hands on my upper shoulders. The black Range Rover is parked right outside the door. It chirps and the lights flash when we get close. I’m ushered into the passenger seat, and Ollie leans over me to grab my seatbelt but I swat his hands away. I’m not an invalid. Milo jogs out seconds later, climbing into the backseat.
I barely remember the ride to Dante’s house. The shock of seeing Maggie’s eyes cloud over stays with me the whole ride, along with her warning. Now that the pressure is off me, and I have a second to recall her words, they come easily. I’m completely clueless as to whom she was referring to, but it sounds like we need to be worried.
There’s a small black car parked in front of the garage as we pull up to the main house. I’m instantly on edge. I reach down for my bag out of habit, only to remember I didn’t grab it from the diner. The passenger door opens as I curse under my breath.
“What’s wrong?” Dante asks, poking his head into the car.
“I forgot my bag at Maggie’s.” Feeling dejected, I hit the button to release my seatbelt. Dante leans back enough so I can slide out.
“We can grab it on the way to school tomorrow, come on.” The door to Dante’s clubhouse opens, not revealing anything but shadows. I stop, waiting for whomever it is to step into the circle of light coming from the lamps on the garage. Ares moves into the light with the woman from this morning tucked under his arm. An unwarranted jealous rage tightens my throat. I clench my fist, fighting my body’s reaction, wanting to go over there and remove his arm from around her. My focus is solely on him as my vision starts to waver. I hadn’t even realized I’d been holding my breath. I turn my back on them, disgusted with Ares and myself for how I’m feeling.
When I turn to Dante, he’s watching the couple behind me. I don’t wait for him, instead I rush up the few stairs leading to a side door Milo and Ollie already disappeared through. It opens to a small mudroom. Several sets of shoes line the wall behind the door, and I kick off my worn sneakers, keeping them away from any of the others. My shoes stick out here, just like I do.
I take a few more steps into the room, looking past the doorframe into the space beyond. It opens up to a long narrow hallway with a closed door on the right, and set of stairs leading up to the second floor at the other end. Uncertain where to go, I wait for Dante to come in. I just want to take a shower and climb in bed; I’m so tired of this constant upheaval. I let my back hit the wall, sliding down to the floor beside my shoes.
A door opens nearby and Ollie pokes his head into the mudroom, searching around before his gaze lands on me where I sit on the floor. His brows furrow, “What are you doing, where is Dante and Ares?”
I roll my eyes and shrug. “Out there still with that woman, I guess.” The exterior door opens, emitting Dante and Ares. Neither of them gets very far when they see me sitting on the floor and Ollie leaning on the doorframe. “What’s going on?” Ares questions, looking back and forth between Ollie and me.
“I just asked that question.” Ollie crosses his arms over his chest, somehow looking down on Ares and Dante even though I think they each have an inch or two on him. Ares pushes past Dante, coming to stand in front of me. He reaches his hand out, offering it to me. I ignore it, standing on my own. He just had that hand wrapped around someone else, as irrational as it is, he’s not touching me.
I turn my back on him and Dante, approaching Ollie. “I forgot my bag at the diner, I could really use a hot shower and a t-shirt to sleep in, if those things are available. I just need a corner to crash in.” I let the exhaustion I’m battling seep into my tone.
Ollie bends his knees making us eyelevel; he searches my face then nods his head. “Everything can wait, come on.” His arm goes around my shoulder, and I allow him to lead me down the hallway and up the stairs. He turns to