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“Fucking Leighton,” I growl. “I'm gonna murder her.”
“Please don't,” she says hurriedly, grabbing my chest with both hands in alarm.
I startle at the unexpected warmth of them through my t-shirt and the tiny bursts of electricity that ignite beneath their touch. It's a sensation that's alien yet familiar, comforting yet jarring all at the same time.
And though there's a buried part of me that aches to stay where I am, the resentment poisoning my veins doesn't want her touching me. I step backwards and her hands fall.
Her cheeks flush in embarrassment. “Sorry, I didn't mean to—“
“It's fine,” I cut her off. But it's not. I can still feel the embers her touch left behind burning through my skin. “Just tell me why I shouldn't fucking kill Leighton as soon as we're done here.”
She looks to the floor. “She only told me it was you because she felt bad for me.”
I frown in confusion. “Why would she feel bad for you?”
“Because of my dad.”
“Ah, fuck.”God, I'm such an asshole.“Sorry.”
The scent of her perfume, even if I don't recognize it from when we used to be together, is clouding my senses. We were literally just talking about the flowers I sent. How did I forget that her dad died?
She shrugs. “Doesn't matter.”
“Yeah, it does. Bobby was an amazing guy, Thea. He didn't deserve—“
“I don't wanna talk about it.”
“Okay.”
Her eyes are shiny when she finally looks up at me again and I have to hold myself back from reaching for her. I might be mad as hell, but that doesn't mean I want to see her cry.
“After you left,” I say. “I learned to fix cars after you left. Started by restoring an old Mustang I bought with money I'd saved up and then moved onto fixing my mama's shitty Toyota, then my brothers' cars. Began doing bits here and there for people around town before I realized it could really be something, then I opened the shop.”
I don't know why I'm telling her this, or why I've absentmindedly stepped back into her space. Or even why my heart beats a calmer rhythm when I notice that the promise of tears that were in her eyes before has gone now.
“That's cool.” The small smile of appreciation she offers me shocks me back into my resentment. I step away from her once more.
“Not as cool as Hollywood, I'm sure,” I say, my voice dripping in derision. Taking out my cigarettes from the back pocket of my cargo pants, I shake one into the palm of my hand and light it between pursed lips.
“Since when do you smoke cigarettes?”
I take a deep inhale and blow the smoke in her direction. The expression of pure disgust on her face has me releasing a sinister laugh.
“Better than drugs and alcohol, right? But I'm sure you're used to both, considering the life you lead.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
I shrug and take another drag of smoke. “Just things I've heard.”
That's a lie. Apart from a very unflattering and clearly untrue article I read about Thea shitting herself, she's somehow managed to keep herself safe from media scandals and rumors.
She scowls but ignores me. “Marijuana would probably be better for your health.”
“Weed ain't legal in the state of Oklahoma, princess.”
She bristles at the nickname but doesn't acknowledge it. And it only makes me want to provoke her more.
“You're welcome, by the way,” I say with a cold smile. “For the flowers.”
