Page 86 of The Love Dare
Holy mother of god.
The thought never occurred to him until right now, because the show has been nothing but a contractual obligation since the second Winnie emerged from the limo. But he knows how it looks, and it’s bad. It’ssobad.
He swallows, trying to come up with something—anything—to say.
But the accusation stings with its accuracy.
There’s no defense against it.
I’m a dead man.
Tyler glances at Winnie, still fighting for air. Her eyes are caught-in-the-act wide. For the first time in her life, she seems completely at a loss for words.
Alex, on the other hand… “Yeah, not gonna lie, Ty. That’s kind of a dick move.”
“Oh, now you want to defend my honor?” she gripes.
“I’m trying to help,” he counters meaningfully. “In case you haven’t realized, this is a bit of a shitshow here.”
“In caseIhaven’t realized?” she scoffs. For a moment, Tyler thinks her eyeballs may actually fall out of her head. “In caseyouhaven’t realized, you’re the one DOING THE SHITTING!”
Tyler ignores them and looks helplessly back at Alexandru. “I didn’t— She just— We?—”
He shuts up. Nothing his addled brain could manage to piece together would help anything anyway.
I am an actual dead man.
“We”—Alexandru pauses to gesture between his children—“are going to talk about this another time. You,” he says in that deep, authoritative voice, dark brown eyes lasering in on Tyler like the scope of a rifle, “are coming outside with me right now.”
“Yes, sir.”
The reply is immediate, innate, drilled in from years of practice. Suddenly, he’s nine years old again, caught in the ice rink after hours, absolutely certain he’s about to get in the sort of trouble he can’t find his way out of.
There’s no escape.
Nothing to do but take it.
So he follows the man who’s always been like a father to him silently through the door, willingly walking into his own execution.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
winnie
The second thefront door closes, Winnie launches herself at Alex. Yes, he’s a foot taller than her. Yes, he’s a professional hockey player practically made of muscle. Yes, he’s stronger than she could ever in a million years hope to be.
But she’s got nails, and she’s not afraid to use them.
“Ow!” Alex bucks at the first pinch. “Ow! Fuck, Winnie, Ow! Stop! Ow!”
She uses the couch as a trampoline and jumps on his back as he tries to run away, holding on for dear life with one arm while she continues the attack.
“Jesus! Ow! You’re like a deranged chipmunk. Get the fuck off me!”
“If my boyfriend gets murdered, I will never forgive you,” she shrieks, going for the jugular, literally.
“If my best friend gets murdered,I’llnever forgiveyou!”
He finally dislodges her and tosses her onto the far couch. She rolls immediately to her feet and charges. This time he’s ready. As she leaps for his back, he steps to the side, twists around, and catches her around the midsection. She kicks and punches, but only hits air.
