Page 51 of Detour

“You’re feisty.” He shakes the pillow off as he stands, climbing next to me again. “I figured you were but damn, Coty’s got his work cut out for him.”

“Coty doesn’t have shit.”

Beckett just looks me in the eye before saying, “Uh huh.”

Him flopping onto his back makes the whole bed bounce and I grab the headboard to keep from flying off. On my back, we lie side by side, staring up at the ceiling in companionable silence.

A few minutes pass before he rolls his head to look at me and I do the same.

“You like him?”

“Who?”

He frowns.

“It’s,” I start, then turn my head, facing the ceiling again. I don’t want him to see the truth. I don’t want any of them to. “Complicated. He can look, I might even let him touch, but that’s where it has to end.”

“Parents do a number on you, too, huh?”

I look at Beckett again. He’s having a rare serious moment and I don’t want to miss it, but it’s his turn to hide.

Face to the sky, he says, “I get it. My mom took off a long time ago. It was just me and my dad after that.”

“He didn’t remarry?” I ask quietly.

“No. I think we both thought she would come back to us. Hoped she would anyway.”

“Did she?”

“Nope. Not once. Not even when things got really bad.” His eyes close and I give him the time he obviously needs. Finally, he opens them. “No, she never showed. Left one day with some dude she’d been sneaking around with and never came back.”

Without thought, I reach over to grab his hand.

“You know that has nothing to do with you though, right? That’s her issue.”

“Is that what you tell yourself?”

I sigh. “Yes…and no. I would’ve preferred my mom leave me honestly.”

“Don’t say that. You don’t know what it’s like to only have one parent. One that’s running at half-speed while the world rushes past them.”

I can’t help but smirk. “Don’t I? You have no idea what I’ve dealt with. You don’t get close to girls because you’re scared of getting hurt again. I know I’ll be hurt again. Things don’t come easy for me in this life. No one can change the shitty hand I’ve been dealt but me.”

His blue eyes find mine.

“Does that usually work for you?”

“What?” I snap, growing more irritated by the second.

“Pushing people away before even giving them a chance.”

I glance down at the steady rhythm of his chest. “Yes.”

“I can tell.” He slides his hand out of mine. “But you should know Coty’s in. He’s all in. I’ve known him for a long time now and I’ve never seen him like this. He’s had girlfriends over the years but he’s never been this irrational over them. Hell, he’s so jealous, he doesn’t even want me talking to you.” He scoffs.

“Then why are you here? I doubt he’d like you being in my bed.”

“’Cause I know you wouldn’t let me try anything if I wanted to.”