Page 30 of Rush

He shrugs, still watching the road. “You don’t have to thank me. We’refriends.It’s what I do. I show up for you.”

Something about the way he saysfriendspulls a chord in my chest, but I force it down.

“I’m sorry…I should’ve reached out sooner. Since you’ve been back,” I say, picking at the sleeve of my jacket.

He steals another look my way, a flicker of something in his eyes, but he shakes his head.

“It’s okay, your life just got a hell of a lot more complicated.”

And he’s right, while I hoped my album would be well received and have success, I did not anticipate the velocity at which it occurred.

“I...” I trail off, searching for the words. “Riley’s in Brooklyn, and with Pip, I didn’t want my father to know. And I didn’t know if you were working, but, I had no one else.” My voice breaks, as a tear slips out again.

“Elena,” he cuts me off gently, and his hand squeezes my knee before letting go just long enough to brush his fingers along my arm. The touch makes me look at him.

“Iwasworking, but I figured rescuing a damsel in distress takes priority.”

I roll my eyes, but a smile tugs at the corner of my mouth. “Damsel in distress? Am I really that pathetic?”

“Hey, don’t ruin my moment. I like the idea of being your knight in shining armor.”

I snort. “Pretty sure knights don’t drive matte-black SUVs.”

He shrugs, smiling, his dimples on full display. “Modern times. Gotta adapt.”

The tension in my shoulders soften, relaxing in his presence.

“I...didn’t want to be a burden.”

Broderick lets out a soft laugh, shaking his head. “El, you couldneverbe a burden to me.”

We’re idling in traffic when I glance over, and find him already watching me—eyes steady and impossibly intense. It’sthe kind of look that makes me feel seen in a way I hate and love all at once.

“You sure?”

“Absolutely.” His lips curl slightly, teasing again. “Besides, if you keep calling me when you’re falling apart, I get to be the hero. It’s like every man’s dream to be Batman. It’s win-win.”

I laugh—actually laugh—shaking my head, as we start moving through the streets again.

“Brody,” I say, smiling despite myself.

“What?”

“You’re impossible.”

“Yeah—impossibly charming and hard to resist,” he agrees easily, shooting me a wink.

I laugh again, settling back in my seat. “Thank you.”

His hand finds mine this time, giving it a gentle squeeze. “Always.”

Broderick drives in comfortable silence, his hand still loosely holding mine until the city streets look familiar again—my neighborhood.

When he pulls up out front, I hesitate, not quite ready to let go of the safety of being next to him.

But he turns to me, giving my hand a final squeeze before letting go.

“You’ll be okay?”