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Dante’s words slice through me as if he has any say. Despite being surrounded by water and land barely in sight, I stand up from the bench I’ve been laying out on and jump in the water. I’m done with this conversation.
The saltwater envelops me and it does nothing to cool me off. How dare he tell me I can’t go. I swim toward the boat.
Maybe I’m not done.
When I pull myself up the ladder and find Dante, he’s leaning against the canopy of the boat with his arms crossed. I take a deep inhale, my one last chance at calming down. Except it doesn’t work.
“That was a pretty direct statement,” I bark.
He shrugs a shoulder. “It couldn’t have come out any clearer.” His smug attitude only fuels the fire in my chest. Why is he being an asshole?
“Oh, it was loud and clear, all right. But why do you think you have authority to demand me to stay?”
He takes a couple steps toward me, holding a commanding stance, and I move backward until the back of my legs hit the bench. The carefree Dante I’ve known all my life morphs in front of me. His body hardens and his jaw tics. I’m looking at a stranger.
“Aspen, I’m tired of waiting.” My head jerks back at the roughness in his voice, catching me off guard. Waiting for what? “I’ve let you have your fun with the foreigners, telling myself that when they leave, it’s me you’ll run to.”
“What are you ta—”
“Stop talking,” he shouts, cutting me off. I snap my mouth shut in surprise. “I thought you were over that shit. But, I told myself, this will be another reminder for you to see who is always here for you after those assholes leave. Maybe this time, you’d come to your senses.”
The tension in my shoulders ease, and I blow out a puff of air as I realize what he’s saying. He’s been part of my life forever. Even though he’s five years older than me, he’s been there for me whenever I needed him. This makes me hate that he’s wondered this whole time if there was a chance between us. Could there have been? I don’t know. I've never had those feelings for him.
“Dante,” I say in a soft voice, “I’m so sorry. I wasn’t aware you liked me like that.”
His hand grips my waist, stepping into me with longing in his eyes. “And if you did?”
Oh! This is going in the wrong direction. I wrap my hand around the one squeezing my side and pull it off and then step to the side. “Dante, you’re my best friend,” my heart does a little flip when his jaw tics again. “I love you… like a brother.”
He flexes his tattoo-covered biceps, shaking his head. “Aspen,” he growls, sounding so much older than when he calls me by my nickname. “You don’t understand. You are mine.”
I stumble at the blunt force of his words. “Excuse me,” I grit through clenched teeth. Needing to nip this in the bud, I close the distance between us and stare at him in the eyes so he hears me. “You don’t own me. You never have and never will.”
He chuckles once. “We’ll see about that.”
What the hell does that mean?
His cryptic threat sends chills across my skin. I never thought I’d reach a breaking point with Dante. But I have. “Can you please take me home?”
Instead, the asshole sits down on the bench and stretches out his arms and brings his hands behind his neck. The boat rocks a little and I’m sure it’s a wave of anger flowing through me. “No.” His gaze never flickers. It bores into me as I stand stupefied. Who is this guy? I break the heated stare, glancing behind him toward the beach, knowing it’s far.
But not too far. Most of it’s shallow anyway.
“Fine,” I say, clipping my pack around my waist and twisting until it’s behind me. “You stay.” Taking two quick steps up, I’m in the water before he can stop me.
“Aspen.” I keep swimming when he calls out my name. It’s too late for apologies. “You can’t run from me.” My body freezes for a moment, not what I expected him to say.
“Watch me,” I whisper. I don’t give him the satisfaction of looking back. Rather to prove him wrong and with more determination than ever, I swim as fast as I can toward the beach.
Chapter Fifteen
Ryker
“You fucking did what?” Jasper roars from behind me, slamming his locker shut.
I crack my neck, the tension between us lingering from practice. Why is he such a goddamn pussy when the ball isn’t thrown to him? “Nobody was talking to you Jasper.” I clench my jaw, not turning to look at the nosy wide receiver interrupting my conversation.
“What were you thinking?” he continues, ignoring me. “You already missed three games to go on a vacation. We have one game left of the season and everything depends on it. Your head should be in the fucking game, not some island chick. You’re supposed to be the leader of this team.” His voice carries and I fist my hand, readying to shut him up myself.
