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Instead, he jumped out and stormed to the door on heavy footsteps. He got the door open, then froze, turned, and stomped back to me. Each step was lighter than the last as if he were trying to force his temper under control.
Whatever had gotten him into this fit was fraying the edges of his patience. The cords of muscle popped out from his neck as he rotated his head to probably relieve some of the tension.
“Hey,” he gritted out through clenched teeth.
“Hey yourself.” I frowned at him, more worried than anything else.
“I’m sorry I ran right by you. Today was a shit day.” He cracked some of his fingers and shook his hands out. When he reached for me, he seemed to have a fraction more self-control. Before I could say anything, he whisked me inside. “I need you, but no fucking way will I kiss you outside. Not right now.”
As soon as we were through the door, he kicked it shut with the heel of his shoe and then twisted the lock so hard, I thought it was going to break off.
“Are you okay?” I squeezed his jacket covered arm before stripping my own heavy jacket off.
“Fuck. No? I just need a second to get myself together, then I can tell you about it.” He carried his anger with him to the kitchen, as he opened the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water.
Pressing the bottle to his temple, Rhys released a string of curses. At least now his words were losing steam.
Not that I was afraid he would hurt me. Even angry like this, I knew I was completely safe with him. I also had a pretty good idea what had him so upset.
“My dad called,” I informed him as I arranged my boots by the door and hung my jacket in the closet.
That apparently helped dim his own frustration some as he sent me a startled look. “And from your tone, I’m guessing you answered it?”
I blew out a harsh breath as I flopped down to my favorite corner of the couch. Whenever the guys were all here, if they didn’t pull me down into their laps, they left this spot open just for me. It had great light for when I wanted to work on my pictures too.
“Yeah, I did. He hasn’t tried to call since Christmas and I was curious. Call me crazy. Looking back on it though, it was a mistake to answer.” WhyhadI answered? I couldn’t remember now, and it was only fifteen minutes in my past. That should have been prime space for my memory to work.
“Was he trying to get you to come back to church?” Rhys walked over and settled next to me with much more grace and agility than I’d exhibited. Honestly, his body was still strung pretty tight, so I was impressed with the control.
“Close. He wanted to warn me about a potential media mess with your dad and told me I should come back home. He said it was for my protection, but I’m positive it’s for his own reputation’s sake.” I shook my head. I would never admit it, but that he was so self-absorbed still stung. Not that I cared enough about what he wanted to have a relationship with him, but I stillfeltit.
Rhys was quiet as he balled his fists up over his knees. They rhythmically clenched just like his jaw. Leaning over, I smoothed my fingers across his stubbled cheek. Since his dad was arrested, he’d tried to act like he wasn’t bothered, but sometimes, like now, he couldn’t hide it.
“Relax, I’m not going to go back. Even if the four horsemen rode through the living room heralding the apocalypse, I wouldn’t let them drag me back.”
He shook his head like he was trying to dislodge unwanted thoughts. “You have no idea what I’m thinking.” Then he pushed up until his chest bent over his knees, braced only by his elbows. “I’m half convinced you should take your dad up on his offer to go back.”
If he slapped me in the face with a rotting fish, I would have been less shocked. We all hated our parents to varying degrees. And he wanted me to go back there?
Granted, Dad wasn’t like Mother Dearest, or anything like Beck’s mom, but he was still so far away from a decent father it was laughable.
“You’re kidding.” It was a statement, not a question.
“Unfortunately, not.” The one light he’d turned on in the kitchen was just bright enough to shed light on his troubled expression. Whatever had happened today had shaken him. The way he rolled his lips before sneering, then repeating the process all over again, shared just how unhappy he was with his own thoughts.
“I think it’s time you tell me about your day.” I twisted sideways, pulling my leg up and tucking my foot underneath me.
“Shit, I don’t even know where to start.” He laughed but it was hollow. “I’m just so fucking angry and half worried about the way my life is about to change.” Opening his palms, he glared down at them as if they had all the answers.
This distance between us was ridiculous. I picked his arm up and slid right up against his side so I could rest my cheek on his shoulder while still staring up at him. His bright blue eyes were deeper in the dim light, more sapphire like the ocean late at night.
I’d always loved his eyes. For everyone else, they hid his emotions and kept his secrets. But for me, I’d always been able to see past them to who he really was. At least once we got over me stalking him outside the cottage window.
Rhys touched my cheek with his fingers and kissed the hell out of me. This was no gentle press of lips between soft lover’s whispers. He was trying to devour me through a fight of teeth and tongue, and it set my core on fire.
All too soon, he pulled back to rest his forehead against mine.
“Shit, Astrid. I think your dad’s right. George said the same thing when I sat through his meeting with Mom earlier. I hadn’t wanted to believe him. No, I had hoped he was wrong, but I’m almost scared to admit, I think he’s going to be right.”
