Page 104 of Twisted Collide

“How did you end up here?” he finally asks, and I lift my brow in confusion.

“You asked me to meet you.”

His lips twist up. It’s not a full smile, but I can tell he wants to. “Not here, here, but in Redville.”

Shit. I knew this moment would come up sooner or later, but I’m not sure I even want to tell him. If this isn’t going to be anything serious, why bother?

His jaw is soft, and his eyes glisten at me with compassion. I guess I can tell him a little bit. The truth is, I barely speak to my father, so telling him much is out of the question anyway since I don’t know anything.

My fingers twirl together in my lap. “My mom sent me.” I try my best to disguise the annoyance in my voice, but I don’t do a very good job, and by the way Dane’s brows shoot up his forehead, he doesn’t miss that fact.

“Well, that sounds like a long, complicated story.”

Yep, just as I thought. I’m not good at schooling my features, after all.

I laugh. “Oh, it is, and we really don’t have time.”

Dane leans forward in his seat. “And you don’t want to tell me anyway.”

“Pot meet kettle.”

He raises his hand in mock surrender. “You got me.”

“I do. And I can ask you the same question.”

“How I got here? Well, the short story is I never left.” Dane rubs his hands together before placing one on the table.

“Exactly. How come? You were born and raised in Redville. Never left. And now play for the Redville Saints. You have this huge career. Have you ever considered moving somewhere else? There must’ve been offers.”

“Not really.” His fingers start to tap rhythmically. He’s avoiding the question, and I’m going to call him out on that. Two can play this game.

“You aren’t going to give me anything?”

“I couldn’t leave.”

A crumb. That’s progress.

I lift my brow. “Why?”

“Sometimes I forget that I haven’t known you for long. It feels like I’ve known you forever.” Warmth spreads through my limbs at his words. It feels that way for me too, but at the same time, it feels like we’re just scratching the surface. “Molly. I couldn’t leave because of Molly. It’s just us in this world, and she needed me.”

It’s a funny feeling when you can feel someone’s pain as if it’s your own. It radiates through every single layer of your soul, and all you want to do is reach out and comfort them. I don’t need to know the story to know he didn’t want to stay here. He did it for her. Still does it for her.

My heart breaks for him.

While I have no home, he’s all the home she knows.

“When you’re ready to talk about it, I’m here.” He nods but doesn’t meet my gaze. If I had to harbor a guess, he’s lost in his own thoughts.

“Thanks, Hellfire.”

42

JOSIE

“Josie,could you meet me in my office?” My father holds up a finger when I try to bullshit my way out of any one-on-one time. “I have a list of potential brand collabs.”

I frown. “Can you email it?”

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