Page 27 of Broken

Lisa, I’d figure out how to deal with. It was how Izzy reacted that I couldn’t let go. She’dleft. She’d dropped a bombshell on me and then just taken off. I wasn’t even mad. I knew she was overwhelmed. Probably scared as hell. For me. Forus. She’d needed to process just like I had. But something in my gut told me if I didn’t reach out to her, she’d pull away. She’d try to hide just like she did when my cousins pulled their shit.

Shit, can it not just be easy for us?

My jaw clenched in frustration. We’d been together just a fewweeks,and there’d already been so much to handle. I’d promisedto protect her, and all the drama that kept pummeling down on us was my fault. Every bit of it. But I refused to let her go. Even if this Lisa shit turned out to be true, Izzy was meant for me. I just knew it, and I’d fight for us, whatever it took.

“I’m looking for Izzy Donovan?” I asked the front desk when I reached the dance studio. I’d seen her text on the way over, which made me feel a little bit better, but I wasnotleaving without seeing her. “I’m her ride,” I added. Not that I’d planned it that way, but when I didn’t see Jet’s Mustang outside, I knew Annie hadn’t stayed.

A curvy, middle-aged brunette pointed down the hall on the right. “She’s in studio number four.”

“Thanks.” I ducked my head in a thank you nod and headed down the hall. From what I could tell, there were six studio rooms down this side. Izzy’s was right in the middle on the left. I knew it had to be soundproofed because the door was closed, and I couldn’t hear even a beat from the bass inside. I knocked before opening and found Izzy and a guy who had to be Leo in the middle of a routine.

I’d seen him in pictures before. Decent height with a lean yet muscular build. He had dark curls and slightly tanned skin, just a shade or two lighter than Jet’s. Izzy had always sworn they were just friends, and I’d never gotten any other vibes, but as I watched them dance, I had to remind myself that that’s all it was. Even if his hands sometimes went places that made my blood want to boil, I couldn’t let it get to me. They danced. This was their thing. I would never want to take it from her because I was being a jealous ass.

I took a seat on the stacked mats in the back corner, watching. Each time they paused to discuss a set of moves and all therun-throughs they did until they had it perfect. That ounce of jealousy I’d had when I walked in slipped away. Because it really was just business for them.

Izzy’s eyes caught mine in the mirror a few times. So did Leo’s. I could see the questions in his, but he never asked. They just stayed on task, reaching for their goals. And they were incredible. I thought that I had talent. Izzy with Leo? They were going places.

When they finally finished, it was late, well past eight o'clock. They headed to their water bottles and wiped the sweat from their brows and chests. Leo walked over first while Izzy dug in her bag. He ran a hand back through his curls and held out a hand, a subtle, confident swagger in his step.

“Hey, man. I’m Leo.”

“Tucker.” I got up to shake his hand. His eyes followed, his head tilting back as I stood to my full height.

“Damn. Izzy said you were tall.” He laughed. “You here to give her a ride? I’d offered, but if you’re here…”

“Yeah, if you don’t mind. She and I really need to talk.” He winced, and I quickly corrected. “Not like that. Just…something went down at school today.”

His brow raised in recognition. “Yeah, I could tell something was up. Let me just grab my stuff, and I’ll get out of here. Good to meet you.”

“You, too.”

When he left, Izzy was still by her bag. I sat back on the mats, wondering how long she’d try to avoid me, but she met my gaze in the mirror, nothing but an apology begging through in her eyes.

I held out my hand, and she rushed over, letting me pull her into my arms. All the tension in my body immediately began to ease. I could deal with Lisa’s bullshit, but I couldn’t loseher.

“I’m so sorry,” she started. “I never should’ve left you like I did. I sprung it on you and then—”

“It’s fine.” I rubbed her back, reassuring. “I know you were freaking out. Just swear that you’re not leavingme, and we’ll be okay.”

She looked at me like I was crazy and then curled into a ball at my side, pulling her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around her legs. “I don’t want to leave you. I just…hell, Tucker, what does this even mean? For you? For us? How messed up is this going to be with another girl carrying your child while you’re dating me? We’re in freaking high school.”

“You meanifshe’s even carrying my child.”

“She had a test, Tucker. Girls can’t just magically make one turn positive.”

“Did you see it?”

“No, but I heard Larissa and Phoenix’s reactions whentheydid.”

I winced slightly at that but forced myself to shrug it off. “That still isn’t proof. Not to me. They could’ve planned it, letting you overhear or something.”

“How?” Izzy raised an eyebrow, giving me a disbelieving look.

“I don’t know.” I ran a hand back through my hair in frustration. “It’s fucking Lisa. Both times I slept with her, I was at my weakest, and she pounced. And trust me, the chances that she’s pregnant arereallyslim.”

“How do you know?”

“Becauseeverytime I’ve had sex in the past, I’ve used a condomandpulled out. I told you a while back I wasn’t taking chances with my future.”

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