I clutch onto her hand, bringing it to rest on my thigh. My eyes are on the road, but I can tell hers are on me. It makes me wonder what she sees.

Do I look like some guy who has my shit together?

Or do I look like a guy who’s close to losing his shit altogether?

I hope she sees the former, though I’m one hundred percent the latter.

“Who called earlier?” I ask, glancing over at her.

She stiffens. “Mom.”

“Did she leave a message?”

“No. She never does. There was a text, though, that said she wants to talk about my behavior lately.”

I bristle at anyone thinking Willa is anything but a sweet, good girl. “Your behavior? Has she lost her mind?”

“To Darren,” she spits out bitterly. “Sorry. She just makes me angry sometimes.”

Bringing our conjoined hands to my lips, I kiss one of her knuckles. “I’m the king of being angry at a parent. I get it.”

“She’s just so up and down.” She sighs heavily. “I’m tired of always being the one to try, you know?”

“I’m sorry things are rough at home.”

“I could leave,” she murmurs. “I think about it a lot.”

“But you’ll miss her.”

“I don’t trust Darren not to completely drown my mother. Not literally. I just feel like she’s held on this long, for me, but he’s winning. She’s a shell of the woman I adored when I was young.”

We pull into the library and I turn off the car. Since the library is open until nine, the parking lot is still fairly full, being that it’s only seven.

“Is someone picking you up from here?” I ask her.

“No. I’ll walk home.”

“Not in the dark and alone you won’t.”

She leans over the console and I go to her, her magnetism drawing me in. Our mouths meet for a kiss that feels like one of the last few I’ll get tonight. The thought is sobering and causes my stomach to sour.

It’s a damn shame I can’t keep her at my house and in my bed all night.

“Callum?”

“Mmm?” I nip at her bottom lip.

“I’ve never really dated anyone before. Is this, uh, is this how it always is?”

“What?”

“This feeling,” she murmurs. “Wanting the other person so badly it physically aches.”

“Like the time you have with them is limited and never enough?”

“Exactly.”

“It’s never been this consuming for me,” I admit. “I can’t think about shit, sweetheart. Only being with you.”

“At least I’m not alone.” She sighs. “You can drive me home, but we have to be careful. If Darren or Levi are home and see you, this could be bad for us.”

I understand the risks.

Willa Reyes is worth every goddamn one of them.