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I was never so relieved to hear those words. Sitting in the silence, I tried to work through my rampant emotions.
“Shannon, I’m sorry.”
Startled, I turned to look at Johnny, wondering if I was hearing things, only to find him looking straight back at me with an expectant expression. “What?”
“I’m a prick.” Johnny shook his head and exhaled a frustrated breath. “I tell you to trust me and then I turn around and act like that?” He hurried to explain, only to stumble over his next hurdle of words. “I shouldn’t… It’s just that…I never normally… I don’t… You’re the only girl I’ve—” He blew out a breath and gestured between us before finally saying, “I’m not good at this, Shannon.”
“Not good at what?” Now it was my turn to look confused. “Talking? Because you don’t have to talk about it. I didn’t ask you to.”
“You’re not hearing me,” he snapped, then shook his head, looking annoyed with himself. “No. I’m not saying this right.”
“Saying what right?”
Johnny ran a frustrated hand through his hair and expelled a harsh breath.
“I overreacted,” he finally said.
“Yeah,” I replied flatly. “You’re pretty good at that.”
Disappointed, I folded my arms across my chest and then turned back toward the window, but he grabbed my arm, pulling me back to face him.
“Don’t do that,” he said, voice low and gruff, keeping his hand on my arm.
I released a trembling breath, forcing my body not to freak out from the contact, and asked, “Do what?”
“Block me out.”
“Pot meet kettle,” I snapped, turning my face away.
“You can’t ignore me,” Johnny pushed, trying for humor. “We have a friendship contract.”
I wasn’t laughing.
“Then rip it up,” I told him, then yanked my arm free.
“Shannon, let me explain.”
“Leave me alone.”
“Shannon, come on—”
“No.”
“Look at me.”
I folded my arms across my chest. “No.”
Johnny sighed. “Shannon, please.”
“I said no!” I snapped. “You did this to me in your car and you’re doing it again now. That’s a pattern. I don’t like those kinds of patterns. So, no!”
Johnny released a frustrated growl. Seconds later, I felt his hand on my neck as he leaned over my seat and pulled my body sideways to face him.
Stunned, I could do nothing but stare up at him. “Wh-what are you doing?”
Johnny’s eyes were wild and heated, panicked and interested, as they flickered from my eyes to my lips.
For the briefest of moments, I thought he was about to kiss me. But he didn’t.
