Page 32 of Give You Up

“Sorry, babe, but the explanation happens to be confidential.”

Ah, so there’s more to this than cooling Taron’s temper and getting his teammates to play nice with him.

“Does the explanation have something to do with a tat of a snake and a butterfly?”

His eyes widen before he schools his expression. “I’m pleading the fifth.”

“No worries. I have all I need.”

“Syn, don’t you dare take this where I think you’re taking it.”

“I won’t stand by and let someone on the team get away with assault.”

“Ifhe’s on the team. I was at the same party she was, and the thing is, Andy and Jordan know guys from all over, including the neighboring towns. It could be any guy, Syn.”

“That was nice what you did for her.”

“What do you mean?”

He’s not looking at me, and that’s how I know he understands exactly what I mean.

“The PA job is twofold. One, I’m there to help you settle your temper and be a buffer between you and your teammates. Two, you knew her working with the team would be uncomfortable with as fuzzy as her memory is of that night. So, you talked to Hank and Hank talked to Cindy.”

He whistles. “You’re too damn smart for your own good, Pixie Dust. Now, leave the nose-butting to me.”

“Uh-uh. I have a stake in this too. The guy has a snake and butterfly tattoo. What if it’s the same tat as what my friends and I have?”

“Whatcha gonna do, hang out in the locker room and watch us guys undress?”

“Sure.”

“You will do no such thing,” he growls. “Think about it, Syn. If a guy is in a hurry to get off, do you think he would take off his clothes? No, babe. He would pull down his pants just enough to do the deed. Your friend Midnight was at the party, proudly flaunting the ink on his arms. Maybe that was the last thing the girl saw before she was drugged and taken up tomyroom.”

“You, she—”

“I found her in my room the next morning.”

“Taron, you’re tall with dark hair.”

“Syn, are you—”

“You would never hurt a girl, Taron. I’m just worried for you.”

“Don’t be, Pixie Dust. I was downstairs playing Fortnite with my roommates after the party settled down.”

“And during the party?”

“Why you so worried?”

Because I care. “Because I don’t want there to be any question that you were anywhere near her.”

“I wasn’t. I was with someone else.”

“A girl.”

“Yes.”

“Who?”

---