“I’m not sure. I’m just so confused. I don’t know this Midas. He’s attentive and sweet and has his moments, and he’s not dismissive of my feelings. I should be ecstatic, right? It’s just that he’s doing it so easily now. He’s tactile with me like he’s been doing it for years. Only he hasn’t, and that’s what hurts the most. In showing me how good to me he can be, he’s rubbing in exactly what he withheld.”
“That wasn’t my intention.” They both whirl around. “I mean, I want to show you how good we could be, but I don’t know how to keep myself from bruising you. I fucked up so much, I don’t know how to unravel the threads while everything is knotted.”
She swallows, looking pale and unsure.
“I might not know your last name Hazel, but I know you. I know you talk in your sleep—really random things that don’t make a lick of sense, but you make everything sound like an adventure. I know your favorite sandwich is plain cheese because sometimes the simple things are the best—unless it’s coffee, then you like the most complicated thing off the menu.”
She snorts a little at that, tears running down her face as I take a step closer.
“You pick out all the red M&M’s and eat them first because they’re your favorites even though they taste the same as the rest.” I move a step closer, my voice dropping lower. “You love dancing in the rain but hate it when your feet get wet, have a bizarre fear of parrots because it is not natural for birds to sass back at you…and you love me. You love me so damn much that you’ll eventually forgive me, even though I don’t deserve it, because you know nobody will ever love you as much as I do, Legs. It’s just not possible.”
She stares at me, her lip quivering, before she walks toward me and faceplants against my chest. “I do love you,” she admits as she grips my cut.
“I know.”
“But I also hate you.” Her voice cracks, along with mine.
“I know that too.”
“I don’t want to hate you anymore, but if I stop, I might just hate myself.”
A commotion from inside catches all our attention before either of us can say anything else. I take her hand as she swipes at her tears and follows Amity, who had been watching us quietly.
Havoc is talking to G, and I can see just how pissed off he is from way over here. Neveah walks over to Amity, looking worried, so I send Legs over to talk to them.
“What’s going on? Is Tina okay?” I ask Havoc.
He gestures for me to sit, so I do, and G and Mac walk over to join us.
“There’s some damage to Tina’s organs. They have her sedated, and they’ve managed to stop her from seizing.”
“Jesus, what the hell caused it?”
“She was poisoned.”
I blink, sure I heard him wrong.
“Did you say poisoned?” Mac questions.
Havoc nods.
“What? When? How?”
“I don’t know. They’re going to run some more tests.”
“This is fucked-up.”
“You’re telling me.” He looks over my shoulder before his eyes come back to mine. “How’s she doing?”
I turn and see Legs talking to Nevaeh.
“She’s okay. We’re taking things one day at a time.”
“Just don’t fuck it up.”
“I’m not planning on it.” I look over and see her rubbing her eyes and get to my feet. “I’m gonna take her home so she can get some rest.”
“We’ve got church later.”
