Page 103 of Renegade Ruin

Biting my tongue, I wait for her to continue because as much as I want to say that’s what I want, too, I can’t. There are too many unknowns. Too much could go wrong and end with me spiraling all over again.

“You said you wanted me to let you in,” she continues. “I don’t have a very good track record when it comes to doing that. Not just with you. With anyone. It’s one of my fatal flaws.”

I roll my eyes. “Because you havesomany of those.”

She shrugs and tilts her head playfully. “I forget to put the cap on the toothpaste too.”

“You’re a savage,” I say on a laugh, my eyes trailing down her body as I try to figure out how the hell I got so lucky. “What made you change your mind and decide to trust me with the knowledge you’re all in?”

“Someone made me realize I don’t want to lose you again.”

It’s on the tip of my tongue to say “me too”, but I can't bring myself to utter the damn words. Grinding my molars, I try my best to keep myself from spiraling by keeping the mood light andfar away from actually addressing my feelings. “Who do I need to send a thank you gift to for making you realize that?”

“Lana, actually.”

“Really?”

“Alsoooooo,” Willow playfully drags out the word and smiles. “You should probably turn off location tracking on your phone. She’s aware you’ve been at my house most nights since you got here.”

“That fucking sneak.” Though the more I think about it, it makes sense. It absolutely answers the question of how I always seemed to make it home after a night of binge drinking at one of the various pubs I frequented after the crash.

“I know.” Willow chuckles and tucks my favorite strand of hair—the one that always seems to fall free—behind her ear. “She might be a saint, but that woman also terrifies me just a little bit.”

“Me too,” I admit, but I owe that woman a thank you. And probably an apology. She stepped up and took the role of the mother I needed when I shut mine out because it hurt too much to give even the smallest piece of myself to anyone.

Fuck. I really need to call my family.

“Bishop, get your ass out here,” Graham calls from the mound.

“Swear jar!” Phoebe yells and the entire team erupts in laughter.

I push off the brick wall and spin, catching Willow as she bites her lower lip, her eyes trained low where my ass was. Arching a brow, I live for the blush that creeps up her neck. “So, we’re good?”

“We’re good,” she confirms.

“No more shutting me out.”

She throws three fingers up and smirks. “Scout’s honor.”

“You were never in the Girl Scouts.”

“No.” She smirks, eyes clear and bright in a way I haven’t seen in a long time. “But you’d be surprised with the survival skills I’ve learned up at Camp Renegades. I even know how to tie knots.”

“Do you now?” I tease. “Maybe you can show me sometime.”

“I’d like that.” She hums in acknowledgement. She lowers her voice and the most discreet tilt happens at the corner of her lips. “Then maybe you can punish me like you promised.”

Fuck. She’s trying to kill me. Right here on the field in front of my entire team, I’ll die with a raging erection and the knowledge this woman wants me for everything that I am and everything I’m not.

I take a step toward her, ignoring the hollers from the guys on the field beyond me.

“Have you been naughty, Kitten?” I whisper, fisting my hands so I don’t reach out and touch her.

She flutters her lashes and looks up at me. “Yes.”

“Fuck. You have no idea how incredibly sexy it is when you ask for what you want.”

She arches a perfect brow. “Noted.”

---