Chapter Thirty

Tatum

"What's going on between you and my brother?" I ask when I pull away from hugging Wren.

They ended up staying in town last night despite my attempts to convince Talon to get on the road before nightfall.

He has a hockey game tonight, so missing practice yesterday while arriving in town before warm-ups was pushing his luck. I understand why he wanted to be here, and I appreciate it, but I didn't want him to jeopardize his position on the starting lineup. He reassured me he had explained to his coach he had some family matters to attend to.

There's no doubt his Coach heard the rumors about me. Hell, it feels like everyone in town knows about what happened at the party the night Wells shared the sex tape with the world.

It's exactly why I wanted to leave Rixton behind.

"It's not what it looks like, Tate, I swear. I came to him worried about you after you left town and changed your number. No one knew where you were or how to get a hold of you except for him. I wanted to know you were okay, and he eventually realized I was on your side."

We'd grown close since I started dating her brother, but their relationship felt worlds apart from the one I share with Talon. The way Wells treated her made it seem like they were enemies rather than family. It's hard to believe I ever thought there was anything worth seeing in him.

I nod, pulling her into another hug. "I wasn't trying to disappear on anyone. I just wanted a fresh start, away from the rumors and the past. I didn't want to constantly relive what happened or defend myself anymore. I needed to shed that perception of me because it drove me crazy."

She sighs. "I know. You seem happier too. I mean, aside from everything still going on. When we were out by the fire last night, and you were sitting with Reed, it was obvious. You seem different with him, in a good way. It's like you don't have your guard up anymore. You're at ease and genuinely happy."

The only time I feel like I can shut the world out is when I'm with Reed. I don't have to force a smile and pretend to be happy like I struggled to do in Rixton.

"He makes me happier than I've ever been, and now that I have it, I'm almost afraid to share it with the world out of fear I'll lose it."

"Don't be afraid. You deserve to live your life openly and not worry about what anyone thinks."

She's right, even though it's hard to fully convince myself.

"All right, Sis, we gotta hit the road," Talon says, glancing at Wren and nodding toward the door. "C'mere and give me a hug, though."

He pulls me close, his voice low and only for me. "I warned him to stay away from you, but I knew it wouldn't last long. I saw the way you two looked at each other when you moved in."

I blush at the memory. I thought my crush on Reed was a secret, even to him. Turns out, we were more transparent than I realized.

"What matters is I know you're in good hands. If anyone is goin' to protect you as fiercely as I do, it's him."

"I know he will. I have no doubt."

Talon gives me a quick kiss on the cheek and steps away. "I'll see ya." He waves and heads outside with Wren. I watch them through the window as they walk across the yard and climb into his truck.

Reed pulls me into his arms and kisses my temple.

He must've talked with my brother, or maybe what he said in the kitchen yesterday morning was enough for Talon. My brother was giving me his blessing in a way only he could.

"I need to get ready for class," I whisper softly.

Thankfully, I only have one class today, Intro to Business, and then I'm free for the rest of the evening. I'm looking forward to a calm, uneventful day.

***

Reed waits for me outside of the classroom when we're let out. He takes my bag, sliding it off my shoulder, and slings it over his own. "Do you need to stop anywhere, or are you ready to head home?"

"Let's go home," I reply with a smile.

His gaze lingers on my lips for a moment before he nods. The sky is gray and dreary. The temperature has dropped over the past week. It looks like a storm is moving in.

"Have you heard from your brother yet? They make it home okay?" Reed asks when we climb into his truck.

I shift my bag from my lap to the floor and lean against the center console toward him. "He texted me when he got home. They have a home game tonight, so he went straight to the arena when he got into town."

"Yeah, Beckham was riding his ass to leave last night in case he got stuck in traffic."

"Can I ask you something?" I whisper, and he turns to me, his eyes searching my face.

"Of course, anything."

"The videos and pictures—did you see them? Were there more?"

He takes my hand, turning it over, slowly linking his fingers with mine. His hesitation is palpable, as if he's avoiding the subject. Like he's unsure how to explain it or if he wants to spare me the details.

"There were more," he says softly, his voice low. "But I've erased everything—every file on his computer and in his Cloud. It's all gone."

"Oh God," I cry out, tears filling the brim of my eyes. "It's just, I'm scared because what if it's not all? What if he has others stored somewhere else, or what if he sent it to other people?"

