Sev clenches his jaw. “I wish I could fucking kill this guy. Wes, you have no idea how badly I wish that.”
I pull in a slow breath. “I don’t want another moment of more violence in my life, Sevan. I hate him, too, but I couldn’t live with myself if we hurt him. Hedoeshave the power to destroy us.”
Sev looks like he’s ready to smash my phone to bits just from looking over the texts again.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do. But I have to do something. You don’t deserve this, baby.”
My heart squeezes in my chest. I reach under the table and grab his thigh.
I love when he calls me that, now.
I might be delusional, but every moment with Sev feels better than the last. I trust him. I can’t help but trust him.
I lean over and press my lips to his in a kiss, and he relaxes finally, melting under my touch. He kisses me back slowly, and when he pulls away he looks at me, raising his eyebrows a little.
“What?”
“Nothing,” he says, his voice a little sultry. “Just surprised you’re willing to kiss me like that when all of your boys are over there grabbing food. They could look over and see.”
I shrug one shoulder. “Maybe I’m ready for them to see.”
He hums as he reaches for my thigh now, giving it a hard squeeze. “Wes, you don’t have to do that. I can keep things on the down-low for as long as you need. I’m used to beingcasual, trust me.”
Suddenly I’ve forgotten about anything else going on in my life other than him.
Butterflies start to riot in my chest, and I watch Sev’s gray eyes.
“You want to stay casual?”
“No. I sure as fuck don’twantit,” he says. “You can’t tell me anything between us feels casual to you. But I can do it, easily, for as long as you need.”
I swallow hard.
I feel like I’m on a tightrope, walking between two different versions of my life.
The safe version, where I just try to follow the rules and do everything right. The version I’ve been living forever, slightly scared, and always rigid.
But on the other side of that tightrope, there’s something that I think might be incredible.
I think I’m sick of putting up walls.
Walk forward.
Cross the tightrope.
Take the fucking adventure.
“Are you talking about a relationship, Sev?” I ask him. “You’ve never wanted one before.”
He squeezes my leg again.
“Fuck it. Maybe the only reason I haven’t wanted a relationship before is because no one else has beenyou.”
The guys are coming over now.
I see the group approaching, with their food trays in hand.
I let out a nervous puff of a laugh. “You can’t seriously be saying you want a boyfriend?—”