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They seemed to be getting along, which made me sick.
What if he liked her more than me?
Maybe he’d had enough of sharp tongues and rough edges. Maybe he longed for someone soft.
I couldn’t even stand the thought.
I turned around and started striding away.
“Did I say something?” I heard Tiffany asking him.
“Nah. We just had plans. Catch you later.”
I heard him running up to me, falling in beside me, but I ignored him.
“You don’t have to come with me,” I bit out. “Go back to your new girlfriend. Do whatever you want. I don’t even care anymore.”
I swear I could hear him grinding his teeth, but he didn’t respond at first. We were into the trees before he spoke.
“What the fuck?” finally burst out of him. “What is it with you? I was being polite. We talked about nothing for five minutes with you right there. I was just being nice.”
“You and I were supposed to have plans. You weren’t supposed to bring her along.”
“I didn’t! She came by Gram’s house to say hi to me. The timing wasn’t good, but it was a perfectly normal thing to do, unlike how you’re acting right now!”
I rounded on him. He’d hit a nerve and I wanted to hit him back. “If you don’t like the way I’m acting, if you don’t think it’s normal enough for you, then leave me the hell alone. If you don’t want to fight, you followed the wrong girl! Go follow her instead, if that’s what you want!”
He made a noise of deep frustration. “It’s not what I fucking want! What is your problem? Why do you turn everything into a fight?”
“That’s what you think I do? Turn everything into a fight?”
“Sometimes it feels that way,” he responded with no hesitation.
“That’s all you think I am,” I returned dully. My jabs were delivered furiously, but his always hit harder. “One messy fighter of a girl and apparently now you’re sick of the challenge. Why do you even bother with me?” I started walking away again, because I didn’t know what else to do. I just wanted to go somewhere and lick my wounds.
He didn’t let me get far, but when he tried to touch me, I fought him.
He wasn’t deterred, hugging me from behind, pinning my arms to my sides. He buried his face in my neck. “Not true,” he finally spoke.
He was out of breath from the struggle. At least I hadn’t made it easy on him.
“You’re letting your insecurity get the best of you,” he continued. “You’re a fighter, yes, but that is far from all that you are. And I do see all of you, Scarlett. You’re more to me than a challenge.”
“What, then? What am I to you?”
He moaned and kissed my neck, which was about the fastest way he could weaken me. “My angel.”
CHAPTER
TWENTY-SIX
“Lead us not into temptation. Just tell us where it is; we’ll find it.”
~Sam Levenson
PRESENT
Dante joined me at the butler’s pantry, pouring himself a fresh scotch.
