I focused on a plank of the dark floor. I wondered what kind of wood it was. “I already told you,” I answered, hearing the edge in my voice.
“Why?”
“Because I want to.” I knew it was the wrong thing to say the second it came out of my mouth. I should have made something up. The mattress hurt my back. There were bedbugs. I didn’t feel safe. Something else. Anything else.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw his chin drop toward his throat, and those purple eyes flashed in the lamp-lit room. “You’re lying.”
I kept the sigh in my mouth and lifted my gaze to focus on the dresser knob in front of me. If I didn’t answer him, I wouldn’t be lying. There. Problem solved.
His hand moved so fast that his cool fingers were under my chin before I’d even blinked. “Tell me the truth.”
I tried to look at the ceiling, but he moved his face back into my line of sight, the son of a bitch.
He was frowning. “Since when do you not look me in the eye?”
Is that what he wanted? Fine. I did it. I even made them wider than normal so he wouldn’t have anything to complain about.
And those intense eyeballs did what they wanted to do. They moved over me, once, then twice, down my throat, where they lingered… below. I’d put on a tank top to sleep. I hadn’t worn a bra; my nipples were on the bottom of my list of things to worry about. If they offended him, he could only blame his own damn self for looking at them. When I’d been younger, I’d been so self-conscious about my boobs. My grandma had made me buy shirts two sizes bigger to hide them.
They weren’t hiding now.
A hell of a lot slower than I would have expected, his attention moved back toward my face. His frown was gone, a scowl in its place. Again.
Oh boy.
“I don’t have the patience for your bullshit today, little monster. Tell me why you’re on the floor,” he grumbled, annoyed.
Oh no. Oh no, no, no.
Reaching up, I wrapped my fingers around his wrist and pulled.
It didn’t do shit, but his eyes went hooded, and I could tell, I could tell, he was mad. Madder at least.
Too damn bad.
“I don’t care what you do or don’t have time for. Me sleeping on the floor doesn’t affect you at all.”
His eyelids dropped even lower over those incredible irises. “Yes, it does, because you’re my responsibility, and I need to know what’s going on in your head.”
It took everything in me not to roll my eyes so hard they got stuck in the back of my head. “I’m not, and I don’t need to be. I can take care of myself, and anyway, I’m not going to be in your life much longer, so don’t waste your time. You’ve got better things to do, after all,” I said, tugging on his wrist again.
He still didn’t budge or let me get out of his hold either, but what was I supposed to do? Not try?
What he did do was lean forward. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
This pain in the ass… “You’ve got enough going on, and I’ve spent my whole life hiding. I can hide for the rest of it. I know things. I know people.” That part was a lie, but it didn’t matter. I needed my phone. I needed to call the cops and see if I was in trouble. Find a way to get into my safe deposit box. I needed to file a claim for my insurance. I might have to go back to New Mexico to do it, even though that was dangerous.
Then there was everything else.
Alex’s jaw went hard. “What people do you know?”
“People!” I hissed at him, fed up.
Oh, he didn’t like that. “You’re my obligation now.”
I swear… “I don’t need to be. I didn’t ask for any of this.”
“You think I did? But I’m trying to take responsibility—”
Was he for real? I stared at him and shook my head. “Yeah, I know, you made that clear. You knew about me years ago and didn’t want to meet me, why would you want to know me now, right? It’s all my fault. It’s my fault for being born, and it’s my fault that things happen.” I made my hand into a fist, my heart hurting all of a sudden. Why did this always happen to me? Was I cursed? Was that it?
Why me?
My nose burned like Satan had lit a fire in it, but I refused to fucking cry or look away. I tipped my chin up a little higher, because fuck. This. Guy. Again. “You can do whatever you need to do without worrying about me. I don’t need or want you to go through with your end of our ‘bargain.’ The bargain you didn’t ask for or want any part of.” I made quotation marks with my fingers. “Don’t worry about it. It’s done. We’re done. I’d appreciate it if you let me stay here until I get my phone at least.”
He stared at me, and his head tipped to the side, that hypnotic voice barely audible. “We’re done?”
How did he have the power to hurt my feelings so much? I squeezed my hand even tighter, lowering my head to focus on my lap. He didn’t want to be my friend, and he never had. This pain in my chest would pass eventually. One day, I’d come to terms with his fucking attitude and his decisions and reticence. “I’ll be out of here as soon as I can get my financial situation sorted.”
Why did I feel so betrayed?
Why was I so mad at him and sad?
Alex’s hand cupped my jaw, and I’d swear I could feel his energy, his power, radiating through my skin. “You don’t get to decide whether I live up to my promises or not,” he said softly.
I gritted my teeth. “Pretty sure I do when it involves me.” Now I was the crabby ass, but you know what? I didn’t care. I was done. Regardless of what he said, what he thought, I hadn’t asked for this. I hadn’t wanted this ever; I never wanted to bother anybody.
I wanted to fucking cry. I wanted to fucking cry now, but I wouldn’t.
“I gave you my word.”
That got me to look up and meet him dead in the eye. “And I’m freeing you from it. You don’t want to deal with me. I get it. It’s fine.” I’d already bothered enough people in my life.
One eyebrow went up, and then the other, his gaze bouncing around mine. I’d swear the charge his body put off seemed to ramp up like some kind of jet about to take off. An electrified vibe suddenly filled the air.
It felt so, so weird.
And I was going to ignore the fact that whatever it was made my nipples go hard.
I set my jaw. “You don’t owe me anything. I chose to help you, and I’m not going to regret that I did the right thing.” Even if he was a moody shithead. “You don’t do nice things and expect something in return. That’s not why I did it.” I lifted my shoulders. “It’s fine. Promise.”
You could’ve heard a pin drop as I lowered my cheek to my shoulder and rubbed my eye against it.
His eyes were glowing so, so faintly when I lifted my gaze.
His hand moved, just an inch, his fingers sliding across the bone of my jaw, making my skin prickle. “You’re planning on leaving?” he asked softly, his power making the air even thicker.
My damn nipples were the first to notice too.
I swallowed and sat up straight. “Go live your life or do whatever it is you need to do. Can I have my face back now?”