"Are you going to walk out on your own two feet or should I drag you?" Brick asked, shaking him slightly.
The guy walked out.
I heard Evan thank Dillon. Dillon shrugged as if his quick thinking hadn't just saved the day. "I'm sorry," Evan whispered to me.
"It's okay, Evan. You've said that."
His hand shook as he picked a piece of glass from my hair.
I grabbed his wrist and flipped it over. I gasped at the sight of his raw, bloody knuckles. "Your hand."
"It's fine." He pulled it away before I could finish my inspection. "I'm going to get you some ice."
"Actually, I have a bag of frozen peas in my freezer. That would be better. Bring a few bags."
I felt him fish in my pocket for my keys. He helped me to the chair. "I'll be right back."
Mike cleared his throat. "Okay, everyone. Last round's fifty percent off."
The bar erupted in cheers.
"Why don't we just give it to them for free?" Tilla asked.
"Because I want to buy you a really nice anniversary present," Mike said, putting his arm around her.
"Good point."
Evan rushed down the stairs. "I could only find one bag of peas and two bags of carrots. Will that work?" he asked, holding out the bags with shaking hands.
"No, it has to be peas."
"Really?"
I laughed. "Give it."
When everyone had left, a group of us sat around licking our wounds or rather, one another's. Evan held the package of carrots to my eye. I held another against his swollen, bruised knuckles. Josh cleaned Dillon's lip.
"Do you think you'll be able to play guitar?" I asked.
"I don't care." He placed his other hand under my chin and lifted my face to meet his. "Did he … did he hurt you?" Then he shook his head. "I mean, I know I hurt you more, but did he?"
"No, really, I'm okay."
His brow furrowed, a look of anguish taking over all his features. "You are not okay. You're going to have a huge bruise and I did that. I'm never going to forgive myself."
"Eh, don't worry about it. I've hit her before," Dillon said.
"What?" Evan's eyes narrowed but my laughter calmed him.
"We were going for the same bouquet at Mom's wedding and she was in my way."
"Who got the bouquet?" Tilla asked.
"Dillon did, but he gave it to me out of guilt. Maybe that was my plan all along. Did you think of that, Dills?"
"I always knew you had the heart of angel and the mind of a villain."
"Thank you for what you did," Mike said to Dillon. Everyone followed suit.
"You saved my ass and, more importantly, this place," Evan said.
"I just wished my punch would have knocked him out."
"I can't believe you did that," I said.
Josh kissed Dillon on the forehead. "I can't believe I missed it all. I'm never going to play pool again."
"Why did you do it?" I asked. "You could have gotten hurt."
"I couldn't let him get away with that."
"I get why you reacted that way," I said.
Dillon leaned forward on the table. "There's no way I'm going to let anyone treat you that way. Not on my watch," he said.
I choked back a sob, mostly because I knew the salty tear would hurt like a bitch coming down my face.
"We should do something though. He's a cop, and what if he tries this with someone else?"
"I have his badge number," Dillon said.
"How do you have that?"
He unfolded a wallet and slid it to me.
"Shit, you stole his wallet?"
"It fell out of his pocket."
Tilla grabbed it. "I'll call my dad in the morning. He'll make sure that guy gets what's coming."
"Who's your dad?"
"The District Attorney," Mike provided.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Evan wanted to postpone the trip, but I refused. He pampered me on the days that followed, bringing me aspirin and feeding me chicken soup. A girl could get used to this. The circle around my eye went from a foreboding black to a deep purple … a nice color for eye shadow, but not so sexy when it shadowed your eye.
I wore sunglasses at work. He sang We are Young by Fun. It made me laugh. His eyes automatically shifted down whenever he looked at me. I went to see Mom to get some ideas about homemade remedies so I'd heal faster. She freaked and practically called an intervention, thinking I was suffering from battered women's syndrome. Poor Evan, who'd given me a ride, hadn't bargained for a trial.
Dillon came to testify on his behalf, and finally vindicated Evan before he was thrown to the lionesses for slaughter-the lionesses being Marley and Stevie.
That night, as we got ready for bed, Evan handed me a bottle of water, and the book I was reading. I sat on my knees and started unbuttoning his jeans.
"What are you doing?"
"We haven't had sex in a few days."
"You act like that's a long time."
"It is … for us."
I grasped his cock, happy how it hardened with every stroke. His breathing quickened as he threaded his fingers through my hair. I moved my face toward his. His cock went limp. Huh?
"Seriously?" I asked, both offended and self-conscious at the same time.
He took my shoulders and laid me back on the bed. "It's not you."
"What the fuck, Evan? I've seen you get hard when I put my socks on, for Christ's sake."
"I can't do this with you right now."
"Why?" I asked, my voice surprisingly whiny.
"Because you're still hurt."
"Unless you're planning to fuck me in the eye, I'm sure I can handle it."
He grinned, tracing a line from my nose to my mouth. "I eye-fuck you all the time, baby."
"Then what's your issue?"
He knelt on the floor before me, placing a hand on each of my hips. "The problem is, I can't handle it."
"Why not?"
"How can I explain this to you?"
"Just say it."
"My dick gets soft when I look at your face."
My mouth gaped for a split second as I digested those words. Then I started laughing … a deep belly laugh that wouldn't quit. He laughed too. I cracked up so hard I would have fallen from the bed if he hadn't caught me. I grabbed the pillow and beat him with it. "That's the worst thing any guy has ever said to me."
"It didn't sound that awful in my head." He grabbed the pillow from me and threw it across the room.
"Well, that's where you should have kept it."
"Let me explain," he said, gasping for breath and trying to make a serious expression.
"I'm waiting."
"My dick grew a conscience."
"It's not growing at all."
He cracked up again.
I pushed him back and jumped on top of him, pinning his hands with mine. I stared him down, lacing my fingers through his. "Just for that, I'm going to make you look at my face all night."
He curled his fingers over mine, squeezing my hand. A crease appeared on his brow. "You have a beautiful face. Perfect. The kind of face that makes me wish I could paint or sculpt-or do anything to etch it in time. I didn't mean it like that. It's just that I feel guilty knowing I hurt it-that I hurt you."
"Evan, I'm fine. You were defending me. You went a little overboard, but I told you, I'm not angry with you."
"Tell it to my dick, Billie Marie."
"Okay." I crawled down his body.
"I was kidding."
"Too late. I'm going to give you a little mouth to head resuscitation."
"Baby, I don't think you … Oh God, yes … please yes."
Chapter Twenty-Six
"So why are we in Milwaukee again?" I asked as I stepped off the bike, happy that the first leg of the ride hadn't been too long.
"I need to see an old friend. He lives here now."
He clasped my hand as we walked into the restaurant that resembled a log cabin and overlooked Lake Michigan. The atmosphere, warm and friendly, put me at ease. I think it did the same for Evan, whose posture relaxed.
As soon we stepped in, a tall, thin man with his hair in a ponytail clapped Evan on the back. He wore a Packers jersey and a smile that stretched to each ear.
"Good to see you, Wright."
"You too," Evan said, holding out his hand. It was a shame because I sensed they wanted to hug, but neither made the first move. Silly boys. Evan squeezed my hand almost as if he wanted some transference of encouragement from me.
"Hi, I'm Billie."
The guy took my outstretched hand.
"This is my girl, Billie," Evan said, stepping forward and giving me an apologetic look. His introduction was much better than mine-so nice it made warm tingly sensations travel through my body.