Page 63 of Crave

I burst outside. The cold air stung my cheeks like a thousand shards of glass, the wind swirling my hair into my eyes.

Dallas leaped up onto the sidewalk, eyes glowing a feral gold as he raked me over. His breath came in low, shallow pants, and I saw the instant worry was replaced with anger and hurt.

“You okay?”

I wrapped my arms around myself. “Fine.”

A muscle ticked in his jaw. “Thought you were gonna stay at the house.”

I glared. He was pissed. But newsflash, so was I.

“For real? Crazy possessive stalker is not a good look on you.”

Jaw clenched, Dallas whirled on his brother. “West and I have been out combing half the county and you’re telling me she’s been here this entire time? What the actual fuck, Emo?”

Ethan held up both hands. “Think we all need to calm down.”

“You had your phone, right? You knew we were all worried sick, that I thought she could be hurt somewhere, dead.”

“That’s why I sent the text. To let you know she was safe.”

“Safe.” Dallas slammed his brother back against the side of the building. “Safe here with you, huh? Just not with me.”

I didn’t see who threw the first punch, only that a second later, Ethan had thrown Dallas into the side of the building. Someone shouted. Dallas slammed his fist into his brother’s stomach just as Hayden ran out onto the sidewalk. I elbowed my way through all the onlookers who’d gathered to watch the spectacle, nearly getting flattened when Ethan grabbed Dallas by the front of his shirt in an attempt to hurl him to the ground.

“Get Ethan,” I shouted to Hayden over the fray.

She swore but nodded. We lunged. Ever watched calf roping at the rodeo? Picture that, but with no rope, and two pissed off bulls that outweigh you by close to a hundred pounds. Hayden threw herself onto Ethan’s back. I hooked an arm around Dallas’s chest and yanked him towards the street, only to nearly get clocked in the head by Ethan for my efforts. Bull #2? Oh yeah, totally saw that. Howling in rage, Dallas slammed his brother to the pavement.

Hayden jumped back just in time. “We need West and Cal.”

I closed my eyes. If she got hurt, or if I did, that was endgame. They would never forgive each other. Never. I had to end this. And there was only one way. I took a deep breath.

“I’m pregnant.”

For half a second, time seemed to freeze. They shoved apart, falling back onto the sidewalk. And then Dallas was getting to his feet, dragging a hand through the disheveled mess of his hair. I couldn’t look at him. Hayden hurried to Ethan’s side. She glared out at the crowd.

“Nothing to see here.”

Pacing half a dozen steps down the sidewalk, Dallas stared out at the night for so long I thought he wasn’t going to speak. And then—

“You came here? To him—”

“One, after that caveman display just now, you really don’t want to lecture me. Two, I tell you I’m pregnant and that’s all you have to say? Screw you.”

“You could have waited until I got home. Told me.”

“You just humiliated me in front of half the town because you and your brother can’t work out your bullshit. Do you have any idea what this night has been like for me?”

A Prius pulled up down the street. Cal and West got out.

“Lacey,” Dallas began, voice taking on a rough edge.

“I can’t do this.”

Dallas didn’t move. He just stared. As if he no longer knew me at all. West reached out like he might try to stop me. I slipped free. When I rounded the next block, I thought I heard Dallas calling for me.

I didn’t slow.