The kid was growing up fast. He had to.

Fandora’s eyes went large. “Are you threatening to kill me?” she asked in disbelief.

“I will kill anyone who touches Trisha. I am done letting shit happen to her. She doesn’t deserve it. No one deserves it. I won’t let you anymore.”

“I won’t be attacked in my own house. If she hadn’t been flirting with my boyfriend, this wouldn’t have happened. He got angry and made her shut up and stop touching him. That’s why she’s laid up right now. I didn’t touch her.”

Krit let out a hard, furious laugh. “What the f**k ever! He had his hands all over Trisha, and she was fighting him off. She doesn’t want your sick, disgusting men. She’s got him.” Krit pointed at me. “What would she want with greasy, fat old men?”

Fandora stared at her son like she’d never seen him before. I expected this side of him was a first for her. He was a man now. She’d forced her little boy to become a man because of her actions. He was going to protect his sister no matter what.

“Krit, don’t. Just . . . go to your room and work on your homework. Okay?” Trisha’s soft voice broke through the tension in the room.

Krit looked at her, and a tenderness in his eyes replaced the hatred that had been there. “I love you. And because I love you I am done doing what you tell me to do. I won’t let you protect me anymore. I’m bigger than you, Sis. It’s time I kept you safe.”

I really liked that kid.

Trisha’s eyes filled with unshed tears as she looked at her little brother. “I’m okay. Just don’t do this to yourself. Go calm down and focus on your homework.”

“Oh, for f**k’s sake. I’m done with this bullshit. I’m going to bed. Don’t bother me,” Fandora snarled as she walked to the hallway and toward her bedroom door. As she passed Krit and me, she stopped and shoved something at Krit. “Here’s a fifty go get whatever food you need.” Then she slammed her door.

Krit held the fifty in his hand and looked at me, then Trisha. “We leaving or staying?”

“We don’t have anywhere to go. We need to stay. I’m just going to focus on figuring out where we can go sooner rather than later. I need to get a job as soon as I can.”

Krit frowned. “You don’t have a license or a car.”

Trisha shrugged. “I will figure it out. You just worry about your homework. I’ll also get the groceries.”

Like hell. She wasn’t going to go do anything. She needed to heal.

I took the money from Krit. “I’ll go get the groceries. You watch over her until I get back.”

He nodded and headed back into the living room. “I’ll do homework in here,” he told both of us.

“Rock, you have to go home. You need to get caught up with school and get to football practice,” Trisha said, sounding worried.

She was right. I did need to do those things if I wanted to survive going back to my house. My dad was going to be furious. But she was more important than any of that. “I have it under control,” I reassured her, which was sort of the truth. Dewayne had been getting my work every day, and his dad had written me an excuse for missing school. I had the flu as far as anyone else knew.

Trisha sighed and leaned back on her pillows. “Why are you doing this?”

“Because you need me,” I replied, then headed for the door. I wasn’t telling her anything more than that.

“Get milk,” Krit called out to me.

Trisha

After missing a week of school, I was ready to go back. Fandora ignored me completely, treating me as if I didn’t exist, and this was a wonderful thing. She hadn’t been at the trailer much. She stayed gone most of the time. Rock left school and came home to check on me at lunch every day and after practice. He was pleased Fandora was staying away. He’d also bought so many groceries I knew it wasn’t just fifty dollars’ worth. He’d added money to that. When I had tried to argue with him about it, he just blew me off like I wasn’t talking.

When Krit had been so excited over corn dogs and grapes, I decided to forgive Rock for spending his money on us.

This morning Rock was coming to get me for school. Krit wanted to ride the bus with Green, but he was insistent I ride with Rock to school. I was also not to carry my book bag or my books. Rock was planning on doing that until my ribs healed. The idea of walking through Sea Breeze High with Rock Taylor at my side all the time was exciting and intimidating. I knew girls wouldn’t see me as a reason to stay away from him.

“Bus is here. See you after school!” Krit called as he ran out the front door. Fandora hadn’t come home last night. So luckily she wasn’t here for us to worry about. Krit had carried my book bag to the living room and made me swear not to pick it up, to wait on Rock till he arrived.

I felt helpless and I hated that.

When the gravel crunched beneath tires outside, my heart fluttered. Silly heart.

I walked over to the window to see Rock open his truck door and step out. He was dressed in jeans and his practice football jersey. They wore them on Mondays after winning Friday night’s game.

It looked real good on him.

He knocked once and walked inside. Having him in the trailer made me remember how safe I felt when he had stayed with me. I liked that feeling. I liked him being here.

“Morning,” he said in a sexy drawl.

“Good morning,” I replied, feeling my face heat. I had to get control of this. Rock was my friend. He hadn’t flirted with me again after the night he’d picked me up on the side of the road. Our whole dynamic had changed. We were . . . friends. Just friends. That thought made me sad.

Shaking it off, I knew this was all we would ever be. I needed to be thankful for that. He was a great person to have as a friend. His protective nature was a major plus.

“You ready to go back?” he asked, picking up my book bag.

