Page 18 of March’s Bad Boy: Ty

He doesn't push me to talk. Doesn't tell me everything will be okay when we both know it won't be. Instead, he pulls me in, wrapping his arms around me.

I sink into him, pressing my face into his chest. For the first time all night, I breathe.

He picks me up and carries me right to my room. After he lays me down on the bed, he puts the covers over me before joining me. Then he pulls me to him, wrapping his arms around me.

My mind races, jumping from the things I need to do to clear out the store to what I'm going to do so I don't lose my house.

"There are only a few buildings downtown that would work for a bookstore and all of them want more for rent than I can afford. A few months ago, I was looking when I was thinking about expanding the bookstore," I tell him, needing to talk.

Ty's hand rubs soothing circles on my back as he listens, his steady presence a comfort in the midst of my racing thoughts. "We'll figure something out," he soothes, his voice rumbling low against my ear. "I'll help you look for a new space, and we can start a fundraiser to cover the moving costs. The community loves your store, Kara. They'll rally behind you."

While I want to believe him, the fear is still there, clawing at my insides. "And if we can't find a space I can afford? If I lose everything I've worked for?"

He pulls back slightly, cupping my face in his hands. His eyes are fierce and determined. "That's not going to happen. I won't let it. We're in this together, remember?"

Together. The word settles something deep inside me, a reminder that I'm not alone.

"We will talk to Ruby. She knows everything and everyone. Maybe there is something we don't know," Ty says, kissing the top of my head.

"Where am I going to store everything from the shop? It will completely take over my house," I say, working through my list.

"I have the spare bedroom. It's yours to store everything in. The shelves can go in my garage," Ty says, fixing everything like he always does.

I'm quiet, still trying to come up with something, anything to save my store.

Then I remember a video I saw on social media a while back.

A mobile bookstore.

Pulling back slightly, I look up at him. "What if I... took the store on the road?"

His brow furrows. "What do you mean?"

"I saw a story about a lady who turned a school bus into a mobile bookshop. She traveled to different towns and brought books to people who didn't have a regular bookshop."

He tilts his head, considering. Then he smiles--reallysmiles. "That's actually a badass idea, Bookworm."

Hope flutters in my chest, fragile but real.

“Get some rest. Then we will get a jump on research, put a call into Ruby, and then make a plan with a clear head.”

I yawn because all this took so much out of me, and I could really take a nap. Ty knows that because he knows me. Just like I know, he will be right by my side, helping me figure everything out.

CHAPTER 7

TY

Kara is spiraling,but I won't let her drown.

The moment she finally falls asleep, her face still damp from tears, I ease away from her and pull my phone out. She'd probably be pissed if she knew what I was about to do, but that doesn't matter. I need to fix this. Before she breaks apart completely, I need to give her something solid to hold onto.

I step out of the bedroom, keeping the door cracked just in case she wakes up. My fingers hover over Ruby's number before I finally press call.

She picks up on the first ring. "Ty, you aren’t one for social calls. Is everything okay?"

"Need your help." My voice is rough with exhaustion and frustration. "Kara's losing the bookstore."

Silence stretches between us before Ruby sighs. "I heard. It's all over town. The landlord sold the building to some big-shot developer, and they're pushing her out."

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