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“Did you see?” I ask, jaw clenched. “Did you see what that bitch did to her?”
J drops the kickstand, her eyes filling with tears as she forces a nod. “She never told me, Nick. I had no idea until I saw her after you took off.”
“Where. Is. She?” I seethe.
Jonsie stuffs her hands into the back pockets of her shorts before gesturing with her head toward our trailer. I march off, bypassing the ramp when I don’t see her inside, and rounding the corner to find her wrapped in my mom’s embrace.
“Why are they always trying to change me?” Daph sobs as my mom rubs her back. “Why can’t I ever just be good enough?” Her words make me falter, my chest splintering as my mom’s red rimmed eyes meet mine over Daph’s shoulder.
As if sensing me, Daph shifts to follow my mom’s gaze until those hypnotizing emerald gemstones she has for irises collide with my own. They’re filled with so much sadness, but also, something else… shame.
My feet move of their own accord, my right arm sweeping around her waist to pull her against me as my left hand slips up her spine and grips hold at the nape of her neck. Pressing my forehead to hers, we stand nose to nose as I demand her full attention.
“You’re perfect, Daph. Embed that shit in your brain now. And on days you’re struggling to remember, call me. I’ll make sure you never fucking forget.”
Her breath catches in her throat, the sound drawing my attention to her pillowy parted lips. My fingers slide up into the base of her hairline where I grip hold of a fistful of her roots. My eyes squeeze shut as I fight to chase thoughts I have no business having from my mind.
Walk away, Nick. Walk. The fuck. Away.
And that’s exactly what I do. By some miracle, I release her, storming off with no particular destination in mind.
Two hours later, I’m on the podium taking the win.
Seven hours after that, Rico and I are in Miami for a late-night shark feeding frenzy.
And as I sit across the breakfast table from J and Daph’s smiling faces the following morning, I can’t help but stare at the emerald-eyed princess who is now officially the only girl I’ve ever killed for.
The girl I know I’d undoubtedly kill for again.
In hindsight, the writing was on the wall even then.
When it comes to Daphne Burke, I’ve never been anything other than fucked.
CHAPTER 16
NOW
NICKY
“Hey, Mama!” My sister’s voice piques with excitement as her face fills the screen of our mother’s iPhone.
“Hey, baby! Did you just get in?”
“Yeah, Caleb just dropped me off a few minutes ago. He decided to just make the drive back to Berkeley tonight.”
“He better have taken you somewhere nice!” I call out from the driver’s seat as I navigate the roads to my parents’ house.
“Is that Nick?” Jonsie asks, prompting my mom to turn the phone screen toward me.
I glance over to be met with a wide smile from my baby sister, eliciting one from myself in return. “Hey, Baby J.”
“Hey, Nick. I miss you.”
“Miss you more. Where’d lover boy take you tonight?”
“Ugh.” She crinkles her nose in disgust. “Can we not call him that please?”
“Fine. Boyfriend. There, is that better?”
