When the food came out, a small table was hooked onto his door, and he handed my water to me. The food was left alone.
“Thank you.”
He nodded, but didn’t do anything. He didn’t eat. He didn’t drink his own water. Nothing.
I frowned. “Where are we?”
He shrugged. “Some other town. I figured you wanted to be long gone from Rawley and Pedlam.”
“Thank you.” Again. I started to smile. That was somewhat funny to me, that I kept thanking him, but it fell flat. The humor was forced in me. “He’s not that bad.”
“Save it.”
“What?”
“Save it.” His head was resting against his seat and he never lifted it forward, but rotated it to meet my gaze.
There was no judgment. He didn’t care. I frowned. “Most people would say I’m an idiot to care about him.”
He shrugged. “Who cares? You broke up. It’s obvious the guy’s having a hard time letting go.”
I glanced at my lap. No one had really seen through Brian like I had, except his brother.
Tray added, “Yeah, he’s a little unhinged, but I can be too. So can you. So can a lot of people. Now, if the guy was going to be violent towards you, that’s a whole other story, but if you’re asking without asking if I give a damn about your ex? No. I don’t give two shits about him.” The same blank expression looked back at me. “Do you really care that I don’t care?”
“No.” I was honest. “It’s refreshing. Most people would give me a lecture to stay away from him.”
He gave me a half-grin. “That’s a waste of energy. You’re already trying to stay away from him.”
I nodded. “He’s not a bad guy. He’s just—”
He cut me off, “No excuses to me. I don’t care, remember?”
“Yeah.” A relieved grin escaped me. “I care about him still, and I don’t want to hear someone else that I care about judge him. He’s not below anyone. He just shows his feelings more than others.”
Tray snorted. “That’s the kicker, though, isn’t it? There’s a lot of people who hide their true shit better than others and because of that, they think they’re better. It’s a load of bullshit to me.”
I frowned. “I had no idea you thought like this.”
He shrugged, but lifted up a burger and began to unwrap it. “Yeah, well, to me you were just another hot chick with an attitude. Guess we’re all due for some surprises, aren’t we?”
I eyed him, as I let his words filter in. There was more to him than what he showed everyone else. Then I realized that he knew me better than my new family, than even Mandy. “Don’t tell anyone about Jace.”
He was inspecting his burger, but glanced back up.
“Please. They were both family to me.”
“I’m not saying a word. I get it. You don’t want to hear bad shit about your family.” He flashed me another half-grin and a dimple appeared this time. I sucked in my breath as the power of that one dimple, of that smile from him, and his honesty struck deep inside of me. I swallowed. This guy was dangerous to me. I’d been through the emotional wringer from Brian and twenty minutes later a few words, a few smiles, and he was almost forgotten. Tray was front and center.
I forced myself to turn away as a tingle of fear slid inside of me. Tray could have devastating effects on me if I allowed it. I shook my head. I couldn’t allow it.
I finished my water and handed him the cup. “We should go back.”
He tossed it in the garbage, along with the rest of the food; none of it had been eaten. He eyed me for a moment.
I didn’t look away. Something happened. He knew it. My behavior had changed, and he was trying to figure it out. I couldn’t look away, but I wanted to. My body was starting to burn up. I wanted to go to him. I wanted to wrap my arms around him, and I wanted to feel the pressure of his lips on mine. I wanted to taste him and even thinking that, the desire went up a notch. I tried to hold back from squirming under the weight of his gaze, but it wasn’t without its consequences. I was suddenly starving and dying of thirst.
He won.
I ripped my eyes away from him and focused outside the window. My chest lifted and a ragged breath left me.
He didn’t say anything. It was like before. We left, but the air was charged, unlike when we first arrived. The emotion had been thick in me from Brian. This time it was because of him. I grasped onto my seatbelt and made myself consider what we’d be walking into at the house.
I couldn’t have prepared myself.
Before we opened the door, I heard my sister. “You’re a fucking tramp, you bitch!”