’m this torn up about things when I’ve never even kissed the man in question.
“Something happened!” Tara insists.
I huff out a breath, not wanting to get into it but knowing Tara is not going to give up until I tell her. “Fine. Yes, I thought we hit it off that night I went out with you and Grant. I made a fool out of myself and showed up at Heat he actually likes me. I run to catch up with him and stand in front of his bike. “Oh hell no, you’re not just walking away after that, Ben Dalton.”
He growls. The man literally growls at me, but I don’t back down. “You lied to me. You do want me.”
His jaw tightens, but he doesn’t say anything else. He just stares at me, his face guarded and grim.
“Admit it, Boss. You want me.”
His nostrils flare. “Yes, I fuckin’ want you.”
He’s not happy about it, but at least he admits it, so I pressure him for more. “So you want me but you didn’t try to fuck me.”
I wait for his response, being more patient than I feel like being.