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“For what?” It was a stupid fucking thing to say, but I’m a guy and we say stupid shit like that.
“For what?” she snapped back. “Seriously? Let’s start with searching for you for months, finding out you’ve been through a ridiculously difficult time, and then when I finally find you, you’re in the process of trying to blow up an entire park! How about seeing you dragged off in cuffs, and the only thing you manage to do is apologize again, and then ask me to take care of your dog?”
Well, all right—she had me there.
I huffed out a breath, looked over her shoulder for a minute, and then looked back.
“You’re right. You want me to just take him and go now?”
“No, for goodness’ sake, Evan!?
?? Lia pulled one of her hands back and slapped me slightly on the shoulder. “Do you think I’d come all the way here, do all of this, and then just leave?”
“You should.” Part of me hoped she would, but it wasn’t a part I wanted to acknowledge. Even as I suggested it, it felt like a hole was burning through my chest.
“Well, I’m not.”
“Maybe you need to think about it.” More words I didn’t mean, but there they were anyway.
“Is that what you want me to do?” she asked.
I hesitated but ultimately shook my head.
“I only want time to think about…about all of this,” she responded as she took my face in her hands and placed her lips to mine. My body was immediately lost in the feeling, but my mind continued to struggle.
“You need to just get out of Chicago…get away from me,” I said. Though my voice was sure and strong, my arms tightened around her as the words left my lips.
“I’m not leaving you alone,” Lia replied.
“You should.” Again, my grip on her tightened, and the feeling of her body pressed tightly against my chest was divine. “I’ll end up hurting you or…or worse.”
“You won’t hurt me.”
“You don’t know that.”
She pulled back again and glared at me.
“Did you really think I had no idea that there was something...not quite right? When I first saw you, you were in the middle of the desert, rocking on a front porch, holding the scariest gun I've ever seen. The hottest guy I've ever met in my life, sitting alone in a cabin, apparently for months, with his dog and enough paranoia to spare. I may not have your powers of observation, Evan, but I'm not blind!”
I had to admit, I hadn’t considered how all of that had looked. At the time, I had been more concerned about whether or not she had been sent from Chicago, and then later my concern was more about getting into her pants.
“I may not know what’s going on,” Lia continued, “but I know there’s a lot more here than it seems. At some point, you’re going to have to tell me.”
“Have to, huh?” I was trying hard not to be shitty, but she was hitting far too close to the truth for her own good. I was also fighting hard against the desire to tell her everything there was to know, even when the information would likely end up with her telling me to get the fuck out—not to mention some of the information could get her killed. It was too much for most people to handle, and I didn’t want to put her in that position.
Was it even avoidable at this point?
“Whatever happened, I can handle it.”
I closed my eyes and shook my head. She didn’t know what she was asking, and I wasn’t even sure that I could handle it. Figuring she was as likely as any chick to respond to a little emotion, I went with delay tactics.
“I…I can’t, Lia,” I pleaded to her eyes for understanding. “I…I want to, but not yet. I can’t do it yet.”
Her fingers brushed over my jaw.
“All right,” she said quietly. “I can wait, but not forever.”
Mission accomplished though there was no telling how long I could hold her off. For now, I just needed to keep her occupied with other things.
