Page 42 of Broken

Taking another bite of soup, I was surprised when someone slid into the booth across from me. My eyes widened in alarm when I saw Zane’s smooth smirk staring back at me. He was inthat leather jacket he’d worn when we first met, and if I hadn’t experienced the other side of him, I’d say he looked sexy as hell. Hewassexy as hell. On the outside. But I knew a hint of what lurked on the inside now. What he was capable of.

My nerves went on alert. The hairs on my arms rising in warning.

“May I help you?” I raised my brow, doing my best to keep my apprehension from my voice.

“Just enjoying the view.” Zane winked. “It’s not often I get to see you without someone else around. I’ve missed you.”

“The feeling isn’t mutual.”

His eyes flashed, and I swallowed. “Bullshit. You can deny it all you want, but you and Ihadsomething. Something deep. A connection like ours doesn’t just die.”

“It does when one person cheats. Even if you hadn’t hit me, that would have been near impossible for me to forgive, Zane. I know you hate hearing it, but we’re over.”

“No.” He shook his head, looking all too smug as he slid from the booth. “We’re not.” He leaned down, his lips just a breath from my ear. “You’ll be coming back to me. Sooner or later, itwillhappen. I’ll make sure of it.”

My breath caught in my throat, and he lingered, just a moment with his nose tucking beneath my jaw before he disappeared.

My breath gushed out once he was gone, my hands shaking as I swiped the feel of his breath away from my jaw. Because, what the hell?

“You okay?” Leo asked, a cone piled high in his hand when he came back.

I nodded like I was on autopilot, and he frowned before glancing up, his face shifting to relief. I turned, wondering what he saw, and all the knots twining throughout my body unraveled when I saw Tucker striding up.

“Hey,” Leo greeted, the guys exchanging nods. “Not sure what’s up. She was fine a minute ago before I left for the bathroom.”

Tucker looked down, his eyes raking over my expression in concern. “You okay?” He grabbed my chin between his thumb and index finger, and I nodded.

“Just the usual. Zane finding me when I’m alone.”

His eyes flashed, and he slid into the booth beside me as Leo cursed. “Seriously, Izzy, are you okay?”

I nodded, tucking my face into my boyfriend’s arm, drinking him in. The protection just his presence provided. The calm. “I’m fine. He didn’t really do anything. Just the same old thing about him wanting me back.”

“Not going to happen, princess.” Tucker pressed a kiss to the top of my head, making my heart swell.

I know.I was Tucker’s. My heart. My soul. Every single piece of me belonged to him.

Chapter 13

TUCKER

Zane was dead. I was sick and tired of him catching Izzy off guard, freaking her out all over again. She had enough emotional damage from the shit he pulled during the summer. From everything that had happened to her.

It wasn’t even all he’d done. The number of times I’d caught him watching her? Eyeing her like some piece of prized meat like she was his to own?

Over my dead body.

The flowers, the looks, the intimidating stares. Cornering her when she was alone. The guy was one more fuckup away from me breaking his face in.

I glared when I passed him in the locker rooms the next day, the threat on his face matching mine.

“Wow,” Noah commented, running his comb through his already perfect strands after athletics. “You’d almost thinkyouwere the one that crossed the line.”

Jet scoffed. “And y’all don’t know the half of it.”

I slammed my locker, sitting on a nearby bench to pull on my shoes. “Pretty sure he thinks Iwas. Like if I hadn’t shown up that night that he’d still have Izzy. Asshole. What she ever saw in him…” It still blew my mind. I dropped my foot to the ground after tying the laces.

“You worried he’ll get her back?” Kyle asked, tugging his shirt back on.

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