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I decide to ignore what his voice causes in my stupid body and turn to Sanchez, who is swallowing his food with difficulty.
“You were here before, you don’t have to go,” I say, smiling softly at him.
He looks at Tucker, then at me. “Uh…Iris,” he finally says. “I…I don’t want to be involved in this.” Then he straightens up and moves away under my dark look.
Finally, I cross my arms over my chest and settle back in my seat, right in front of Tucker, who hasn’t taken his eyes off me.
A few of the other students around are silent, as if trying to hear our verbal joust.
“Why are you defending him?” he finally says in a voice from beyond the grave, his dark eyebrows furrowed. “Do you like him?”
I should either tell him to fuck off or get up, give him the finger, and walk away. But a part of me urges me to stay right here, smile enigmatically, and simply shrug for any answer. Tucker runs a hand over his unshaven jaw. He seems to be grumpy today, in a bad mood.
“He’s a piece of shit,” he spits, seething inwardly.
I chew a French fry. Why am I secretly thrilled to see him react like this? Stupid girl.
“He’s part of the group now,” I tell him in a sweet voice. “So you’ll have to like him because he’s family, right?”
I continue to eat silently in front of his closed face. His right hand rests on the table and squeezes a few times.
“I don’t want you to like him,” he finally says.
I close my eyes, trying to ignore his words. “Look, Tucker—”
“I don’t want you to like him,” he cuts me off, “because I like YOU.”
He leans in, towering over me. I stare into his exotic eyes, trying not to let anything show on my face, although his words warm my body in a way that should not be allowed.
“I know you’re still mad at me about Monday night,” he continues in a breath, “but you can’t ignore what’s between us.”
“And what’s between us?” I growl as my heart pounds in my chest.
“Don’t act like you don’t know. I can’t be the only one who feels this way.”
He’s right. Of course I’m still attracted to him. And I blame my body for it. Why can’t we control the chemistry?
“You and me, it’s going to happen, Iris. You know it as well as I do. Even if we hate each other, even if we’re both this moody with each other, even if I act like a jerk and you act like a little bitch. It’s gonna happen, and it’s gonna be good.”
I can’t think of anything to say. I don’t like his condescending tone, and I don’t like this heat that’s born in my lower belly without even asking me. But he is right. I think fate decided to play me by putting him in my way.
“So, I ask you again…” he murmurs while leaning a little more, ignoring all the looks turned towards us, “do you like Sanchez?”
I should tell him yes, even if it’s not true, just to make him eat his self-confidence. But damn it, I feel like he’s pulling me close and slowly destroying my determination.
“No, I don’t.”
“Do you like me as much as I like you, despite all the shit that’s happened between us? Despite my stupid behavior the other night?”
It’s almost like another apology from him. I stare him straight in the eyes. It’s whoever dominates the other pulls them into the darkness first.
I will never confide in Tucker. I will never love him. I will never give him my heart like I did with Raf. There will be nothing sentimental between us. But I feel something else rising. Something uncontrollable, while his eyes keep mine prisoner. Something bestial.
“Yeah,” I whisper, letting my breath hit his lips.
He steps back, satisfied. I come back to reality, mentally praying I didn’t say that stupid word. But I did. I’m in deep shit.
26. A History of Hair
