Page 84 of Fighting for You
Walking toward the bathroom, I say, “Wecan go shower, yes. And you’re fucking beautiful.”
She rolls her eyes at me but kisses my cheek. And for once, I don’t question why she’d do that or why she’d want to be with me. My head is silent of negative thoughts, all of them focused on being happy with her.
We kept the shower PG rated.
Okay, maybe PG-13.
Margot wants to go check on her dad; it’s been a good bit since she’s been over. I didn’t tell her I was there on New Years’ Eve. She doesn’t know her dad vowed to stop drinking; I just hope Keaton didn’t fall off the wagon before she gets to see him sober. I should have gone back to check on him, but I got busy. And by busy, I mean I spent all my free time working on the reno of the kitchen in my parents’ house when I wasn’t at RED. The restaurant has been packed too. People have swarmed since word got out about our hotshot big city chef taking over the kitchen.
It’s a little after one when we make it to Keaton’s house. She hops off the bike, losing her balance as she does.
“Whoa, I got you,” I say as I grab her hand, keeping her from falling. She pulls the helmet off and blows her hair out of her face. Her cheeks are flushed, her freckles bolder than usual.
“Do you… want to come inside with me?” she asks, her eyes shifting around the treeline surrounding the house. I mentally kick myself again for not catching on to the way she’s constantly on guard. I look around as well like some psychopath might jump out any moment.
“No, go spend some time with your dad. I’m going to go talk to Hayes. He told me he’d be at The Pit setting up for tonight, so he’s not far from here. Gotta tell him I’m in love with his little sister and hope he doesn’t break my face for it.” I huff out a laugh, not entirely joking. I’m more concerned about him actually killing me and hiding my body in the woods. “But hey,” I say, intertwining my fingers with hers, “later, we need to talk, okay? I need to know everything. We need to file a police report. And you’ll be staying with me until it’s all figured out.” She opens her mouth, probably to argue, but I cut her off, “This ismyone condition, Margot.”
She nods her head, her face falling just a bit as she does. It’s obvious she’d rather bury her head in the sand and hope it goes away, but he’s clearly determined to get her attention, and I can’t allow it to escalate to something more dangerous. She won’t have to deal with it much longer. I’ll make fucking sure of it.
“I also… have to tell him I won’t be fighting anymore…” I trail off, but a small smile graces her lips.
“Thank you. For everything.” She leans in to kiss me, releasing my hand to cup my cheek as she does.
“No need.” She hands me her helmet back, but I stop her. “Keep it until I get back. It’s yours anyway.”
Her eyes shoot up to me. “Mine?”
I give her a smirk and start the ignition. “You heard me, Freckles.” Slamming my visor back down, I take off, leaving her in a plume of dust with a shocked expression on her face.
Today has already been draining. After our morning, I would have preferred to stay in bed the rest of the day, and I would have bribed Margot to do the same. But talking to Hayes is a top priority. He let this go on for too long. He should have told me. She never should have been living on her own after going through this in Charleston. He should have been more diligent about making sure the creep didn’t follow her here.
It takes everything in me not to storm the trailer or throw a punch at him with no discussion whatsoever, but I’m trying to be better. For me. For Margot. For everyone. And I know starting a fight with him won’t win me any points in the long run.
The drive to The Pit is short, and Hayes is grabbing something from his truck when I pull up.
“Hey,” I say, cutting the engine. Hayes gives me an up-nod as he lugs a bag out of the bed of his truck. “We need to talk.”
He pauses for a moment, dropping the bag and turning his focus on me. “Sounds serious. Are we breaking up?”
I don’t laugh, and I think he realizes at that moment how serious I am. “It’s about Margot.”
His face goes stone cold. “What about Margot?”
“I should have told you this weeks ago, but I’m in love with her,” I blurt out, figuring I should just get it over with. His expression transitions through an array of emotions including confusion and shock before ending on rage. His face turns bright red, and I know he’s about to pop off, possibly murder me, so before he can, I add, “And I’m fucking pissed you didn’t take care of this stalker situation.”
He jerks back like I’ve swung at him. “What? What stalker situation? What the fuck are you talking about, Grant?”
“The guy from Charleston.” There’s no recognition on his face, no indication he knows what I’m talking about. “Shedidtell you, right?” My panic rises. I assumed he knew. I assumed she told him why she moved here. She tells him everything. She calls him her best friend. So why is he acting like he has no fucking clue what I’m talking about?
“No,” he growls, then his face goes blank for a second before growing impossibly pale.
“What?”
“Fuck! I kept asking why she had so many locks, she brushed me off every time,” he recalls, running a hand through his hair. He looks ragged suddenly, like his entire world is falling apart. “And there was a guy—”
“What do you mean? What guy?”
“Just some random dude who came into the shop last week. He asked where the name came from, and I told him it’s my last name. He laughed and told me his favorite nurse in Charleston has the last name Mason. I made small talk, something along the lines of it being a small fucking world because my sister used to be a nurse in Charleston. And then… Fuck!” he screams, slamming his fist into the side of his truck.
