his beautiful green eyes stare intently and his lips slowly part. I think he’s going to kiss me, but instead his deep voice cracks as he starts to speak.
“I love you, Lexi.” His voice is barely above a whisper.
He loves me? He loves me.
Before I get a chance to reply, Derek is standing in front of the car with his arms crossed and breaks the awkward silence.
“One of you two care to tell me what the hell is going on?” he says before ripping a piece of beef jerky with his teeth.
AS IF MY LIFE hadn’t already been fucked up enough, now I’m related to the piece of shit that assaulted and abused my girlfriend. Who I may have just freaked out because I said those three little words. I haven’t said those words to anyone in a very long time. I could try and convince myself that it was just a knee-jerk reaction to the moment, but the truth is, even though I’ve only know Lexi for a short time, I’ve come to realize she’s what I’ve been waiting for my entire life. She’s my family now; her and Derek. I don’t need anyone else and I don’t want anyone else.
Her eyes search my face and her lips part, until Derek’s voice breaks our silence. Sometimes that guy has the worst timing. Lexi and I both get out of the car and I explain the whole thing to him.
“And now we’re here in your garage.”
“That is some fucked up shit, dude,” Derek says after swallowing the last bite of his jerky. “So, what’s the plan now?”
I force out a breath and run my good hand through my hair.
“I don’t know yet.”
Derek nods toward my sore hand.
“Did you break it on that asshole’s face?”
I slowly open and close my injured fist.
“Nah, I can move it. I think it’s just bruised.”
“I’ll get you some ice and something to clean your face.”
When the door to the house closes behind him, Lexi walks over to me and wraps her arms tight around my waist and gives me a hug. I lean down and bury my nose in her soft hair. She still smells like my shampoo. She smells like home. I never meant to fall so hard and so fast for her, but I can’t imagine my life without her, nor do I want to.
“Are you okay, Coen?” She lifts her head up to look at me, still holding me close.
“I’ll be fine in a couple days. It’s not the first time I bruised my knuckles.”
“I’m not talking about your hand. I’m talking about what happened at your aunt’s.”
“I’ve been waiting for her to disown me for years, Lex. She never wanted to raise me, she only did it because my mom wrote it into her will asking her to. Aunt Sarah and my mom were inseparable and when Mom died, Sarah changed. She wasn’t the same woman anymore. As for the whole Patrick thing, I’m not sure what to think about that. It’s like something out of a TV show. But you know, the way this past week or so has been, I shouldn’t be surprised.”
“It has been a whirlwind of a week. That’s for sure.” She stands on her tiptoes and cradles my face in her hands. “But I’m so thankful for one good thing that has come out of it.”
I rest my forehead against hers. “Oh yeah, and what’s that?” I tease.
“My sexy knight in tattooed armor.” She kisses me on the cheek. “I’ll kiss you proper later after your face is cleaned up.”
“Would you two like some more time?” Derek had come back into the garage but neither of us notices until he speaks. He tosses the ice pack and washcloth at me. Thankfully I manage to catch them with my good hand.
“Thanks, fucker.” I laugh.
“So . . . ” Derek crosses his arms and leans against the work bench along the wall of the garage where all of his wrenches and tools are hanging.
“So . . . what?” I ask, as Lexi cleans up my face with the wash cloth Derek brought me and I hold the ice pack on my knuckles.
“What’s the plan, chief?”
Lexi pauses and waits for me to answer Derek.
“The plan is . . . I challenge him to a race.”
Lexi and Derek both look at me quizzically.
“Have you lost your fucking mind? We need to keep an eye on him.” Lexi sounds a little angry.
“Lex, are you scheduled to work tomorrow at the restaurant?”
“No,