Of course, seeing Gabriel and me together was completely unexpected. Hell, that was never how I wanted him to find out.
I square my shoulders, every step down the hallway deliberate. Determined. My heartbeat thrums in my ears, louder with each step.
His door stands ajar.
A warning. Or maybe an invitation.
I push it open and nearly collide with him.
Alex stands in the doorway, arms folded tight over his chest.
A human barricade.
Clearly, he doesn’t want me to venture any further into his home.
“Why are you avoiding me?” I ask, not wasting any time. I reach for him.
He steps back.
He looks freshly showered, skin still dewy, the faint scent of soap clinging to him. But his eyes—angry, sharp—tell a different story entirely.
“I think that’s pretty obvious,” he spits out.
I take a cautious step closer. “At least let me explain. Please…”
Before I can even process what’s happening, he grabs the lapels of my shirt and slams me against the wall. My head knocks back, rattling the frame of a picture behind me. The door kicks shut with a violent thud, sealing us in.
He gets right up in my face, breath warm, trembling with rage. His hands are fists in my shirt.
“Fuck you, Elijah! Youliedto me!” His voice is jagged, breaking at the edges. “I saw you with Gabriel. He kissed you. Hefucking kissed you!And you think you can just explain that away?” His grip tightens. “I didn’t even know he was back from Spain, let alone shacking up with you!”
I can feel the tremor running through him—not just anger, but pain. His fingers dig deeper into my chest. His eyes are wet but blazing.
“I wanted to surprise you and?—”
“Oh, you definitely surprised me. More likeshockedme!”
“It’s not what you think, Alex. Gabriel and I aren’t together. We haven’t been for a really long time. He came back from Spain early because?—”
“Get to the point,” he snaps. “Because so far, you’ve done nothing but waste my fucking time.”
My thoughts are scattered—racing, colliding. There’s too much I want to say. Too much I need to explain. But nothing comes out right.
“You know what, Elijah? Just leave.”
I freeze, staring at him. Held hostage in those angry eyes as they burn a path right through to my soul.
I fuckinghatemyself for hurting him.
“Alex—”
Tears cling to his dark lashes. “Don’t, Elijah.”
“But—”
“I saiddon’t!”
He crashes his mouth against mine. It’s not a kiss. It’s a storm. Furious, demanding, all heat and teeth and pain. His hands grip my shirt again, tighter this time, like he’s trying to hold himself together by holding onto me.
