Page 82 of All Your Pucking Secrets

His eyes warm with approval. “Nice. You must be smart.”

She blushes. “I do all right.”

Oh, no.

Hell, no. The way they’re looking at each other is not acceptable.

“We need to go,” I say abruptly, grabbing Ryan’s arm and yanking him away from her. “Bye, Soraya. Study hard.”

Ryan raises one hand in a wave. “See you around.”

“No, you will not,” I hiss as I drag him into the parking building. “She’s too young for you.”

He shrugs. “A couple of years isn’t a big deal.”

I level my finger at him. “My sister is off limits.”

“Fine,” he grumbles. “But when I’m a bigshot baseball player, you’ll regret warning me off.”

I just laugh. “Sorry, buddy. Soraya doesn’t need a guy with money. She has plenty of her own.”

He drops the subject, and we chat about our respective sports during the drive back. I drop him off outside his place, but before he gets out of the car, he turns to me.

“Don’t break Echo,” he says. “She’s vulnerable.”

My gut rolls. “I’ll do my best not to.”

But some of the secrets I’m keeping are heavy enough that I’m not sure our fragile new relationship will hold up underneath their weight.

21

ECHO

Tyler’s apartment door opens almost immediately after I knock. He must have been waiting on the other side. As soon as I lay eyes on him, my breath catches. He’s devastatingly handsome in dark jeans and a blue button-up shirt that makes his eyes appear even more piercing than usual.

He’s shaved, and when he leans forward—slowly, carefully—to kiss my cheek, the scent of menthol lingers on his skin.

“Are you ready to go?” I ask.

He steps past me and locks his door. “I’ve been looking forward to tonight.”

“Me too.” Well, that and fearing it in equal measure.

I’ve spent several days weighing my options, and after an appointment with Dr. Rodriguez yesterday, I’m more confident in my decision. Now, I just have to tell him, and hope that I’m not blindsided by one of his secrets in the future.

I haven’t taken a risk in years. Not really. But now, I’m ready to take the leap. I just have to hope he’s going to catch me.

We walk down the stairs together and out to my car. He’d offered to drive, but if our relationship is going to be at all equal, then I need to be comfortable having him in my space. I also need to stop being so self-conscious about the difference in the value of our possessions. My car may not be fancy, but I have nothing to be ashamed of.

“Where are we going?” Tyler asks as he gets into the passenger side.

I slide onto the driver’s seat, shut the door, and start the engine. “A little Italian restaurant a couple of miles from here. Francesca’s. Have you been before?”

“No, but I love Italian.”

I pull out onto the road. “Who wouldn’t? They make pasta and pizza.”

He groans. “I’m going to have to skate extra hard tomorrow. Worth it, though.”

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