Page 124 of Not Your Little Girl Anymore

She keeps her eyes closed, resting her head against the door with her free hand, keeping the seat belt from rubbing against her neck. When I pull off to the side of the road, I kill the engine and look at her, but she doesn’t move a muscle as her tears start to slow.

She finally opens her eyes after a few long minutes. Red rims her puffy, unfiltered eyelids, and my heart aches seeing her like this.

“Warm bath and a movie?” I offer to help her get her mind back on the right path.

She stares at me, her lip tilts up just enough to notice. “What about your aunt?”

“That can wait. You on the other hand…”

She moves, sitting up and letting go of my hand. Going by the tightness on the corners of her lips, she’s upset with me.

“I’m fine. I may not appear that way, but who would be? Everything that has happened this summer has slowly destroyed a small piece of my heart. It fucking sucks. I wouldn’t wish this feeling on my worst enemy, and I don’t know if you realize it, but I don’t give up easily. If I don’t do something to fix this screwed up mess my father has created for you… I will break. I will crumple into tiny bits and pieces until there is nothing fucking left to put back together.”

She takes a second to suck in a deep breath, and I wait because it’s clear that she’s not finished. “You have helped me with more than enough. You’ve risked your life on top of it, so please, Alec, let me help you with this while I have my head attached.”

I drag my palm down my face and blow out a breath. “So fucking stubborn.”

“Yeah, thanks. I think I got the hint on that,” she fights back.

My lip moves on its own accord. “Once we get there, there’s no backing down.”

She side-eyes me. “Speak for yourself.”

I smile, the smirk on my face not wavering, and flick the ignition back on. I drive across town to my aunt’s house, not bothering to hide where I’m parked this time. I pull up right in front of the house. Jules’s car is parked in the driveway and all I can think about is whether or not Callie is home.

I tug out a cigarette and light it up, needing a minute to myself to gather my own thoughts. Summer cleans up the runny mascara under her eye in the meantime. She makes a small glance in my direction through the mirror before flipping the visor back up.

“OK, who’s winning?”

I blink, my eyes pulling together. “What?”

One shoulder moves up a tad. “Is it your mind or your conscience that’s winning? To me, they are two entirely different things.”

I smirk, bringing my cigarette back to my mouth. “I think you’re winning.”

She rolls her eyes at me with a smile on her face, and I immediately want to drive back to my apartment and make love to her again. It’s a weird feeling I’ve started to grow accustomed to.

“Today hasn’t been easy, but we should get this show on the road before I lose my confidence. If that restraining order isn’t lifted, my father will win. In some way or another, he will win, and that doesn’t sit right with me.”

“Ah, I thought there was no backing down.” She makes a strangled noise, not bothering to give another remark. I pinned her in a corner. “Your father winning is the last fucking thing I want, and if it makes me the worst boyfriend for saying this, so be it, but he deserves to rot in that cell.”

I watch the roll of her throat right before she looks down at her hands in her lap. “It doesn’t make you the worst boyfriend. You’re being honest, which I, too, agree with,” she breathes.

This goddamn woman is fucking incredible.

I stuff out the end of my cigarette in the ashtray. “Well, let’s go before I change my damn mind.”

Summer’s mouth parts. It’s cute she thought I wouldn’t go through with this. After everything, I’m in it for the kill. Nothing is going to stop me from fighting for the one thing I’ve longed for.

Having Callie back into my life.

Pushing the door open, I get out and stride around the car to open the door for Summer. She steps out flawlessly and takes in a deep breath. I pull her by her waist into me and press a kiss to her lips. “I’m so head over heels in love with you.”

The hum that fell out of her mouth vibrates my lips, and that doesn’t make my need to take her back to my apartment any easier. I shove the desperation away, palming my dick behind my jeans and groan. “You’re going to be the death of me, pretty girl.”

“Let’s go, pretty boy.” She tugs my arm up the front steps of my aunt’s house.

I take the lead, reaching for the doorbell, and wait a few minutes before pressing it again. The door creaks open, and I’m met with my aunt’s narrowed eyes. She looks between both Summer and me. My body stiffens. I haven’t seen her this close in a couple of years. She’s aged well, that’s for sure. From the looks of her clean, light brown hair and perfectly plucked eyebrows, she keeps herself looking sharp. Except, I know the way she broadcasts herself to the world is only a show she puts on.

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