look into his eyes. I flinch, and he almost growls. “Something is wrong. Tell me what it is right now,” he demands.
I sigh. “It’s nothing, please let it go.”
“No, Angel, something has upset you.” He presses his body to mine, making me shiver. “Now tell me, or I’ll spank it out of you.”
I groan at the promise, but dart my eyes away as I decide what to say. He’s right, I have to tell him, but I don’t want him to feel like they do, or step back and pull away. Or to taint that favourite spot of his.
“The couple waiting outside?” He nods, so I carry on. “They called me a gold-digging whore,” I admit. I wait with my heart in my throat as he stares at me, his eyes flickering between mine as his face slowly turns into a snarl.
He steps back like I thought, and I panic as he turns and begins to walk away without a word, his face thunderous.
“Where are you going?” I call, my heels clicking on the concrete as I rush after him.
“I’m going to find them and fucking kill them for upsetting my girl,” he growls, looking back at me. “Go inside, now.”
“Wait, please, let it go, Tyler! Please!” I catch his arm, and he swings back around, dragging me to his chest as I meet his gaze.
“You know that’s not what I think, right, Angel?” he asks, concerned now as he stares into my eyes and sees the glimmer of hesitation there.
“I—”
He sighs and shakes his head. “That’s why you were distant on the way home,” he murmurs, as if to himself.
“I just don’t want to ruin your life, Tyler. This could be a scandal. People know you, they will whisper. I’m used to it, but you aren’t. I don’t want to drag you into that kind of drama,” I insist, the words rushing out of me. His face closes down, his eyebrows arching.
“No one, not even you, gets to choose my life for me, Angel. I don’t give a fuck about what anyone thinks of me or you. We know the truth, so why does their opinion matter? We can’t let it affect our happiness or ruin our nights. Don’t let this make you doubt what we have, because this is the most real relationship I’ve ever had. I have never felt like this for someone before, Lexi. I don’t give a fuck about age, it’s just a number.”
But it’s not, I want to whisper, yet he’s right. I don’t care about any of that. I want Tyler, always have, always will. I’ve always thrown people’s expectations and judgement back in their faces, and I stand taller under it on stage, so why should this be any different?
I’m just tired, I guess, of having to fight to do what and who I want. To battle the stigma of my own choices. People can’t understand someone being so confident in their own body, so happy with dancing and being sexy in front of others. They can’t understand why I care for Tyler or want him. And what they can’t understand, they attack.
But fuck them.
They don’t matter, only he does.
“Come inside,” I whisper.
He sighs and kisses me. “You’re tired, and I can almost hear your mind whirling. Go and get some sleep, Angel. I’ll see you again when you’re ready. I don’t want to push you or fuck you tonight just because you want to throw it in their faces. Think about what I said, okay? Remember, our life is what we make it, and no one else is living it but us, so why do they get an opinion?” He kisses me, waits until I go inside, and then pulls away. It makes me sad, but he’s right. I wasn’t doing it for the right reasons, and he deserves better than that.
Did I hurt him?
Fuck, this is such a mess. Maybe if I sleep on it, I’ll be clear-headed in the morning. I head upstairs, but I freeze when I see the man waiting on my doorstep.
Justin.
Did he see me? With his dad? Was he watching? Why is he here?
I shift as he turns to me, running his eyes down my body. “Fuck, you look good, Lexi.”
“Thanks. What are you doing here?” I query, not wanting to brush by him to open my door—he might think it’s an invitation. He steps closer, but I step back, unsure what to do or say.