I sighed. I wanted to yank my arm from him, but he was slowly warming my bones again, and I was tired of being cold. No, my body had not forgotten the feel of David Dylan. “Don’t worry about it,” I said. “It’s not your problem.”
“The fuck it’s not,” he said. “Why are you doing this?”
“I’m not doing it on purpose,” I said defensively. “I just can’t . . .” I faltered and took a breath. “I can’t eat. It makes me sick.”
“I’ve been watching you tonight. You’re different.” His tone softened into velvet, coating my skin. “Tell me what it is, and I’ll fix it. I’ll do anything.”
Faint cologne filled the space between us, instantly transporting me back to the moments when I’d been lost and drowning in him. I flickered back to reality. “No. It’s not fixable, David. You can’t just swoop in and fix everything all the time.”
“What’s the problem?” he insisted. “Is it Davena?”
I drew my lips into a line and looked away. All I had to do was nod. Everyone else believed it. Maybe David would, too. But for some fucking reason, I couldn’t bring myself to lie to him.
“Olivia,” he warned in that tone that left no room for me to do anything but obey. “Answer me. What’s causing you to—”
“You, David,” I snapped. “Youare the problem. What happened between us is eating me from the inside. It’s all I can think about. It haunts me day and night. Itconsumesme.”
Brown, melancholy eyes searched mine until I pulled my arm from his grip.
“I have to go, I can’t do this,” I said, dropping his gaze.
“I’m surprised you’re still standing here, honestly,” he said. “Last time I saw you, you couldn’t escape fast enough.”
“Don’t.” I raised my eyes to his again, and my heart wilted at the way his expression had hardened. “You have no idea what I’ve been through.”
A burst of air left his mouth, and he scoffed. “That’s where you’re wrong. Don’t forget that you walked out on me. You have no idea whatIhave been through.Me.” He stepped back. “Fuck, I shouldn’t even be talking to you. I promised myself I wouldn’t.”
I blinked at him. “You promised . . . what?”
“I only came here tonight because . . . because I needed to see you. I promised to leave you alone, but I just needed to see that you’re all right. Even from a distance.”
I froze. He’d come to seeme? Did that mean he still thought of our night together, even though months had passed? “But it’s been so long,” I said, frowning. “At least, it has in your world. And . . . and I thought you’d be over—”
“Everything okay, Livs?” Gretchen’s older brother approached us, puffed up and obviously ruffled as he took in the scene.
“Yes, it’s fine,” I reassured him. “Thanks, Jonathan.”
“Doesn’t look fine,” Jon said.
David held my gaze a moment, then set his jaw and turned. “Excuse me,” he said, stalking away.
“Where’ve you been, you handsome devil?” I asked Jonathan, plastering on a smile before he could pry. “You owe me a dance.”
Jon looked after David for one short second before turning his attention to me. “I’m afraid I’ll snap you in half,” he joked.
“Oh, really? You think I’m that weak?” I asked, surprising him with a punch in the upper arm.
“Ow!” he wailed.
“Don’t be a baby. Come on, Harper, escort me to the dancefloor.”
I stowed my conversation with David for later and followed Jon from the house. We were almost to the tent when we spotted Lucy and Gretchen flailing on the dancefloor.
“They must be drunk,” I said.
“Aren’t you?” he asked, tugging me along with him.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t even tipsy. Not yet, anyway.
