Page 93 of We Shouldn't Be Together
“No faith in me, Jones?”
“You have too much faith in yourself, Nelson.”
His cocky smile slides to the left like it’s trying to meet the scar under his eye. “No such thing.”
It’s a quiet meander into Bellview Crescent. I tell Kai my house is coming up, but he’s determined to carry me to my driveway. Thankfully, the yellow bevel siding and white-framed windows of my home come into view.
Kai gently lowers me, setting my feet on the ground. Not gonna lie, my foot is pulsating right now. I’m so lucky he’s so strong.
Kai nods at the house. “Your house isn’t the Dracula’s lair I once imagined it to be.”
The comment makes me hesitate. “You still don’t think of me as…”
“No,” he blurts. “No, I was just making a joke. Man, a bad joke.”
“It’s cool. I’m just a little jumpy. I’m still worried this will all blow up in my face.”
“Well, I don’t just carry anyone home.”
Nervous and embarrassed giggles pour out of me as his arm still anchors behind my back. “You seriously didn’t have to do that.”
“But I did. And as long as we stay good to our truce, I don’t see how things between us will blow up.”
“I’m not going after your friend again, I promise.”
He smiles. “I know.”
Just when I’m about to take back possession of my backpack, the garage door lifts open and Dad’s SUV backs out.
It stops beside us, where the driveway meets the curb, and the driver’s window lowers, revealing my dad’s frown. “Tabitha, what are you doing?”
“Uh, hi, Dad,” I say, knocking Kai’s hands from my waist.
Kai gulps. “This is your dad?”
Dad glares at Kai. “Good afternoon, Kai.”
My chin drops, and I pivot between Dad and Kai. “You two know each other?”
Unimpressed, Dad is still locked on Kai. “Just what are you doing with my daughter?”
Kai winces. “Walking her home.”
“We’re lab partners,” I’m quick to ask. “We just had a study session.”
“And is being in his arms part of your studying?” Dad asks me, and I want to crawl into a dark hole and never come out. “And why are you all red-faced?”
“Dad, it’s nothing.” I squirm. “We ran. It was silly.”
His brow furrows, and he leans further into the open window. “You ran into his arms?”
“Dr. Jones, she was hurt,” Kai says, and I wish he’d shut up. “I was just trying to help.”
At that, Dad’s car door bursts open, and he leaps onto the sidewalk. Telling him I’m hurt is the worst thing Kai could’ve done.
“You’re hurt?” Dad rushes, scanning me for signs of injury. “What happened?”
“It was nothing,” I insist. If I could back away, I would, but it’d give it away.
