Page 171 of Falling in Reverse

“Don’t start lyin’, baby. We both know you’re developing some sort of attraction for me. Shit, I’m the exact opposite. I’m always hard—” I smack his chest and rattle my head back and forth with a smirk as I step back from his hold that’s begging me to stay and wander on.

“Alright, Romeo?—”

“Reevie,” he corrects me, those hazels glistening with unblemished hunger. It actually creates a buzzing need through my body to just throw all caution to the wind and take him with me on a ride somewhere where a kid won’t see my naked ass. “You takin’ off?”

“Can I? You kidnapped me, after all.”

“Borrowed you. However, if I had it my way and you wouldn’t hate me afterward, I’d be able to show you everything I’d do to you if I stole you for myself.”

Fuck me, dude. Literally.

Forcing my feet to move, I say, “See you later, Reevie.”

I wiggle my fingers in a goodbye as I put a little more effort into my steps when I walk away.

“You definitely will, McQueen.”

FORTY-THREE

bay

“You got to pick out the movie last time, Mae,” Ellie objects as she holds the remote control over her head for our little sister to not be able to reach it. “I’m not watching Moana again.”

“But it’s my favorite movie,” she whines, jumping up and down as though she’s going to gain eight inches to be able to reach it. “You have to.”

Ellie scoffs. “Definitely don’t.”

I’m literally about to disconnect the Netflix, because Levi bought it for the girls and it’s been nothing but this every single day.

“Why are you bullyin’ me?” Mae immediately stops launching herself at Ellie and puts her small hands on her even smaller hips. “I’m tellin’ Levi.”

Ellie glowers at her. “No, you’re not.”

Mae only stares at Ellie for just another second longer before she rounds her body to go fetch my best friend. “I’m doing it.”

“Mae,” I project, stopping her right in her tracks. “He’s on the phone. Go to your room and watch it.”

“But—”

“Or I’m cutting it off.”

Mae frowns, but then wrinkles up her nose at me. “Fine.”

Then she stomps away and down the hallway, because she knows she’s not going to get her way with me today. I’ve already been a little short with both the girls, because Levi has been on the phone for hours, pacing the kitchen, and I don’t know what he’s doing.

I don’t know what he’s planning, because that has to be what he’s doing now. The run-in with Matteo and his little posse has set him off, and he’s been all sorts of pissed off lately.

“Do you need something, Bay?” Ellie asks, coming up to me as if she can sense something’s wrong.

I shake my head. “No, but you could do me a favor.”

“Sure.”

“Just keep her in there until Levi’s off the phone.”

She nods. “Okay.” Then disappears toward her room to keep the little she-devil inside.

I watch Levi pass through the kitchen again, his face skewed up and pissed. And I know he feels as though it’s the world against him right now.

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