“Oh, I know.” His lips quirk. “I saw your little ‘bad girl’ earring.”
I choke on air meant to revive me and focus on his taunting eyes. “Mywhat?”
He steps closer, brushing the hair over my left ear. “This one.” His featherlight touch brushes the top of my ear. “And these.” He tugs lightly on my gold hoops.
“These are common piercings.” I stutter on the words as butterflies race down the left side of my body.
“Not for you.” His eyes are intense, like he can seemore than he should—probably because he can. I’ve always been terrified of needles, so getting not one, but three holes in my body took some bravery.
“I remember everything.”His words from earlier hit me again, harder this time.
“Is there a story there?” he asks so softly it’s like a caress, a gentle nudge to open up. He knows me, and it feels good to be remembered, even if I’m still mad at him.
The distance between us grows smaller, but I’m not moving.
My eyes find his lips. What would it be like to kiss him after all this time? Would it be a raging fire? Or would there only be ashes where there used to be flames?
I want to test the waters—grab his hand again, run my fingers over his jaw.
“Maya…” His voice is low and rough, desire hidden within the resistance. But he won’t let himself give in to it. I can see it in his hesitancy to really touch me. Just like last time, he’s already one foot out the door.
I take a step back, ripping myself out of his magnetic orbit.
“My roommate stole my boyfriend,” I blurt.
Soren blinks. “That’s… terrible?”
I keep backing up, and as I go, my mouth spews words I can’t keep inside.
“It was actually a blessing in disguise. Turns out he had stolen my identity and racked up a ton of debt. Then, my roommate framed me at work. A chess piece went missing from an ancient set, and they couldn’t find it, and she…” I shake my head. “That was ten months ago. I lost my job.” Like a freight train, my words keep chugging full steam ahead. “So yeah, I got my ears pierced. It felt like I needed something to control. Or maybe I just wanted to add more pain to my misery.”
Soren’s brows furrow, and he crosses his arms, slowly shaking his head. “Why didn’t you tell someone about your roommate? Why didn’t you ask for help?”
“You think anyone believed me? I’m lucky I wasn’t arrested.” I want to pull those last words back in. They have never seen the light of day. They’ve been banished to the dark abyss of fear in my brain. “She didn’t say I’d taken it but hinted at it heavily enough to get me fired and ensure I neverpicked up another job handling precious treasure.”
“That’s why you lied about your name.”
“Yep, and it worked like a charm. I’m the proud babysitter of a diabolical delinquent.”
“I’m sor—”
“Don’t say it.” I hold up a hand. “Don’t say you’re sorry. It’s not your fault. I was too naïve.” Just like everyone said I was. My parents warned me. They told me I wasn’t cutthroat enough to make it in this town.
His frown somehow deepens even further, and he takes a step closer to me. “You’re not naïve; you’re kind. There’s a difference. If that guy–”
“Waldo,” I offer.
“What?”
“His name was Waldo.”
He snickers. “You dated a guy named Waldo and didn’t think to question his motives?”
I lift a shoulder. “He was hot.”
“Hot for aWaldo,” he says it low and slow and with an unfair amount of amusement. “Did he wear red-and-white stripes and make you find him every time you went out?”
I bite the inside of my cheek. “Stop!” I groan at myself and throw my hands in the air. “See?”
