Page 105 of Stick It
I hate that he wasn’t. That I couldn’t take care of myself. That once again, I found myself in a position of weakness.
The fact that we argued over the fact he wants to protect me is stupid. He just…pisses me off sometimes. Most of the time. I’m in a constant war between fighting for my independence and letting them help.
Blowing out a breath, I answer the call before it rings out. “Everything okay?”
“You tell me. Where are you going, Thorn?”
I hit the brakes, pulling over to the curb and looking around me.What the fuck?
“Do you have someone watching me?” I accuse, feeling the rage mount. “Is it that little freshman? Is he watching the house?”
He scoffs. “I don’t need to have anyone watching the house.”
“Then how?”
“Where are you going, Thorn?” he repeats.
“None of your fucking business,” I snap, throwing the car in gear and continuing down the street, fuming. Did I just say arguing with him was stupid, ’cause I change my mind. Arguing with him is a necessity to ensure he doesn’t take control of my entire fucking life. My hands clench around the wheel, and my foot definitely presses down on the pedal harder than usual.
A few minutes later, I pull up outside Wren’s.
“Ah, Wren’s. You could have just said that.” There’s a hint of smugness in his voice that has me wishing we were face to face so I could slap him.
“How do you fucking know that?” I demand, looking around me once more, before my gaze latches on to my phone. Tilting my head, I glare at it. “Are you tracking me right now?!”
“Shouldn’t leave your phone unattended.”
I rack my brain before remembering I left my phone on the coffee table while I ran to the bathroom during a video game marathon the other night.
“It’s password protected,” I argue futilely, since clearly he managed to get past it.
“Yeah, you should really be more careful about who you let see you type in your password. Your social awareness skills are terrifying.”
Are you fucking kidding me right now?
“Fuck you,” I snap, irritated beyond belief as I snatch up my phone and go to change the password so a certain controlling psychopath of a captain can’t have unfettered access to my personal crap.
“There,” I state triumphantly when I’m done. “Try getting in now, asshole.”
“I don’t need access to your phone, Thorn. I already know where you are at all times.”
“You do realize how insane that sounds, right? You sound like a deranged stalker.”
“I’m just trying to keep you safe,” he argues, frustration bleeding through.
“Yeah, by invading my personal space.”
“Well, clearly I can’t trust you. You said you were staying in tonight.”
I throw my hands up. “Plans change. What’s it matter since the three guys we know attacked me arewith you?”
“It matters because if something happened to you, I wouldn’t know about it.” For the first time since I answered his call, he loses his cool and snaps at me, his voice downright menacing. It actually leaves me speechless, gaping at my phone in shock. “I wouldn’t know where you are or be able to get to you. I don’t give a fuck if it invades your privacy,” he continues. “I don’t give a fuck how it makes me look. If it keeps you safe, then you can bet your ass I’m going to do it.”
I still haven’t located my voice when he snaps, “Stay at Wren’s until one of us comes to get you.”
“I don’t need?—”
“So help me, Dylan, if you disobey me on this, I’m going to bend you over my knee and smack your ass until it’s red.”
