Page 53 of Delivered in White

I shake my head.

“Have youeverput yourself in someone else’s shoes? Or are you just that dense? Sometimes I feel like I’m with Batman, and other times I’m with Forrest Gump. No, scratch that. Forrest Gump is a lovely gentleman. You, you’re like—”

“Let me guess, Jackie Junior.”

“Shut up. Do you know how mortifying it was to introduce me as your woman and walk out on me, mid-dance? I mean, I know I’m not a great stripper or anything, but—”

“I thought you were hot up there,” I say matter-of-factly.

Her face flushes with as much heat as her tan skin will allow. It forces me to hide a smirk.

“No,” she pouts.

“No?”

“No. You’re not sidestepping this one. I’ve never been so embarrassed in my life. Do you know what it took to even walk out of the house in those strings?”

“You seemed to be owning it just fine.”

“It’s called a brave face, asshole.Look at me.” She presents her prissy white sundress. “Do I look like the type to just strut on stage regularly?”

Here we go again with the emotional distress. I can see it building inside her like a temperature gauge.

“Are you even listening? News flash, Toretto – girl world is a catty zoo as it is. Throw some dim lights and naughty music on, and it’s literally hell. Now imagine it being your first day in said hell. You’re pranced in by Daddy devil himself, trying to make friends with the other demons despite your privileged entrance, maybe see if your demon parts can find a little nook to exist in. Thenbam, Daddy devil betrays you by picking someone else the first chance he gets.”

“God you’re weird.”

“Well you married me,asshole.”

I roll my eyes.

“Can you imagine the feeling?For just one freakin’ second, can you try to understand what I felt on that stage when you left?”

My fist tightens around the steering wheel. “Guess it’d be like my cousin dismissing my business ideas in front of the guys.”

“Yeah, sure. Except you’re almost naked and jiggling your ass back and forth. But yeah, you get the picture. It’s called being vulnerable, then being screwed over.”

I tilt my head to one side, considering. “Look. I can see it—”

“So then? Do you have anything else to s—”

“Yo. Listen. My thoughts are full of keeping your ass alive. I didn’t ask for any of this,remember?Yeah, I see your side, but do you understand that every move I make is to make my business flow while keeping this ticking time bomb in one piece?” I frame her with a finger.

“I already apologized for my part of it, because I knewright away, when your dad spoke about the dancer—I knew you were just trying to protect me. But if we’re going to be aroundeach other, I need you to get outside of your own head for a second here and considerme. I didn’t ask for any of this either.”

My lips tighten.

“Well?” she eggs me, pinching my arm.

“Cut it out.” I flick her, and her mouth parts in mock shock.

“You struck me!”

“Ohshut up.”

“My arm might be broken.” She holds it exaggeratedly, pretending to melt in her seat.

My lips loosen into a smirk, and she bursts out laughing.

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