“Hi, Aunt Bess. I’m just in the mood for one of your awesome burgers,” Brody said with a smile, dropping my hand so he could give his aunt a hug over the counter.

“And who’s this?” The woman glanced at me and then back to Brody.

“This is my friend, Willow. Willow, this is my Aunt Bess.”

“Hi, sweetie,” Bess said, turning her smile on me.

“Hi. It’s nice to meet you.” I smiled back at her. Her smile was contagious.

“So, you’re here for burgers, huh? Let me guess. A big Cheesy and a chocolate milkshake for you, Brody?”

Brody laughed. “I guess I’m getting too predictable. I’m going to have to switch it up one of these days. Keep you on your toes.”

Brody’s aunt winked at him before turning to me and asking, “And what would you like, Willow?”

“Um.” I looked at Brody. “Why don’t you order for me?”

“Nope.” He shook his head. “I know how much you hate that.”

I tapped the counter with my finger and read the menu under the glass on the counter. “I think I’ll try the little cheesy, and I’d like an order of onion rings, please, with a Coke.”

“Good choice.” Brody’s aunt wrote everything down on a ticket. “I’ll bring it right out to you, but, Willow?”

“Yes?”

“You really should have a milkshake. They’re the bomb, if I do say so myself,” she said with a giggle.

“Okay. I’ll try a chocolate,” I said, smiling at her giggles. I immediately liked Brody’s aunt.

“Do you want to play pool while we wait for our burgers?” Brody nodded at the pool tables. “Do you know how to play?”

I shook my head and concentrated on schooling my features. “No,” I lied.

“Well, I can teach you. I’m not too bad.”

Score. That’s what I was hoping you’d say.

Brody racked the balls and selected our cues. “You want to break?” He handed me a pool cue.

“Um, sure, I can break.” I took the cue from Brody and stood in front of the pool table, pretending like I had no idea what I was doing.

“Here, let me help you line up your shot.” Brody moved beside me and wrapped his arms around me, holding the pool cue with me. “Here, place your hands like this.” He adjusted my grip.

Oh, yeah. This is exactly what I was hoping for. Not a good idea, but, oh, it feels so good not to be right.

His warmth scorched my skin, and my body soaked up the feel of him to relive later. I was thoroughly enjoying having Brody’s arms around me. Pool was my new favorite game.

I’ve died and went to hell, because now I know what it feels like to have his arms around me. This was a bad idea, a very bad idea.

We pulled the pool cue back to make the shot. I nearly groaned as I felt his muscles flex and contract against me. The ball rolled down the pool table and cracked against the balls at the other end, sending them flying across the felt. Three balls sunk into the pockets. Brody looked at me and smiled.

“Good job. Do you want to be stripes or solids?”

“Well, since I sunk two stripes, I guess I’ll pick stripes.” I gave his shoulder playful nudge with mine. Well, sort of. My shoulder didn’t actually reach his.

“It’s still your shot,” Brody said, studying the table. When he decided on our next shot, he held his arm out to me. “This looks like a fairly easy one.”

I walked into his outstretched arm, my heart racing. Brody immediately wrapped both arms around me to help me take the shot. We bent over the table to line it up. It was an easy play and I normally would’ve made it, but I missed. My hands were shaking. My mind was numb, but my body hummed. I couldn’t concentrate on pool. I could barely remember my name.

Brody took his turn, sinking shot after shot. I wondered if I would get another turn. It was obvious he spent a great deal of time at his aunt’s bar playing pool.

“You’re pretty good, Ace.”

Brody looked at me and grinned. “I’m around here a lot. My mom travels a lot on business, so I spend time with my aunt. She makes sure I get fed when my mom’s gone.”

“What does your mom do?”

“She’s a sales rep. for a pharmaceutical company.” He took another shot, and I barely held in my groan as I watched his muscles in his shoulders and back.

“Do you have any brothers or sisters?” I asked.

“Nope. It’s just me.”

It was my turn again. I looked over my shoulder. “Sounds kind of lonely,” I told him. My voice was all breathy and soft, so very embarrassing. It was hard to talk with his arms around me.

“Sometimes. But think of all the wild parties I can have.” Our faces were close. His eyes dipped to my mouth, and then back to my eyes.

I took—and missed—my shot. “Ah, I think I just found out the reason for your bad boy reputation,” I said, as Brody’s arms slid away from me.

“Pssh, too bad all my parties are study sessions. That’s about as wild as I get.”

We finished our game of pool—he won, of course—just as our burgers arrived. We slid into a booth as the waitress placed our burgers in front of us. We didn’t talk much as we ate. Our eyes would meet across the table every so often, and we’d smile at each other before looking away.

“Mm, you’re right. Your aunt’s burgers are the best. And this milkshake is to die for,” I said, scooping out the last of my chocolate shake.

“I told you. Willow…”

I looked up and raised my eyebrows when his voice trailed off.

He let out a breath and threw his napkin on his plate. “I’d never lie to you.”

“Okay,” I said slowly, pushing my plate away and focusing my attention on him.

“I hope you and I are past the love-to-hate-each-other phase of our relationship and have moved into a friendship.” He looked at the dark green table and spun his fork in circles.

“I think it’s safe to say we have,” I answered.

And then some.

“So, I hope you’d never lie to me.” He looked up at me through his lashes.

“I wouldn’t.”

Except about not being able to play pool, but that was for a very good reason.

He let out a frustrated breath. “I saw the bruises.” I stiffened. “When I bent over to help you line up your shot. Your shirt pulled back and to the side, and I saw the bruises on your back.”

“Oh.” I looked down at the table, making circles on it with my finger.

“Look at me. Willow, look at me. Please,” Brody said softly. I slowly raised my eyes to his. “Who’s doing that to you?”

I opened my mouth to answer, but I snapped it shut before I said anything. Shaking my head, I fought the tears pushing at the back of my eyes. I bit my lip and squeezed my eyes closed.

I won’t cry. I’m stronger than that. Tim and Jenna ask me about my bruises. I don’t cry then. I won’t cry now. But the look in his eyes… he really looks like he cares.

“You can tell me. Is it Jaden?”

“I don’t want to talk about it, Brody. I promised I wouldn’t lie to you, but if we keep talking about this, I’ll have to break that promise… and I don’t want to. Just… It’s okay. I’m fine. Let’s leave it at that, okay?”

“No. It isn’t okay. Someone is hurting you. That’s not okay.” He reached across the table and took my hand, rubbing his thumb over the top of it. “There are places that can help, people you can talk to.”

“Trust me, it wouldn’t help. I need to get home. Are you ready?” I asked, grabbing my purse.

Brody stared at me for a second before he stood up. “Yeah, I’m ready.”

We said goodbye to Brody’s aunt and walked silently to the parking lot. Brody unlocked and held the passenger door of the Jeep open for me. He slammed it shut, and I flinched. We didn’t speak during the short drive back to the school where I’d left my car. He pulled up beside my car and threw the Jeep in park, jolting us both forward. I reached for the door handle.

“Wait,” Brody said, his tone clipped. I pulled my hand back. He climbed out of the Jeep and walked around to open my door for me. “Give me your keys.” He took them from my hand, unlocked, and opened the driver’s side door of my car. As he held it open for me, he said, “You’re wrong, you know.”