My gaze goes back to the Kappa house, anger amplifying now that I’ve gotten her out. Later.
I focus on her and murmur softly to her as I rest my chin on her head. “You must have broken his black heart.”
She huffs out a laugh, just like I was hoping. Her fingers rub at the collar of my shirt. “Eric, you’re always saving me. How does that even happen? You’re always there when I need you.”
“Lucky you.”
Another small laugh.
I take her hand and turn her wrist over, exposing a small round scar, pink and raised. It looks irritated from the cuffs. “Did Parker do this?”
Her head shakes. “Connor burned me with a cigar after I missed a payment. I seem to attract the wrong kind of men in my life. I always thought Kappas were your friends, but tonight . . .”
“They’re not. Even if they were, I’d never support that kind of mentality.”
“Why are you always hanging out there?”
“Hockey fans come to their house, but trust me, I’m done with that frat.”
“Because of me?”
I stare into her eyes. “You are the final straw, yes.” I pause, recalling Channing making out with a girl at the party. “Hey. Are you and Channing . . .”
She presses her face into my neck and sighs. Little tingles skate down my body.
“I don’t even know what that was. Me trying to be normal, I guess. Doesn’t matter. Same story, different guy. He was with someone. Apparently, Parker set him up, but still . . .”
“Monogamy really isn’t in the Kappa dictionary.”
“Yeah.”
My hands tighten around her waist. “Fuck them. I’ll drive you to the police if you want to press charges.”
“No,” she says immediately, her body stiffening.
“Why not? They—”
“You don’t get it. You’re you. You’re rich. You have power. I’m a stripper. My mom is, well, let’s just say the police know who she is. I’d say one thing happened and every one of those guys would back Parker. They’d say I went up those stairs on my own. It’s a man’s world. Everyone else is just paying rent.”
“I’d back you.”
She looks stricken. “You’ve been so good to me. I’d never want to drag you into this mess.”
“I don’t care what people think about me.”
“You should. You’re a hockey star. People adore you. I won’t bring you down.” She chews on her bottom lip. “I shouldn’t have gone in there. I just wanted to check on Channing. He said he’d walk me home and he didn’t, so I went inside to see if he was with anyone.”
“Hey. It’s not your fault.”
“I know. I do. I just want to forget it. It’s funny—or not—but I thought men putting money in my underwear was awful, but Parker, he’s so much worse . . .”
My voice is gruff as I stroke her wrists. “I’m going to kill him.”
“No,” she says. “Don’t say those things.”
“Why not?”
“Because you can’t get in trouble for me! And I don’t want you to go to jail.”
He’s the one that should be in jail.
A long exhalation comes from me and I pull her closer. “Sorry. I won’t kill him.” Today.
“You wanna come inside?” I ask a few minutes later.
She shakes her head. “I should go home. I need a shower.”
A sound comes from my stomach and a little smile curls her lips. It takes my breath I’m so thankful.
“You’re hungry, aren’t you?”
I grimace sheepishly. My eyes go to the park where the street trucks are. “I wouldn’t mind a sandwich. How about you? My treat.”
“There’s no way I can eat, but a hot chocolate sounds good. My shower can wait until afterwards.” She dips her head, almost shy as her hands play with the ends of my hair. “Can we wait a minute and just sit here? I-I don’t want to let you go just yet.”
My heart skips a beat. We’ve turned a corner somewhere.
I sense it.
She senses it.
If the blush on her face is anything to go by.
“Then don’t,” I say softly.
15
Julia
A few minutes later, we head to the food trucks, our hands laced.
Seeing Eric march into Parker’s room and push everyone aside plays through my head like a movie reel. I should probably go home, but I don’t want to be alone.
I keep seeing his fierce, pissed off face, his big fists, then his gentleness with me.