Page 37 of Taming You

I shrug. “I guess. I don’t know. It’s not like I chose to be stood up.”

“I’m not saying that, Zo. I’m just saying be careful with him. I don’t want him hurting you.”

Anger boils in me. What is that supposed to mean? Does Henry really think I’m not capable of taking care of myself?

“And how exactly do you think he’ll hurt me, Henry?”

He runs a hand over his face, probably sensing my frustration. “Zoey, I’m just looking out for you. I remember what he was like in high school, and if he’s anything like that still, I just don’t think that he’s the guy for you.”

I scoff. “You’re nine years older than Matt. What do you mean you remember what he was like then? Do you really think that people don’t change or that I can’t take care of myself?”

I can tell I’m overstimulated and emotional, because I’m picking a fight with Henry, and I haven’t done that since I was a teenager.

“Do you really think I wasn’t checking out who you were hanging out with when you were growing up? Of course, I think people can change, but it’s never a guarantee. I’m your big brother. I’ve spent years taking care of you, making sure you’re safe and taken care of. I can’t just turn that off.”

I slam my cup on the counter. While my anger grows, tears gather behind my eyes. I hate that when I feel any emotion strongly, I cry.

“I’m not some kid anymore, Henry. I can take care of myself. I appreciate everything you did while I was a kid—” A sob leaves me as the tears begin to fall. I’m feeling too many things at once right now. Disappointment over what really happened with Matt, anger at my brother for treating me as if I’m still a kid, and sadness about being stood up and still living this single life.

“Zo?” Maggie rounds the corner into the kitchen wearing her bathrobe, and her eyes bounce between Henry and me. She takes a step closer, reaching for me, and I crumble in her arms as the tears fall in earnest. I can barely make out their whispered words through my sobs.

“I don’t know. We were talking and then she started crying,” Henry says.

“What did you say?” Maggie says accusatorially.

“I was looking out for her.”

Maggie runs her hand over my back and helps me stand before taking me upstairs and getting me settled in bed. She lies with with me until I’m so tired I fall asleep.

CHAPTER 14

Matt

Itake the long way home from Zoey’s, knowing Gianna is back at my place and will have questions I’m not sure how to answer. Sharing a meal with Zoey in a restaurant just the two of us was nice. I was so relaxed with her, and I thought everything was going well until Melinda showed up and Zoey ran out of there like her ass was on fire. The second she said she was leaving, my stomach dropped. That was the last thing I wanted. I wanted her to stay. I wanted to share a dessert, maybe go for a walk together before I took her home. The more we sat there, the more I wished it was actually a date.

Melinda showing up was a stark reminder of the life I’ve lived of moving from girl to girl, just having fun with no commitments. That’s not something I want with Zoey. I want to see if we could have something real. I enjoy spending time with her, more than I have any other woman I’ve met.

The way she ran out of there has me thinking she doesn’t want any of that. It was as though Melinda was exactly what she was waiting for to get out of there, but then she said she had fun. This woman has me all over the place, and I’ve never been like this before.

When I arrive home, I quietly let myself in in case Gi is asleep. She’s wrapped in a blanket on the couch with a bowl of ice cream and watching a movie. I shouldn’t be surprised. Gi’s always loved her late-night sweets.

She smiles at me and pauses the movie. “So, how was the date?” she asks.

“She cancelled.”

She grabs her phone and checks the time. “So why are you just getting home?”

I grip the back of my neck and take a seat beside her. “Zoey was in the restaurant, too, and her date stood her up, so we ate dinner together.”

Gi’s quiet as she watches me and takes a bite of her ice cream. Silence fills the room, and I feel her mind moving a mile a minute. Unlike Liv, Gi’s always been quiet and lets people stew, hoping that will get them to open up.

I shuffle in my seat, not sure what else to say.

After a few minutes, she takes pity and asks with a grin, “So, how was your date?”

“Not a date,” I say emphatically.

“Did you share a meal together?”

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