I was in shock, and tears started to well in my eyes.
Don was obviously uncomfortable and most of all confused, but he kept his arm anchored around my waist until I was able to get my bearings.
In the distance, I heard a car peel out of the parking lot. I could only pray that it was Davenport.
“I-is…is he gone?” I asked.
He didn’t exactly answer me. “I don’t mean to sound disrespectful, and I’m only going to ask this once. Do you have something going on with Garrett Davenport?”
My head jerked to the side as if he had physically slapped me.
He pulled me into a hug. “Goddamn it. I’m sorry,” he replied, having read my response loud and clear. “Yeah, he’s gone, Liv.”
And that was when the tears came. Full force.
“Oh my God. I’m going to lose Quarry!” I wailed as the adrenaline fled my system. “He…he kissed me.”
“Shhh,” Don soothed. “You’re not going to lose anyone. He can’t be mad that some lunatic held you against a car and kissed you.”
I rocked out of his arms. Doubling over, I rested my hands on my knees and attempted to catch my breath. “I am. I’m going to lose him. Quarry is going to kill Davenport and then spend the rest of his life in prison.”
Don’s mouth hitched in a smile.
“This isn’t amusing,” I informed him.
He put his hands up in surrender, but his smile grew to full-blown.
“Stop smiling! This is going to be the worst kind of bad. He’ll probably go all Mel Gibson in Braveheart and paint his face with Garrett’s blood.”
Don laughed—like an actual laugh. “That doesn’t happen in Braveheart.”
“Right. Well, let’s hope Quarry hasn’t seen whatever movie that does happen in.”
“All kidding aside, are you all right?” he asked, shoving his hands in his pockets.
I sucked in a deep breath and did a quick physical assessment. My back hurt like hell, but everything else seemed to be in working order, so I nodded.
“You want me to get Gwen to drive you home?” he asked.
Swiping my index fingers under my eyes, I fixed my makeup. “No. I think I’m okay. I’m supposed to be meeting Quarry at Till’s for dinner.”
“Good.” He bent down and scooped my keys off the ground before offering them my way.
I reached out to take them, but he didn’t let go.
“You have to tell him, Liv. Even if he does go Braveheart. You have to tell him. That shit Davenport just pulled is not acceptable, and your man has a right to know he had his hands on you.”
I closed my eyes in defeat. “Can I leave out the part where he had his lips on me?”
Don chuckled. “No. But I would definitely forget that hotel room number before you tell him. That is…unless you feel like hiding a body tonight.”
My eyes popped open. “Oh, God!” I yanked the hotel keycard out of the top of my dress and then Frisbeed it across the parking lot.
Don grinned his approval then swung my car door open. “Get home safe. Let me know if you need me to cover for you tomorrow.”
I returned his smile. “Thanks.” I tipped my head in the direction Davenport left and finished with, “For everything.”
“Glad I could help.”
Don stayed on the sidewalk until I pulled onto the road. At the first stoplight, I retrieved my phone from my purse and texted Quarry to let him know I was finally on the way.
My phone chirped with his reply, but my shaking hands gripped to the steering wheel until my knuckles turned white.
For the first time in my entire life, I was dreading seeing Quarry.
I WAS SITTING ON THE couch with Till’s son, little Slate, when Liv finally arrived. While she hadn’t come right out and said it, I knew she was nervous to tell my family about our relationship. But, to be honest, there wasn’t a whole lot left to tell. Every single one of them had cornered me over the last two weeks, even before our picture together had been published. And, while she was hesitant, I was fucking ecstatic.
So, when Liv walked in, her eyes wide, looking like she had just seen a ghost, I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Liv!” little Slate called out, hoofing it in her direction to show her the new Lego ship we had built.
“That’s great, buddy,” she said absently, her eyes flashing to mine before immediately bouncing away.
Even before things had changed with us, Liv would always come straight to me and chat for a minute before tracking down the girls in the kitchen.
This time, she walked straight to the dinner table, where Till was putting out plates with Blakely, and she whispered something in his ear. A plate froze in midair and his body tensed before his eyes dangerously cut to me.
Now that got my feet moving.
“What’s wrong?” I asked before I’d even made it over to them.
“Blakely, take Slate and Cole upstairs and put on a movie,” Till ordered.
Her eyes lit. “But it’s a school night.”
“Go,” he said in a gentle but firm tone. “Flint! Get in here!” he called into the kitchen.
By this point, my entire body was on alert. When I got within reach, I curled my hand around the back of Liv’s neck and forced her eyes to mine.