Not really, but it was better than being here. “Yeah. I have to catch up.”

He nodded, then held open the door. “I’ll help you.”

He was always helping me. It was going to get old for him soon enough. I was going to become a burden.

“You’ve got your own work to catch up on. I’ll be fine,” I assured him.

Rock just chuckled behind me. I didn’t glance back at him. My cheeks were warm and I wasn’t even sure why.

He stepped around me and opened the truck door for me, then held out his hand. I glanced down at his hand and frowned.

“Take my hand. I need to help you up so you don’t strain yourself,” he explained, clearly amused.

I wasn’t sure touching his hand was a good idea. My heart was already all fluttery and my face was warm. Rock was suddenly causing my body to react in crazy ways. “Okay,” I said almost too softly.

When I placed my hand in his much larger one, his closed around mine, sending warm shivers through my body from the contact. I was losing it.

“You good?” he asked me when I still hadn’t moved my hand from his once I was seated in his truck.

I jerked my hand away, feeling like an idiot, and nodded. “Yeah, thanks,” I muttered, and didn’t look at him.

He didn’t move right away, and I was finding it hard to breathe knowing he was looking at me. Finally I turned my gaze to see him staring at my legs. I glanced down and realized that my shorts had ridden up even shorter than they were. I had to get some bigger shorts. Not getting exercise was not helping me lose weight. I tried to tug on them. Rock cleared his throat and closed my door.

I took several calming breaths before he opened his door and climbed inside. I didn’t have a shirt loose enough to cover the fact that my ribs were wrapped either. My clothes seemed to be shrinking.

He started the truck and Tim McGraw’s voice filled the space. Rock grinned and reached over to turn down the music. “I blare music to wake up in the morning,” he explained.

I nodded. “Good idea.”

He looked at me a moment longer than necessary, but I wouldn’t meet his gaze. I was afraid my feelings were all over my face, and I needed to figure this out and protect that. Rock wasn’t asking for something more with me. He wanted to be friends and I had said yes. I needed to respect that.

“Did you sleep good?” he asked.

I had. The pain medicine I had to take at night to rest knocked me out. “Yeah. I slept good. You?” I asked.

He shrugged. “I guess. I sleep better in your room.”

Oh. I wasn’t sure what to say to that. So I studied my hands in my lap.

He didn’t say anything more. We rode in uncomfortable silence the rest of the way to school. Miraculously, there was a parking spot empty near the front. It was where he always parked. To the right of us was Marcus Hardy’s truck, and to the left was Dewayne Falco’s Mustang. It was like the three of them had parking spots that had been assigned. No one ever parked here but them.

“We’re here,” he said, stating the obvious. “Stay put. I’m helping you down.”

I did as I was told.

Rock opened my door and reached for my book bag, then slung it over his shoulder before holding out his hand for me.

Once again I slipped my hand in his, and he held on to me tightly as he eased me down from the truck. I only winced once, and Rock’s hand squeezed mine when I did. “You okay?” he asked, sounding concerned.

“Yes. I’m fine. Thank you,” I replied.

He didn’t let go of my hand as he closed the truck door. I waited for him to release me, but he didn’t. Instead his fingers threaded through mine. “Let’s go,” he said, and we headed for the entrance.

Excitement and confusion were battling inside me. Why was he holding my hand like this? He knew I didn’t need his help walking.

A whistle startled me, and I looked up to see Preston Drake grinning from ear to ear as his eyes zeroed in on our hands. I loosened my grasp, preparing for Rock to drop my hand like it was on fire. Instead he squeezed it tightly. “He’s a bitch-face sometimes. Ignore him. He means well,” Rock said, leaning down to me. Then he winked.

Rock winked at me.

What was going on?

“Finally got the girl. ’Bout damn time. You’ve worked hard enough for it,” Preston said with a smug grin on his face.

“Shut it, you shithead,” Rock grumbled. Preston only laughed in response.

“I’m . . . we aren’t . . .” I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to be explaining this or not.

“Yeah, we aren’t,” Rock finished for me, glaring at Preston. Then his hand released mine and I felt cold. And alone.

“Let’s get you to first period,” Rock said in a strained voice.

Something was wrong with him. His tone was hard, and I wasn’t used to that from him. At least not since we’d become friends.

“Okay,” I replied.

Rock

I stood at my locker, trying not to grab my books and start throwing shit. I was in the f**king friend zone with Trisha, and I was seeing now that I was stuck there. She didn’t see us any other way. I’d tested it this morning by holding her hand. She’d been blushing when I’d picked her up, and then she’d shivered when I’d touched her hand. For the first time I’d thought maybe I had gotten under that thick skin of hers.

I was wrong. Dammit.

Slamming my locker door, I took one more deep breath. I had to get control of this. Fact was, I wasn’t going anywhere. She needed me, and my infatuation with her was something deeper now. Stopping it seemed impossible. But if I was going to survive this, maybe I needed to shield my heart.

Hands slid up my back and nails scratched at my neck.

“Missed you this weekend at the party,” Rose said from behind me. She was pursuing me like her life depended on it.