refusing to go eat, and now he had me at his mercy.
Luckily, Tiberius was dressed quickly, so I didn’t have long with my free-falling thoughts. Otherwise, I may have bolted—with or without permission.
“Let’s roll.” He held out his hand, then pulled me up from the sofa.
“Let’s roll,” I said, mocking him as I rolled my eyes.
“What?” He stopped to stare at me, and his smile faded. I wanted it back.
“Nothing, it’s just you came back with blood on your shirt after going to explain ‘the rules’ to Logan, and now you just want to go eat. Don’t you think I deserve an explanation?” Afraid to meet his gaze, I stared at the beige carpet as if I thought it was the most fascinating thing I’d ever seen.
Tiberius shook his head. “Come on, that wasn’t Logan’s blood. I’ll explain when we walk.”
Before I could argue with him he pulled me out the door, steering us up the path toward campus. Tiberius’s even-tempered nature was soothing, and I took deep breaths to summon the patience to let him tell me what happened in his own time. Lucky for me, he didn’t make me wait long.
“Look, Rex, I get you care about what happens to Logan because he’s part of the team. I would never jeopardize that. I thought you’d know that about me, seeing as how I only got the guys on the team now.”
We walked side by side, making it easier to talk since I didn’t have to face him. His straightforwardness was refreshing, something I definitely wasn’t used to, but I wasn’t sure if I could ever take his motives at face value. It was so unlike the world I grew up in, where everything was fake and phony. In LA, posing and posturing took precedence over loyalty and love.
“When I said we were gonna talk, I meant it. The guys and I went to take Logan’s pulse on what happened, make sure he’s going to take the boys’ little beating as a warning and stay away from you. Mostly, I wanted to make sure this didn’t blow back on you.” Catching my eye, he said pointedly, “It’s not gonna.”
“So, whose blood was that?” I couldn’t help but blurt.
“Mel’s.”
“What?” I stopped walking and turned to face Tiberius, craning my neck to see his face, and saw nothing but honesty and openness in his eyes. “Mel? Why? He took care of me.”
What the hell is wrong with me? I’m defending Jamel?
“It was just a bloody lip, and he deserved it. The lip bleeds a lot, so when I got up in his grill, it went flying everywhere.”
Tiberius took my hand and started walking again, his words tumbling faster. “I’m trying hard not to be jealous of him, you in his T-shirt, you defending him. And I’m not telling you this to make you mad, but he doesn’t like you, T. He doesn’t like anyone except for the team, so he’s agreed to accept you. But today he didn’t get away with his skinny-white-girl bullshit, and I let him know I’m not gonna hear any more of that. So, that’s it. And I may have busted up his lip while letting him know.”
He squeezed my hand, making my fingers disappear inside his gigantic paw. How could he be so gentle with me, but act like busting someone’s lip was no biggie?
At my dubious expression, he shook his head. “We’re guys. We don’t use our words all the time, Rex. The team is a family, they’re like brothers, so when they act shitty, they get my fist. I don’t say, pretty please don’t do that . That wouldn’t settle shit.”
“Did I just say what I was thinking out loud? Or did you know what was rambling through my brain?” I stopped again, needing clarification of what just occurred between the two of us.
“I could tell. Hey, it was just my momma and me growing up, I know how to read women. Don’t make fun of me!” Laughter vibrated in his chest, the rumble of it traveling down his arm to where our hands were still entwined. Then he became very serious, almost ominous, his eyes turning a dark blue beneath his furrowed brow. “I would never use my
Luckily, Tiberius was dressed quickly, so I didn’t have long with my free-falling thoughts. Otherwise, I may have bolted—with or without permission.
“Let’s roll.” He held out his hand, then pulled me up from the sofa.
“Let’s roll,” I said, mocking him as I rolled my eyes.
“What?” He stopped to stare at me, and his smile faded. I wanted it back.
“Nothing, it’s just you came back with blood on your shirt after going to explain ‘the rules’ to Logan, and now you just want to go eat. Don’t you think I deserve an explanation?” Afraid to meet his gaze, I stared at the beige carpet as if I thought it was the most fascinating thing I’d ever seen.
Tiberius shook his head. “Come on, that wasn’t Logan’s blood. I’ll explain when we walk.”
Before I could argue with him he pulled me out the door, steering us up the path toward campus. Tiberius’s even-tempered nature was soothing, and I took deep breaths to summon the patience to let him tell me what happened in his own time. Lucky for me, he didn’t make me wait long.
“Look, Rex, I get you care about what happens to Logan because he’s part of the team. I would never jeopardize that. I thought you’d know that about me, seeing as how I only got the guys on the team now.”
We walked side by side, making it easier to talk since I didn’t have to face him. His straightforwardness was refreshing, something I definitely wasn’t used to, but I wasn’t sure if I could ever take his motives at face value. It was so unlike the world I grew up in, where everything was fake and phony. In LA, posing and posturing took precedence over loyalty and love.
“When I said we were gonna talk, I meant it. The guys and I went to take Logan’s pulse on what happened, make sure he’s going to take the boys’ little beating as a warning and stay away from you. Mostly, I wanted to make sure this didn’t blow back on you.” Catching my eye, he said pointedly, “It’s not gonna.”
“So, whose blood was that?” I couldn’t help but blurt.
“Mel’s.”
“What?” I stopped walking and turned to face Tiberius, craning my neck to see his face, and saw nothing but honesty and openness in his eyes. “Mel? Why? He took care of me.”
What the hell is wrong with me? I’m defending Jamel?
“It was just a bloody lip, and he deserved it. The lip bleeds a lot, so when I got up in his grill, it went flying everywhere.”
Tiberius took my hand and started walking again, his words tumbling faster. “I’m trying hard not to be jealous of him, you in his T-shirt, you defending him. And I’m not telling you this to make you mad, but he doesn’t like you, T. He doesn’t like anyone except for the team, so he’s agreed to accept you. But today he didn’t get away with his skinny-white-girl bullshit, and I let him know I’m not gonna hear any more of that. So, that’s it. And I may have busted up his lip while letting him know.”
He squeezed my hand, making my fingers disappear inside his gigantic paw. How could he be so gentle with me, but act like busting someone’s lip was no biggie?
At my dubious expression, he shook his head. “We’re guys. We don’t use our words all the time, Rex. The team is a family, they’re like brothers, so when they act shitty, they get my fist. I don’t say, pretty please don’t do that . That wouldn’t settle shit.”
“Did I just say what I was thinking out loud? Or did you know what was rambling through my brain?” I stopped again, needing clarification of what just occurred between the two of us.
“I could tell. Hey, it was just my momma and me growing up, I know how to read women. Don’t make fun of me!” Laughter vibrated in his chest, the rumble of it traveling down his arm to where our hands were still entwined. Then he became very serious, almost ominous, his eyes turning a dark blue beneath his furrowed brow. “I would never use my
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