Page 75 of A Little Bit Reckless
“Hi,” I said, feeling ashamed that I wore makeup. I even pulled out a dress. It showed off my legs and made me feel sexy, pretty.
My face hot, I fought myself from tugging at the hem. I suddenly felt exposed and foolish.
I also noticed what Wells had called me. I was stillsqueak. I was the little sister who had a crush on her brother’s best friends.
Wells gestured toward the couch. He wanted me to sit, so I did, but he made sure to return to my dad’s armchair. Bru sat on the couch with me, but he kept his own distance and stayed on the opposite side.
Anxiety unfurled in my chest like an intricate forest of spiny pricker bushes. I wriggled in my seat. Especially when I noticed Wells suddenlynotmaking eye contact with me.
“What’s going on?” I asked, scared, terrified. I’d been scared recently, but this was a different kind of fear. This wasn’t fear for my physical self.
Bru’s hands came together. He still wore his smile, but it wasn’t like one of his normal Bru smiles. This one felt put on. Like he was trying to keep me calm, but I didn’t feel calm. I felttense, worried. Bru leaned forward. “Wells and I wanted to talk to you about something.”
Like Wells was his right-hand man, Bru looked at him. Wells returned the look and I found the shift of power weird. Wells Ambrose never let anyone in his life take the wheel on anything unless it was Dorian. Dorian was like their leader, but Dorian wasn’t here.
I swallowed. “Okay.”
Bru didn’t speak right away. He just kept looking at Wells. Bru wet his lips. “Wells told me what happened between you two at the pool. I actually saw some of it. I followed you guys, but left when things got intense. I didn’t want to intrude on you guys.”
I didn’t know what to say, my face a furnace now. “Bru…”
His smile changed then, but it didn’t falter. It actually warmed as he stared at me, but it didn’t feel put on. It also didn’t feel like a reaction of anger or jealousy. He had told me he shared women with Wells before at parties.
My lungs tight, I didn’t know what to say.
“I also heard why Wells came to you initially, and, though I don’t feel like any of that is my business, Wells shared some concerns.” Bru’s gaze clashed with Wells before Wells’s attention shifted to the floor. Wells’s expression was tight, terse, and that confused me. Bru faced me. “And I do too after we talked about it for a minute.”
I didn’t understand what he was talking about.
Bru leaned in. “I’m aware of the history between you and Wells, Bow. I know what he did to you.” He said this, and Wells cringed. Bru sighed. “He made it hard for you to have any type of relationships outside of Legacyfor years,and that included intimate relationships.”
Intimate relationships.
“And like I said, your personal life is none of my business. As far as I’m concerned, you have a right to be with anyoneyou please, but from what I understand, that would have been difficult considering what Wells did to you.”
I really didn’t understand now, sitting back. “What are you trying to say?”
Bru shifted a little at this point, and Wells was no longer studying the area rug.
“I blackballed you, Squeak. Point-blank,” Wells said, and I winced. It wasn’t what he did, but what he called me. It was like he used that nickname to disconnect himself from me and that hurt, more than hurt. Wells sighed. “The fact of the matter is there aren’t many people who would have overlooked something like that, and I’m kind of worried you might have gotten yourself wrapped up in something.”
Something…
My heart raced.
“It takes the right kind of fucker to overlook something I would have put out there like that. People don’t fuck with me. They don’t fuck withLegacy.” Wells’s eyes narrowed. “And I know you’re aware of that.”
Heat flashed me. In fact, I felt like I was drowning in it. My heart beat faster, but it wasn’t because of shame or embarrassment. It was anger. White-hotanger, and it infuriated me just like it had in the past. It was a time when I made mistakes.
It was a time when I messed up.
“Or in this case, it’s thewrongkind of fucker,” Wells continued, my anger surging, blazing. Wells opened his mouth, I assumed to say something else, but Bru raised his hand. Again, the shift of power was foreign to me. Bru obviously had Wells’s respect.
“I guess we’re worried someone might have taken advantage of you,” Bru said, his jaw moving. He shook his head. “Again, I personally feel you should be with whoever you want to be?—”
“You’re right,” I gritted, honestly done with this conversation. I couldn’t believe I came all the way out here for this, and it was worse than rejection. I thought the worst thing Wells Ambrose could have done was keep people away from me. To hate mefor yearsand make me hate myself.
I had hated myself. I did for so long that I did get wrapped up with the wrong person.
