Page 149 of Trust Me

“You know . . .” I took a bite of the food, chewing slowly just because it made him grind his teeth together. “I’ve been nothing but nice to you. What about that strikes you as untrustworthy?”

“Well, his last girlfriend did cheat on him.”

“And you didn’t know that when you met me.”

“Still relevant.”

“I think it might be just that.” I pointed my fork at him as I spoke. “I’m not a girlfriend. That rubs you the wrong way.”

To my surprise, he barked a laugh. Shaking his head, he finished off his cigarette, then snubbed it on the brick at his feet.

“I assure you, that’s not it.”

“Racist?”

That one made his brows raise. “If I don’t like you, that means I must be a villain, right?” He breathed a more sober laugh. “Nah, man. You don’t get to paint me like that.”

I shrugged. “It’s something. You don’t know this, but I’m good at figuring people out. It’s a consequence of my unsavory upbringing. Bet you’d love to hear all the dirty details.”

He sparked another cigarette, just staring at me silently.

“Fine, then you’re jealous,” I said.

He looked at me with fire burning in his eyes. “Excuse me?”

His reaction made me relax slightly. He hadn’t given any hints that there was something deeper, like my strange brand of treachery. It was paranoia that made me consider it earlier, but he wasn’t the type to keep that to himself. He was hot-headed in a way Dean wasn’t. If I pushed his buttons just right, I could get it out of him, but that would require me to put a bigger rift between us. That wasn’t what Dean needed right now.

“Even though you and Dean love each other, there’s something that keeps you at arm’s length,” I explained. “It’s on both sides. He clearly looks up to you, and you would do anything for him. Except fix it.”

“You don’t know a damn thing.” His chair scraped on the brick as he stood up.

“If it’s something else, just say it. Otherwise, stop circling. We can get to know each other. Maybe you’ll find I’m fun to be around.” I smiled a little. “Dean didn’t really like me at first, either.”

“Maybe he’s got a soft spot for strays.”

“Strays,” I repeated on a laugh, though the word tasted bitter on my tongue.

“You’ve been here all of two days and you’re learning everything you can. What could you possibly want from my family? We’ve got nothing.”

My brow furrowed. Massaging my knees, I looked down at my plate. “Why do I have to want something?”

“How would I know?” He took a slow breath. “Look, Dean doesn’t need someone who’s going drag him down.”

“I’m not dragging him anywhere.”

“Dad said he wants to quit football. Is that your idea too?”

“Quit football? No, I—”

“Yeah, you’re one of those guys who wants all of his attention. Everything he has. You couldn’t even let him be with his family without tagging along.”

“That’s . . . not fair.”

I thought back to when I’d told Dean I was coming to New York with him. Had I put him in a corner, given him no good chance to say no? He was protective—too protective, especially when it came to my feelings. If anybody would know, it was his brother.

Shaking my head, I grabbed my plate and stood. “You don’t know anything about me.”

“I know you don’t belong here. Like you said, this isn’t your family.”