"When you went to bed last night, I did more digging," he reassures me. "There's no evidence from what I could find that any files were sent to anyone. No emails, no texts. I couldn't find where he might be storing anything in a backup drive either."

Relief washes over me, and the tension in my chest eases.

"There's more, though," he says.

"What is it?"

"You weren't the only person he has photos and videos of, Tate. You were right that he was messing around because the dates line up with when you two were together."

"He did?" My voice trembles. "It's not that he was with other women that upsets me. In the back of my mind, I always knew he was lying to me. I just hate the thought of him doing this to someone else."

"I understand, baby. I've locked those files in a secure space where no one can access them. I'll wait for you to decide what you want to do, though. I can turn them over to the police, do it anonymously, or just destroy them."

I shake my head, tears brimming my eyes. "If you're sure they never got out, I want to make it all disappear. I want him out of my life, forgetting him and everything that ever happened."

"Okay," he says firmly. "Then that's what we'll do."

"Really?"

"Absolutely." He nods. "I'll protect you, and if he ever threatens you again, I'll use it and everything in my power to bury him six feet under."

"Come here," I whisper, reaching for him. He leans into my hand, and I kiss him. "I don't know what I would've done without you."

"I don't want to think about that," he says softly. "I can't imagine my life without you."

"Kiss me," I whisper, and he does.

His lips are soft at first until he tugs me toward him, and I climb across the seat into his lap. I settle against the door with my legs draped across the seat.

Reed grips my chin, slipping his arms around my waist, and holds me to him. I kiss him again, never wanting to stop.

When we finally break away from each other, he leans back and studies me intently.

"Were you and Wren friends before all this?" he asks. "You seemed upset at first that she was with Talon."

I shrug. "We met when I was dating Wells, but we became friends and grew close. When Wells and I broke up, we stopped speaking to each other, so I thought our friendship was over too. She and Wells never got along. To be fair, though, he doesn't get along with anyone."

Reed nods, gently sliding his hands up and down my thighs.

"I don't know what the deal is with her and Talon, though. I didn't even know they spoke to each other."

They both claimed it wasn't what I thought, so I guess I'll leave it alone.

My phone dings from the front of my backpack.

"We should probably get going," Reed murmurs, leaning in to kiss me again.

I nod, starting to crawl back into my seat when he stops me, turning my face back toward him again.

"I love you," he says, searching my face before lingering on my lips.

My chest tightens, hearing him say the words out loud. I press my palm to the side of his face, and he leans into it.

"I love you too," I whisper.

We share another kiss before I clamber back into my seat. He swats playfully at my ass when I wave it in his face. Gotta give him a reason to get us home faster.

My phone chimes again. I assume it's Everly since we were discussing the away game this weekend. But when I check the screen, it's from another unfamiliar number—a new one, since I've already blocked Wells's previous attempts to contact me.

423-729-4328: video attached

423-729-4328: I didn't put two and two together at first, but it looks like the guy I saw you with at the game was more than some idiot shooting his shot.

423-729-4328: Now you're giving him what belongs to me.

I click on the video. At first, it's grainy and distorted, like a faraway image coming into focus. The camera adjusts and the scene becomes clearer. I recognize the clothes we're wearing and the wooden bridge in the background.

"Oh my God," I gasp, covering my mouth with my hand.

"Who is it?" Reed demands, reaching for my phone. "Give it to me, Tate."

My hands shake so badly that I almost drop my phone. Reed snatches it quickly before it falls on the floor.

"That son of a bitch—" he growls, his voice low and rough with anger. I've never seen him this furious before.

Reed hands me my phone and starts the engine. He quickly pulls out of the parking spot and slams on the gas, taking off out of the lot.

"Where are we going?" I ask, gripping the door handle tightly. I half expect him to say we're heading to Rixton to handle this himself.

"Home," he says through clenched teeth, "before I do something I might regret."

We fall into silence, leaving only the sound of my heart pounding in my ears. After a few minutes pass, when we're close to home, Reed reaches across the seat and takes my hand, like he always does.

"Tate, look at me," he says softly.

I blink away the tears before I finally turn to face him. He glances back and forth between me and the road, his expression hard.

"It's going to be okay. You hear me? I won't let him. I'll do whatever I have to do to make him pay for this."

I nod, though I'm not sure whether he's trying to reassure me or himself.