I tried to keep my voice light, but I was choking on the words. “I hated that you were gone, Tate. I picked fights with everyone. I skipped classes. Even the love I have for my brother couldn’t pull me out of it. When I controlled you, I had one f**king thing in my life that made sense. That made my blood rush. I looked forward to tomorrow when you were around. If I could zone in on you, then I wasn’t thinking about everything else that hurt.”

Tate laid her head back on my shoulder and peered up at me, wide-awake now.

“Why wouldn’t you sleep in my bed?” she asked softly.

I touched my lips to hers, soft and warm. “Because you wouldn’t have wanted me there.”

I was a sick man.

I could humiliate her, isolate her, and hurt her, but sleeping in her bed while she was away was too invasive? Yeah, I couldn’t explain it, either.

She leaned in, trailing kisses along my jawline. Shivers spread out across my arms when she whispered against my neck. “I definitely want you in my bed. And I love you.”

Closing my eyes, a big, fat smile spread across my face. If only Madoc could see me now.

Or maybe not…

“Say it again.”

“I love you,” she said louder with a laugh in her voice.

“More,” I taunted.

“I love you.” She kissed my cheek. “I love you.” Another kiss. “I love you.” And she kept teasing me with her soft, wet kisses until I caught her lips and kissed her hard.

We’re never leaving this shower.

“How are you feeling?” I asked when I’d let her go.

“Good.” She nodded and wiggled her eyebrows. “Maybe we should see what it’s like in water.”

Heat and every other f**king source of energy inside of me shot downward, but the crushing disappointment hit me like a brick.

“Can’t,” I mumbled. “I don’t have any more condoms.”

Maybe Tate had some.

Wait… she f**king better not.

“Jared, I want a picture!” my loud-mouthed and unusually invasive mother shouted as I raced up the stairs.

Picture?

I shook off my annoyance as I looked for my car keys on my dresser. Tate and I were headed to Homecoming.

Scratch that—Tate, Madoc, and I were headed to Homecoming. They were both waiting outside when all I really wanted to do was punch him in the gut, send him home, and skip town with Tate for the weekend.

But…the ass**le did have a hand in making me jealous, forcing me to act, and he was a good friend.

Most of all, though, Tate wanted to go. I owed her that.

“No pictures. Jesus,” I cursed, shaking my head as I snatched my keys and rushed downstairs.

But my mother was waiting at the bottom. “Oh, no you don’t.” She grabbed my arm to stop me as I tried to walk past her.

I turned, trying to appear annoyed, but I was a little amused at how naturally she wore the mother role.

Ever since our heart-to-heart at the fish pond, we’d found some common ground. We still weren’t all hugs and kisses, but we spoke gentler and showed more patience.

“What?” I couldn’t hide the smile that peeked out. “I don’t do pictures…Mom.”

Her eyes widened with a sparkle, and she cleared her throat before straightening my black tie.

“Alright, but I do have something to say, and you’re not going to like it.” She kept her eyes trained on her task of fixing my tie and steadied her voice with a firm tone. “Honey, I couldn’t be happier that you and Tate found your way back to each other—”

Oh, Christ.

I started to turn away.

“But,” she said loudly, pulling me back around to face her, “baby mommas don’t usually marry baby daddies.”

Every word was bit out like I was too stupid to understand.

I cocked my head to the side and looked down at her, indulging her need to make a point I already understood.

Don’t get Tate pregnant. Yeah, thanks. I got it!

Her eyes peered up at mine, threatening. “You’ve been over there almost every night—well, every night, actually—and if you make me a thirty-six year old grandmother, I’m going to kill you.”

She was joking.

I think.

Anyway, my mother had nothing to worry about. Tate and I were careful, and she’d been keeping me off of her all week anyway. She didn’t want to get distracted from classes, and I hadn’t been pushing it.

Tonight, though? Yeah, she was in for it.

Letting out a sigh, I gave my mother a quick peck on the cheek and slid out the front door.

Tate was standing on her front porch, looking gorgeous as hell, talking to Madoc like they were friends.

I shook my head, not believing the turn of events. She’d broken his nose, kicked him in the junk, and traded words more than once with him.

But she was like her dad. Solve the problem and move on.

And Madoc was more than ready to move on. He had been excited for the dance, and was dressed to impress. We looked almost exactly the same, but whereas I wore all black, he changed his suit up with a purple tie.

Tate still looked the same—beautiful and glowing—but a little more dangerous. I half-expected to get in a fight over someone flirting with her tonight. She was wearing a tight, nude-colored, strapless dress that fell mid-thigh. I could see so much of her skin that it was pretty clear what she looked like naked.

Walking up to Tate, I kissed the soft spot under her ear. “Sorry that took so long. My mom was giving me a talk.”