Page 85 of Ride or Die

“C’mere, baby,” I whisper, patting one hand against my thigh and holding the other out for her.

She takes my proffered hand and steps down, taking a seat. I wrap my arm around her waist, gazing up at her beautiful face, searching her eyes that reflect the muted light of the stars.

“Talk to me,” I say softly.

Her throat works with a swallow and she looks down to where I’m drawing deft circles over the soft skin on her thigh. “I was so scared today. After we stopped in that ditch, the car was so silent, so still. I was… terrified—” A sob bubbles up the back of her throat and she wipes her nose with the back of her hand, still staring down as I continue tracing circles over her skin.

“I know it was just a busted tire, or whatever… and it could’ve been way worse”—she shakes her head—“but in that moment, I was so scared that I’d lost them because those kids are my whole life.”

“Hey, shhh.” I pull her closer, cupping her head as she cries again, softly against my shoulder, her body racking gently with each sob. “It’s okay. You’re okay.”

“And then Billie said she wants her daddy and”—she hiccups—“I don’t know, that just really hurt my feelings.”

“Aw, baby,” I whisper into her hair. “Billie didn’t mean what she said, you know that.”

Sniffing, Clara pulls back again, swiping at the tears trailing her cheeks. “I know. It’s just been a lot. The accident. The ambulance. The hospital. And then you coming there to get us.” She looks at me then, searching my eyes. “No one has ever done anything like that for me before. A few years ago, when Billie was still a baby, Tommy got really sick and I had to take him to the hospital. They thought he had meningococcal, and we were there for two days.”

“Shit,” I mutter under my breath.

“When I asked Cain why he didn’t come to the hospital, he’d just shrugged and said…not my kid.” She scoffs, shaking her head as more tears brim in her eyes.

Anger roils through me, searing my veins, my molars grinding to the point of pain.

Clara stares at me, her eyes flitting between mine. “You didn’t hesitate. God, your friend even gave you her truck todrive.” She huffs exasperatedly, shaking her head again. “Mama Joy left her event and came here… I’ve never had this in my life, and I feel so bad for snapping because I truly am so grateful, it was… just… a lot.” She breaks down again, pulling up the neck of her T-shirt and wiping her tears, burying her face.

“Clara?” I clear my throat, shifting in my seat and squeezing my arm around her a little tighter, forcing her to look at me because I need her to see me, toreallysee me. And to know that I’m here. That I’mreallyhere and I ain’t going nowhere.

Sniffling again, Clara lifts her chin and meets my eyes. “Sorry.”

“First of all,” I begin, “what’d I tell you about apologizin’ to me.”

She sniffs a small laugh, her lips curling up despite her tears.

“Secondly, baby—” I steady her with a serious look, cupping her cheek while I work through exactly what I know I need to tell her without scaring her the fuck off. “I’m here. Always. And I know you don’t want or necessarilyneedthe help, but I’m gonna help you anyway. Because that’s what people do for those who they…careabout.” I swallow hard at the word. Care. But when I see her eyes flare a touch, I wonder if she knows what I’m not saying, I wonder if maybe she might even feel it too. I lower my chin, looking deeper into her eyes. “Because I do, baby,” I whisper. “I… I care about you.”

Clara wraps her arms around my neck, resting her forehead against mine and closing her eyes, releasing a soft breath. “I… care about you, too.”

“You do?”

Her eyes open and they look straight into mine. “I do.”

The breath I exhale shudders with the anxious uncertainty I’ve been holding in, and my whole body sags. Because I can’t be sure, but I’m almost positive she loves me too, even if neither of us can say the word just yet. But then, when her lips meet mine,her tongue edging into my mouth in a kiss so soft, so sweet, so easy, as she melts into me, kissing me with everything she has while holding onto me like she’s never going to let me go, I know then, without a sliver of a doubt, that she feels it too.

CHAPTER 32

CLARA

Iwrap my arms tighter around Cole’s neck, kissing him with everything that I have, moaning when he returns the kiss with just as much gusto, his big hand wrapping around the back of my head and holding me close, taking all that I’m willing to give.

Pulling away, I’m practically panting as I stare at him, noticing a fire in his heavy-lidded eyes. And I suddenly want him. More than anything right now, I want Cole, in every way.

“Stay with me,” I breathe out, looking between his eyes. “Please?”

Cole’s gaze roves my face, searching my eyes, falling to my lips before meeting my gaze once again and arching a brow. “Yeah?”

I nod quickly, urgently.

He releases a breath, looking at me as if I invented beer or something, and I can’t help but flash him a shy smile he returns with a dimpled grin. And then his lips are on mine again, the kiss a little filthy this time. The way his tongue licks into my mouth, stroking mine, I feel it between my thighs and I can’t contain the whimper that slips out of my mouth and into his, causing a deep groan to rumble from the back of his throat.