“So, last night…” I start, trying to find the right words, but she cuts me off before I can get any further.
“Never happened,” she quickly finishes, as if she’s been rehearsing that response.
I frown, shaking my head. “No, we’re not doing that again.”
“That’s how it has to be, Matty.”
“Why?” I challenge, a rough edge of frustration creeping into my voice. “Ilikeyou, Blair, and I know you like me. Why can’t you just admit it and stop fighting this? Why can’t–”
“You’re a human,” she interrupts, her voice strained. “I’m a shifter. It’ll never work.”
“Why not?” I scoff. “It seemed to work pretty damn well last night.”
She scowls, averting her eyes as she shakes her head. “Last night was a mistake.”
“Was it?” I fire back, arching a brow.
Blair stares back at me, chewing on the inside of her cheek. She always does that when she wants to say something, as if she’s actively trying to bite back her words.
I scrub a hand over my face, shaking my head. “Don’t act like it wasn’t great.”
“Of course it was great!” she exclaims, punching her fists against the mattress on either side of her hips. “That’s the problem, don’t you get it? Fucking a hunter is like stomping all over Dylan’s grave, and actually enjoying it is like spitting on it as an added ‘fuck you’.”
Well shit, that hits harder than I expect. I freeze, staring at Blair, searching her face for any hint of what she’s really feeling. Survivor’s guilt, sure, but is it truly regret?
I don’t think it is. I think she’s just scared to admit what she feels.
“So, what? You just never get to be happy again?” I grumble.
She scoffs a laugh, rolling her eyes. “Who said I was ever happy before?”
Her words hit me like a punch to the gut. I just stare at her for a long moment, completely dumbfounded. Then when I open my mouth, everything just comes tumbling out.
“You can be,” I say, holding steady eye contact. “I could make you happy, Blair. I really think I could if you’d stop pushing me away and give me a fucking chance. Let me take you out on a real date, prove it to you. And if that doesn’t change your mind, then fine, at least I tried. But there’s something here and youknowit.”
Blair’s lashes flutter as she blinks back at me– and while I should be glad that she’s not immediately popping off with all the reasons we can’t do this, her silence is unnerving.
Then she laughs. It’s sharp and bitter, but a laugh, nonetheless.
“When would we even have time to go on a date?” she snorts, rolling her eyes. “We’re always working, Matty.”
“Then we’ll make time,” I say firmly.
We stare at one another for a long moment, my heart beating a riot in my chest.
“Okay,” she finally whispers, dipping her chin in a barely perceptible nod before dropping her gaze back to her computer screen.
My heart trips over its valves.
Did she actually just agree to go out with me?
We’re doing this kinda backwards since we already fucked, but shit, I’ll take it.
“For the record, I’m agreeing to a date, not to let you get in my pants again,” she murmurs absently. “Last night was an anomaly. I’ve never done that before.”
I hesitate, a sheepish grin tugging at the corner of my mouth. “Me neither,” I admit quietly. “Pretty epic first time though, right?”
Blair’s fingers still on her keyboard as she jerks her head up, dark eyes locking with mine. “What do you mean?”
