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Heat crawls up my neck to my hairline. I slam the car door shut and peer over my shoulder at him. “What?” I hiss.
“Oh, shit, did you ask her out already?” he asks. I turn to face him and cross my arms over my chest, purposely flexing my biceps. My tattoos hide my muscles’ sharp lines, but I tower over Mick and weigh at least fifty pounds more than he does.
“No, but–” I begin to say.
He interrupts me. “If you won’t, then I will.” He smiles at me like the little shit he is and shrugs.
“What makes you think she’d go out with you?” I ask. It comes across as demeaning, and I mentally kick myself. He’s one of my brother’s friends, and I’ve known him forever.
“Really, Enzo? ‘Cause I’m a mechanic? I’m younger than you and way closer in age to her. I might not have your money or prestigious job title or come from the Valenti generational wealth, but I’m still a fun guy,” Mick says with an annoyed tinge to his normally friendly voice.
“Leave my fucking family out of this,” I snap. “Your family is well-off, too, Michael. You could have chosen the lawyer path and worked with your dad, but you thought getting high with Cody was a better idea.”
“And who the hell supplied us with the weed, Enzo?” He laughs, and I rub the back of my neck. Me. “You’re such a fucking hypocrite.” Mick groans, but a quick smile crosses his face again. “I’ll show her a fun summer.”
I furrow my brow and step closer to him. “Don’t. You. Fucking. Dare.”
“Dude, you don’t even know her.”
“Irrelevant. She’s mine.”
“What? You’re calling dibs on her or some shit? We’re too mature for this.”
I raise my eyebrows. “Don’t worry about it. Just leave her alone. I’m not asking; I’m telling you.”
What has gotten into me?
Mick’s not a bad guy, and for any college coed like her, I don’t doubt he’d be a fun summer fling. But Tilly’s different. Anyone coming remotely close to her makes my blood boil in a way that causes a buzzing sensation to run through my veins.
“Jeez, dude, whatever. She’s one of the hottest chicks I’ve ever seen.”
“Don’t talk about her like that.” My phone buzzes in my pocket. I rip it from my jeans pocket and glance at the screen. Fucking Ally calling. “I’ve gotta go. Let me know if you have any updates on the Saab.”
After this interaction, I hope he doesn’t cut my brake lines.
Chapter Four
Tilly
“Um, Dad?” I ask.
He looks up from his tablet. “What?”
I drop my eyes and fiddle with my fingers. “My car’s ready.”
“Oh.” He glances at his watch. “I’ll drive you on my way to tee time in an hour.”
“Okay, thanks.”
I start for my room, but Clarissa steps in my way, dressed in athleisure with her platinum blonde hair freshly blown out. “You know you don’t have to hide out in your room,” she says, holding one of her routine green smoothies. It’s like Dad never left LA. “You’re either camped out in there or running, and this is your home, too.” I just stare her down.
Nothing worse than a woman six years older than me trying to ‘mom’ me.
“Well, that’s me.”
It’s a moot point to explain why my bedroom is comforting.
“Why don’t we go get our nails done later or something? Your hair’s so dark. We could lighten it for summer,” she adds. She reaches toward my head, but I dodge her before she can touch me. “That’d be fun.”
