Chapter 20
TWENTY
DYLAN
THE FIRST THING that irritates me about this diner is the song playing on the jukebox. The second thing is the cook hugging my fucking partner.
They’re still tucked in a lover’s embrace to the sounds of those depressing vinyls Kian always plays.
Sierra’s first to pull away and I try not to let my lip tip upward at the action.
Her gaze flits to mine quickly then to a random spot on the wall.
If the girl blushed, I’m sure it would show right now, and the thought irritates the fuck out of me.
Ajay the cook starts to ask her a question, but without a second thought, I outstretch my hand and stand between them.
“Dylan,” I introduce myself.
Ajay’s gaze drops to my hand. He’s just an inch or two shorter than me, and when he finally puts his hand in mine, he squeezes it a little harder than I expect.
“I know who you are, Donovan,” he says with a bite to his tone. “I’m Ajay.”
I have no idea why he seems protective of Sierra. “How do you know my partner?”
There’s an insinuation in my words that I don’t correct. There’s something about her standing next to me, soaked, and wearing my hoodie that makes the words come out harsher. The possessive cord wrapping around my irritation feels dangerous.
Sierra steps forward, her arm bumping into mine, but her eyes are on Ajay as she smiles.
“She used to come in here on the rare days she wanted a cheat meal. Though her ‘cheat’ meals meant a lettuce-wrapped veggie burger.”
Sierra laughs. “He still managed to accidentally send me an order of cheesy fries.” There’s an unspoken memory that plays between them. I want to crush it with my bare hands.
“Probably better than the sandwiches I make you for practice, huh?” I interject.
Ajay looks between us. “You two practice together?” His words are slow and uncertain, like he’s contemplating whether he wants to know the answer.
“Yeah, he’s my new partner.”
“Is that all we are?” I’m hoping the smirk on my face suggests so much more, because the glare she sends my way is not going to play out well for me later. But I couldn’t care less. I take the chance to throw my arm around Sierra.
“What made you stop by?” Ajay asks her.
“Our coach’s car broke down and our phones are dead. We’re kind of stranded,” Sierra informs him.
Ajay looks confused but nods when he assesses our soaked clothes. Namely, my hoodie on her. “You can use the kitchen phone; it’s right down that hallway.”
Sierra smiles gratefully, then turns to me. “I can try calling Scarlett, but she’s probably studying with her phone turned off.”
“I’ll call Kian,” I offer. Ajay points to the hallway with the phone, not even looking at me. He smiles down at Sierra, and I have the urge to pull her with me, but I tamp down the weird possessiveness taking over. Why do I even care?
The kitchen phone hangs on the wall, and it’s one of those old rotary-dial ones. Kian answers on the last ring, and his voice is laced with sleep.
“Hey, I need you to pick me up from Lola’s.”
“Dylan?”
I sigh. “Who else, Ishida?”
“Oh right, well, I totally would, man, you know that, but I just got back from a date with Aiden and Summer, so I’m kind of super tipsy from all the wine.”
“Why were you on their date?” I ask.
“They felt bad leaving me home alone. But they probably should have left me. There was screaming, a fire, and a lot of cursing.” He seems to shudder at the memory.
“Never mind. I’ll just call a cab,” I say.
There’s more rustling. “You want me to find someone sober? I’m sure Aiden will pick you up.”
“No,” I rush out. “Don’t—”
“Aiden!” I hear his door opening and then his feet padding across the hall. “Are you decent? I’m coming in.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose. There’s more conversation happening, and with impatience riddling me, I eye the twist toy vending machines. The ones with plastic rings and random figurines. An idea pops in my head.
It’s been months since I’ve pranked Kian by pretending to be his stalker ex, Tabitha.
She was a nightmare—hacked our phones, slept in our bed, siphoned our gas.
After that, Kian felt guilty for putting us through that mess, and moped around for weeks.
So I started pranking him. Sure, he was a little scared, but the more “she” targeted him, the more he stopped blaming himself. Now I just do it for fun.
There’s a muffled scream, a groan, and more shuffling. “Hello?” Aiden’s irritated voice comes through the receiver. “What’s wrong?”
“Hey, Cap. Nothing’s wrong. Was just calling to see if Kian could give me a ride, but all good, we called a cab,” I lie.
“You sure? I can come right now,” he says sincerely. Kian snickers in the back. He’s going to regret this when he’s sober. “And who’s we?”
“We?” Kian must have snatched the phone.
Fuck, did I say that? I clear my throat. “No one. I’ll be home soon.” I hang up the corded phone, and just as I’m turning, Sierra’s behind me.
“No luck?” she asks. Her hair’s soaked and stringy, but somehow, she looks as good as she usually does. Fuck, maybe even better. Her nose is red from the cold; so are the apples of her cheeks. I’d bet her lips would be cold if I kissed her.
The thought snatches me back into reality, where that is not a fucking option. Or even a thought I should be having. I clear my throat. “How’d you figure?”
“You slammed that phone pretty hard,” she says. “But it’s okay, Ajay said his shift is over in ten, so he can give us a ride back.”
Wonderful. “How much does he charge?” I ask flatly.
“He’s not a chauffeur. He’s doing me a favor.”
“And what are you doing to return that favor?”
“People can do favors without needing something in return,” she snaps.
“I saw the way he looked at you. This isn’t just a fucking favor, Sierra.”
“Not everything is about hooking up. He’s a friend,” she says. “Even if he was more than that, that’s none of your business.”
“Friends don’t just cook for you when you’re in the area, give you rides that throw them off their route, or size up the guy you’re with.”
“You’ve given me food before,” she simply states.
“We’re not friends.”
The ding of a bell splinters the heated look stringing us together. Neither of us moves, but when Ajay interrupts our stare down, Sierra’s the first to look away.
“Just clocked out,” he says. “My car’s out back.”
Outside, Ajay unlocks the doors, and I accidentally push Sierra out of the way and call shotgun.
She curses under her breath and sits in the back seat.
That doesn’t stop Ajay the cook from glancing at his rearview mirror to talk to her the entire ride.
It also doesn’t stop him from dropping me off first, which lets Sierra switch seats when I exit the car.
But before she can sit inside, I grab her wrist. Green eyes watch me curiously, and I don’t know why I do it, maybe because she’s in my hoodie, or because her words from earlier about trying fucked with my head, but I yank her forward.
“What are you doing?” she asks before she hits my chest. “I’m not a hugger.”
“I know.” I pull her closer.
“Dylan.”
“Let it happen, Romanova.”
She sighs, and it warms the center of my chest. “But, Ajay—”
“He can wait. I can’t.”
“But—”
“Shh,” I whisper into her hair. “We’re having a quiet moment.”
I don’t even need to look at her, her head pressed against my chest, but I know she’s rolling her eyes. I run a hand over her back, tightening my hold, and feel her relax. Her shoulders drop as she burrows into me. The silent surrender nearly pries my chest open.
We stay there for a while, and I forget about the running car and the cook sitting inside. I think she does too, until he calls her name, and Sierra pulls back. With one last look, she ducks into the car, and closes the door.
Everyone’s asleep when I get inside the house. Sebastian is passed out in the living room, the TV still on. I search for an envelope, and once I’ve got it, I go past my room and head up the stairs to the right.
I pull out the toy “diamond” ring I dispensed from the machine at the diner and slide it into the envelope. With my best cursive, I write Tabitha on it, then slide the white envelope under Kian’s bedroom door.
His hungover brain is going to have fun with that.