okay?”
Tyler’s voice comes from behind, and his hands land on my arms, rubbing away the sudden chills racing along my flesh. I turn to face him, and my heart goes a little wild. His eyes narrow in on me, his gaze dark and probing as he assesses my face.
“Fine, just tired,” I fib. I also forgot my purse in my trailer. Can we swing by.”
“Sure. You ready to get out of here?”
I nod. “If you are.”
He puts his hand on the small of my back, and the sun is low on the horizon as we say our goodnights and walk to his truck. As that uneasy feeling creeps back, I glance around to see if anything is out of the ordinary. I’m not sure what I expect to see. It’s just that I have no idea where Tyler was, and it’s making me a bit anxious. Inside the truck, I buckle up and glance at him. He doesn’t say much, just starts the truck and buckles himself in.
“Is everything okay with you?” I finally ask. Obviously, he’s not about to tell me anything.
He grips the steering wheel and stares straight ahead for a second. “Carter saw some punk hanging around your trailer today.”
I stiffen. “You went looking for him?”
“I did, but I didn’t find him.”
His hands tighten on the steering wheel until his knuckles turn white. I link my fingers together on my lap and peer into the night. With my gaze straight ahead, a blur of trees in my vision, I concentrate on my breathing.
“It might be nothing, but it could be something,” he says.
“You told Carter,” I state, my throat tight, accusation clear in my tone.
A beat of silence and then, “No. Carter and Jared are on the set, so I just asked them to keep their eyes out for anything suspicious.” I turn when I hear the disappointment in his voice, and his gaze is dark and hard as it meets mine. He glares at me, and I can’t help but think a sucker punch would have less impact on my gut. “They don’t know about the letters. I’d never tell them that, Haven. I wouldn’t betray your trust like that.”
My stomach clenches, and I hate myself for accusing him. “Sorry, Ty,” I say quickly, wishing I could take my words back. “I always go straight for the worst.”
“Why do you do that?” he asks, the hardness gone from his voice. He peels his hands from the steering wheel, and shakes them, like he’s trying to loosen the tightness and tension.
“The environment I grew up in, I guess. It’s pretty cutthroat. No one is really your friend. Everyone wants something from you, and if you don’t give it, they find a way to take it.” As the words leave my mouth, I shake my head. Why on Earth am I still in that kind of environment? Oh, probably because it’s the only way of life I know. Being here with Tyler though, learning about his way of life, is something this girl could get used to.
What’s between you two isn’t real, Haven.
Tyler blows out a breath, his features softening as he captures my hand. “Things are done differently here. I told you before, and I’ll tell you again. You can trust me.”
I nod, hating that I jumped to conclusions like that. Tyler is just trying to protect me, and it’s sweet that he asked his family to help without really involving them.
“Okay,” I say, and close my hand over his.
He puts the truck into gear, and gravel crunches beneath the tires as we make our way to the main road. He drives me to the trailer, and I’m about to jump from the vehicle, and rush inside but he comes with me. His strength and presence calms me. I grab my purse and he guides me back to the passenger side. Once I’m buckled in, he circles the truck, climbs in and starts it. As we head to the cabin, I turn to him.
“Tell me more about your gym, and how you want it designed,” I say.
“Look in there,” he says and gestures to the glove box. I pull it open and find a notebook filled with ideas and designs and equipment, and the names of the distributors and prices associated with it.
“You have it all figured out,” I say. “I’m impressed.”
“I hate that I’m taking up space at the old fire station when Jace wants it. It’s the perfect location for him. I really need to