Page 89 of Restrained

“That was different.”

Linc asks the question before I can. “How?”

She turns to her brother, flustered. “I don’t know. Shut up.”

He chuckles, and I take her hands in mine, trying to calm her down and really wishing she’d have let me handle this alone. “He wanted that, Lola.”

Asher doesn’t argue, and I know, without a doubt, I'm right.

“You’re insane. Who wants to be hit in the face?”

Lincoln swallows tightly, folding his arms over his chest and looking at Asher, who doesn’t move. I look at Lola, not sure how I can make her understand and thinking this is not the time or place to do it.

“Fuck this.” Asher turns to Lincoln. “Happy wedding day, asshole.”

It doesn’t seem to be full of venom, more like sadness. He walks away, and Linc squeezes Lola’s shoulder. “Don’t be too hard on him. He’s not wrong.” He gives me a quick nod which I return before he leaves us.

She pulls her hands away from me, and instead of going inside where it’s warm, my stubborn woman heads for the snow-covered dock.

And, of course, I follow.

38

LOLA

Idon’t turn around to face Hayden. How could he do that? Hit my little brother right in front of me. Twice.

What the hell was he thinking?

I know Asher is a pain in the ass. I know he says horrible things and needs to learn to shut up and stop being so selfish, but Hayden hit him.

“Lola.”

I don’t face him. Instead I look out at the murky cold water.

I feel his hands on my shoulders. “Lola, look at me.”

I turn around reluctantly, and he slips his jacket over my shoulders. “You hit him.”

“I know. It’s what he wanted.”

I scoff, folding my arms over my chest, my fingers clutching his jacket. “You sound like an abuser. Who the hell wants to get hit in the face?”

“Someone in a lot of pain. And who has a lot of guilt.”

The ball in the pit of my stomach only grows, and I feel like I'm going to be sick. I shake my head from side to side in a daze. He was so angry. “How do you know?”

“I was him.” His laugh is not light or easy, more ironic. “Hell, I still am at times.”

My eyebrow lifts. “What do you mean?”

He looks sadder now, looking past me toward the water. I know he doesn’t like talking about the past, but he does it for me. “When my grandma died, I was young and angry. She was the only one who ever gave a damn about me, and she died. I never really let her love me. I was barely just letting her in when she died.”

My throat feels tight. I can’t imagine what his life was like.

“She tried. She tried so hard for me, but I fought her. And then she fucking died on me right when I started to trust her.”

“Hayden.” I soften, seeing the broken boy inside the strong man.

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