Emma's Pov

"Did you do this by yourself?" He asks referring to the broken glass after a moment

I look through the mirror to see our background and a small smile creeps across my face and I nod in response.

A soft chuckle escapes his lips before he looks down at me shaking his head.

"You never told me told me you were this destructive," He teases lightening up the mood

My grin widens and that's when I come to the conclusion that he doesn't care how I am. He isn't fazed by this side of me, that no one else has seen or going to see.

"Well that's because you never asked California," I rebuttle and his grip on my waist tightens

I make the mental note of his new nickname as he buries his head in the crook of my neck, the gesture making me feel mellow. Soon after he looks down at my hands and sees the fragmented glass between my fingers and glares at me.

But that's the least of my problems. Going back to my parents and having Nathan tell on me for being with his stepbrother when he told me not to, is my biggest worry of them all.

To say that they would be angry would be an understatement.

"Wanna go home?" He whispers in my ear and a shaky breath whirls through me making his eyebrow rise in question

He has more of an affect on me than we know, since I've never been touched or spoken to this way. I've only heared the chaotic side of my parents and Nathan, so hearing someone with a gentle tone is new to me.

"Um, n - no. I don't know where I want to go, b - but I don't want to mess up your trip," I reply hastily and he nods in response

It's impossible to believe that he's become better at understanding me more than Nathan does. More than my parents do. More than I do.

"I can take you somewhere that I always used to go when I needed to cool off," He suggests and I nod softly in hopes of getting away from here

I dislike the fact that I ruined this for him, but I can't say that the fight they had was just about me. It's clear that they've had disputes in the past of their own.

"You need to get that glass out of your hands too," He informs me and I roll my eyes

"It doesn't hurt though, plus it looks good on me, don't you think so?" I reply cracking a joke but he looks at me with a deadly serious look that tells me that he's not playing

"Ugh, fine, you're no fun," I reply with a huff and pout and he smirks

He unfolds his arms around me and wraps his hand around my wrist careful not to touch my hand where the glass is, and leads me towards the door.

Yet I stop in my tracks and look at him intensely. I couldn't just go back out there with everything that just happened. I hate disappointing people and the stares that people would give me, would only give her more of a reason to amplify the worry.

He looks back at me and senses my hesitation, but instead of replying, he takes his pullover off, his muscles contracting in the process causing me to bite my lip tenderly.

When it's fully off, he holds it out to me and my eyes gawk over his arms peering through this t-shirt. His tattooes on full display. He has ink cascading from his right shoulder to his wrist and I gulp in response, as it's my first time seeing someone with so many tattoos.

I've always wanted one, but my parents believe it's absurd to have something permanetly on your body that has no meaning, but to me, it's another form of self expression.

He shakes the pullover in his hand, bringing me out of my thoughts and I mumble my appreciation, pulling it over my head.

Once it's on me, he gives me a look of approval and comes closer to pull the hoodie over my forehead, then kisses it softly. The moment makes me blush heavily and blink rapidly to see if I'm dreaming and when he grabs my wrist, my hesitation flies out the window as I allow him to lead me out the door.

Instantly, I lower my head and some people come up to us wanting to know why the boys were fighting and why the "new kid" is being so protective over me, but Mateo bares his teeth while throwing daggers at them, making them to scatter away.

After a while, we finally make it outside to get in the car, and he revvs up the engine, taking off quickly.

About a few seconds in, I remember that I left all my stuff at the place, but before I can tell him, he informs me that he grabbed "my entire house" and put it back into the trunk which makes me stifle a laugh.

It's crazy how I told myself that I needed to stay away from him and now I'm in his passenger seat laughing with and at him.

After a while, I see the street signs that I've seen all my life and when we pull up in front of a small cafe that isn't too far from the school, I smile.

It's been a minute since I've went to one, but every time it passes my line of sight, I make a mental note to go, but never have the time.

We both get out of the car and he walks towards the door and open it for me. We both walk in and find a table at the very back, and I throw him another smile of appreciation.

The waiter, whose name is Liam, comes by in a flash since there isn't many people here and takes out his notepad.

"Good evening, what may I get you?" He asks looking towards Mateo

The gesture takes me off guard since he ignores my presence but something tells me to wait it out, so I do.

"I'll take my regular, and she'll have the same," He tells him and he writes it down and goes to the back after nodding

My eyes dart from Liam, to Mateo, to the back door that Liam walks through, then back to Mateo, and he laughs.

"Is there a problem bunny?" He asks amused and I scoff in response

"Yes, yes there is. He didn't even look my way, it's like I was invisible, and that's not how you should treat a customer," I complain and huff like a child and he mockingly nods

"Well bunny, that's his way of showing respect. In his eyes, if there's a male taking the order, he'd look at the male so the female doesn't feel uncomfortable or like he's flirting with her, and it's vise versa for the female workers," He replies and my jaw almost drops to the floor

Mateo smirks and when I stay silent he laughs softly.

"You've never had that happen to you have you?" He asks already knowing the answer and I stick my tongue out at him

His eyes dilate the way they did when we were in the elevator, and he leans in closer to where I could only hear him.

"The next time you stick your tongue out, it will be around my dick. Don't make me act a fool in this damn cafe Bunny," He threatens and my eyes widen at his tone of seriousness

His voice is also deeper than what it usually is and I find myself squeezing my thighs together in response.

No one has ever said the dirty things he has to or around me, and I feel something, like a shiver, run down my spine towards my netherlands, and it causes me to bite my lip harder.

The look he's giving me only tells me that he can back up his words with actions, and when he smirks taking in my reaction, he knows that I know.

Suddenly, Liam comes back with our food and drinks and because I'm still in shock, it takes me a while to register that he's asking me to tell him if we have anything wrong with the order.

Mateo politely tells him that we will, waves him off, and when Liam leaves, he turns his attention back to me.

"You need to eat. Next we can go to your house since your parents are more than likely still at work so we can get the glass out,"