Page 84 of Rush

“Bye.” I give her a small smile.

Then, she’s gone, jogging inside his building, and Ares is pulling the truck away from the curb.

“Where are we going?” I tentatively ask him.

I get no response, except for his hands tightening around the steering wheel, his jaw like steel.

“Ares…” I push.

“I can’t fucking talk to you right now,” he snaps.

Jesus.

He’s so mad. I’ve never seen him this angry before. I’ve seen him frustrated and pissed off but not top-level anger.

I honestly don’t know what to do or say.

So, like the little chicken I am, I say nothing and stay quiet, feeling like a convict heading toward her execution.

He turns down the street to my apartment, and that answers my question as to where he is taking me.

I half-expect him to pull over and tell me to get out before he drives off. But he doesn’t. He parks his truck up outside my building, turns off the engine, and climbs out without a word. So, I follow.

We walk to my apartment in complete silence.

I unlock my door, letting us both in.

Ares follows me into my living room.

I sit down on the arm of my sofa. He stays standing. Arms folded across his chest.

“I’m sorry I acted like a dick before. That guy, Leo…he’s press, and I didn’t—”

“Want anyone to find out. Namely, your dad. Yeah, I got that.”

Well, if he gets that, then why is he so mad?

“I shouldn’t have said the things I said—”

“No, you shouldn’t have.”

“I don’t know why I said them. I was rambling. But I am sorry.”

“Yeah, you said.”

He’s still staring at me with unblinking, burning blue eyes, frying me on the spot. Arms still folded across his chest. Jaw set.

“You’re still mad…” I edge out.

“No shit I’m mad. Actually, I’m fucking furious. I am sick of this, Ari.”

Panic lances across my chest. “Sick of what?”

“The secrets. The lying. You know how I feel about it, but I’ve been doing it for you. Now, I’m done. I said two weeks. It’s two weeks today. Time’s up. I’m not hiding us anymore.”

Shit, has it really been two weeks already?

“You said a few. Not two,” I counter.