grips the steering wheel. “The truth.” He shrugs. “We didn’t do anything wrong.”
He’s right. We ’re adults—which, reminds me. “How old are you?”
He glances at me from the corner of his ey e and tries to keep a smile from widening across his face. “How old do you think I am?”
I’ve never been any good at this game. “Um, twenty -three.”
He cracks a smile. “Close. Twenty -four. You?”
“Twenty-two.”
“Youngster.”
“You’re only two years older than me. I’d hardly say that makes me a youngster.”
He smiles. “Sexy youngster?”
“Maybe.”
“How about fuckin’ sexy youngster?”
I smile. “Keep going.”
***
Everyone is sitting in the counselor room when we barge in. Every pair of eyes glance s our way. I’m sure my cheeks are blood red, because I feel like I’m holding fire in them.
Mrs. Jones clears her throat. “Tanner , Aubrey, take a seat. We’re about to have a little discussion.”
Shit. I frown and meet Cassie’s eyes. She is smiling ear-to-ear and giving me a thumbs up. My eyes move around the room as we take the seats closet to us. Jake is staring at me, boring holes into my head. Christ, I should be ash on the ground right now. His eyes are black, one swollen. His lip is cut, and he looks worn.
The warmth of Tanner’s hand wraps around my fingers. He interlocks his with mine and guides me to my seat. Jake doesn’t miss the movement; his eyes are fixated on it.
I give Tanner a sideways gla nce, but he looks relaxed, not at all worried about Jake’s glares.
“Okay, children ,” Mrs. Jones says. She called us children, she’s pissed. “I’ve heard about some fighting and…possible inappropriate behavior.” Her gaze travels to Tanner and me. Great.
“Wou ld anyone like to share what the hel—heck is going on?” I almost snicker at her cursing.
No one says anything. Not one soul. Cassie eyes me from across the room and holds back a smile. Eric is doing the same, nodding his head.
Tanner growls. “I assume you’re t alkin’ ‘bout me and Jake gettin’ into a fight. Yes, we fought. Aubrey had a panic attack—”
“What?” Jake sits up in his chair. “How? Why? What did you do to her?” His voice starts to rise.
“Nothing,” I snap out. “He saved my life. Twice .”
Mrs. Jones holds up her hand. “Let him finish.”
Tanner’s Adam’s apple bobs in his throat when he swallows. “So, I brought her back to her cabin. Jake was there, saw my arm wrapped around her and came at me. So, yes, I fought him. What was I supposed to do? Let him hit me? I defended myself. Momma didn’t raise no fool.”
I bark out a laugh. It’s not the right time, I know. But, who says that? The corner of his lip rises. “Something funny?” he whispers.
I shake my head.
“Hush,” Mrs. Jones says. Her face is red now. I think I’ll shut up. “Is that true, Jake? Did you come at Tanner?”
Jake’s jaw pops from clenching it so tight. “Yes.”
“Well, I believe Tanner needs an apology.”
“Hell no,” Jake says, sitting up in his seat. “I’m not apologizing to him. He shouldn’t have been with my girl.”
“I’m not your anything , Jake. Drop it.”
“Don’t say that. Don’t fucking —”
“Shut up,” Mrs. Jones interrupts. “Say it. Now. Or you’ll go home and not be welcomed back.”
Jake holds Tanner’s glare. Neither one of them blink. “Sorry,” Jake says.
“Now,” Mrs. Jones interlocks her fingers around her knee s. “On to other matters. Where were you two this morning?”
Fuck. I press my mouth together. I’m so not going to say it out loud. Assumptions are going to be made—even if I wanted those said assumptions—they didn’t happen.
Squeezing my hand, Tanner clears his throat. “Last night we went to a place
He’s right. We ’re adults—which, reminds me. “How old are you?”
He glances at me from the corner of his ey e and tries to keep a smile from widening across his face. “How old do you think I am?”
I’ve never been any good at this game. “Um, twenty -three.”
He cracks a smile. “Close. Twenty -four. You?”
“Twenty-two.”
“Youngster.”
“You’re only two years older than me. I’d hardly say that makes me a youngster.”
He smiles. “Sexy youngster?”
“Maybe.”
“How about fuckin’ sexy youngster?”
I smile. “Keep going.”
***
Everyone is sitting in the counselor room when we barge in. Every pair of eyes glance s our way. I’m sure my cheeks are blood red, because I feel like I’m holding fire in them.
Mrs. Jones clears her throat. “Tanner , Aubrey, take a seat. We’re about to have a little discussion.”
Shit. I frown and meet Cassie’s eyes. She is smiling ear-to-ear and giving me a thumbs up. My eyes move around the room as we take the seats closet to us. Jake is staring at me, boring holes into my head. Christ, I should be ash on the ground right now. His eyes are black, one swollen. His lip is cut, and he looks worn.
The warmth of Tanner’s hand wraps around my fingers. He interlocks his with mine and guides me to my seat. Jake doesn’t miss the movement; his eyes are fixated on it.
I give Tanner a sideways gla nce, but he looks relaxed, not at all worried about Jake’s glares.
“Okay, children ,” Mrs. Jones says. She called us children, she’s pissed. “I’ve heard about some fighting and…possible inappropriate behavior.” Her gaze travels to Tanner and me. Great.
“Wou ld anyone like to share what the hel—heck is going on?” I almost snicker at her cursing.
No one says anything. Not one soul. Cassie eyes me from across the room and holds back a smile. Eric is doing the same, nodding his head.
Tanner growls. “I assume you’re t alkin’ ‘bout me and Jake gettin’ into a fight. Yes, we fought. Aubrey had a panic attack—”
“What?” Jake sits up in his chair. “How? Why? What did you do to her?” His voice starts to rise.
“Nothing,” I snap out. “He saved my life. Twice .”
Mrs. Jones holds up her hand. “Let him finish.”
Tanner’s Adam’s apple bobs in his throat when he swallows. “So, I brought her back to her cabin. Jake was there, saw my arm wrapped around her and came at me. So, yes, I fought him. What was I supposed to do? Let him hit me? I defended myself. Momma didn’t raise no fool.”
I bark out a laugh. It’s not the right time, I know. But, who says that? The corner of his lip rises. “Something funny?” he whispers.
I shake my head.
“Hush,” Mrs. Jones says. Her face is red now. I think I’ll shut up. “Is that true, Jake? Did you come at Tanner?”
Jake’s jaw pops from clenching it so tight. “Yes.”
“Well, I believe Tanner needs an apology.”
“Hell no,” Jake says, sitting up in his seat. “I’m not apologizing to him. He shouldn’t have been with my girl.”
“I’m not your anything , Jake. Drop it.”
“Don’t say that. Don’t fucking —”
“Shut up,” Mrs. Jones interrupts. “Say it. Now. Or you’ll go home and not be welcomed back.”
Jake holds Tanner’s glare. Neither one of them blink. “Sorry,” Jake says.
“Now,” Mrs. Jones interlocks her fingers around her knee s. “On to other matters. Where were you two this morning?”
Fuck. I press my mouth together. I’m so not going to say it out loud. Assumptions are going to be made—even if I wanted those said assumptions—they didn’t happen.
Squeezing my hand, Tanner clears his throat. “Last night we went to a place
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