Page 88 of Unloved

“Matt,” she says, bottom lip trembling. “The light’s green.”

Least of my problems, I think, but pull into the empty parking lot of a closed laundromat right next to us, throwing the car in park.

“What’s going on, Ro?”

She raises her hands like she wants to reach for me, but also wants to protect herself. She settles for hugging herself around the middle and my stomach drops. “He does it to bother me—”

He?

“Tyler?” I ask, a little disbelief peppering my tone. “All of these are him?”

“Usually.” She nods reluctantly, likeshe’sthe one doing something wrong.

“Rosalie, this is fucking harassment. It’s illegal—you have to report him.”

“He didn’t hurt me—he does this sometimes when he’s trying to get my attention. Keeps making more profiles online or using other numbers. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do.” Her voice breaks and I feel like I can’t breathe.

“Princess,” I rasp, voice barely escaping the tightness of my throat. I open the car door and circle the idling car, ripping her door open a little too hard. “Come here.”

She steps out of the car and melts into my arms. I tuck her too tightly against me, pressing kisses into her curls as I rub circles into her back and swallow back the fury and anger that’s coursing through my body.

The phone rings again and I can’t stop myself from grabbingfor it, stepping back from her huddled form so that my fury doesn’t infect her.

“What the fuck do you want, asshole?”

The pause is long, drawn out, before “Is this not Ro’s number?” comes from a voice I’d know blind.

“Rhys?”

“Freddy?” He chokes.

I’m far enough from Ro that she can’t really hear me, but she can see the confused worry on my face. “What? It’s—what’s wrong?” she asks, approaching me.

I bite my lip, desperate to soothe her anxiety. “We’re, um, studying right now.” Hand to the mic like I can block it, I whisper to Ro, “It’s just Rhys, princess, I can handle it.” Then, back to Rhys, I fire off my main concern—why the fuck is he calling Rosalie?

“Why am I—” He matches my irritation. “Sadie wants me to bring her brothers to Ro at the dorms.”

This time she hears him and I can’t stop the clear guilt that washes over her. So I yield to her, handing off the phone.

“Hey. Sorry, I’ve been having a problem with spam calls.” My fists tighten, jaw clenching tighter. “Um. I can—” She looks around, as if she’s suddenly remembered how far away we are. “I won’t be back for a few hours. Shoot.”

Rhys says something in his usual comforting way. It soothes her, and I hate the irritation at my friend that subconsciously rises.Rhys and Bennett are both the calm to your chaos. How would you ever be soothing to her?

The phone call ends and she gazes up at me slowly.

“I think we should go home.”

My eyes shutter as I agree, despite the ache in my heart that wants to turn the car around, drive her back to that little pastel bookshop, and keep her away from everything that hurts.

CHAPTER 32Ro

It’s a quiet Thursday night, my favorite kind, because I’m watching Oliver and Liam.

I never mind watching Sadie’s brothers, but tonight I’m downright excited about it, because Sadie is spending the night with Rhys Koteskiy. I’m giddy for her, as if I’m the one with a hot date.

The boys are stretched out between the sofa and the pillow pallet on the floor watching whatever animated movie Liam chose tonight; Oliver gets to pick next. There are coloring and craft supplies tossed around, a messy and welcoming sight. It feels like a home.

A knock at the door has all of us looking at each other before I finally head to check the peephole—eyes lighting up at the sight of Matt Fredderic on the other side of my dorm room door.

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