“Because ofhim?” he asks with irritation.
“No…Not only. What’s going on here, Eduardo? We were never exclusive. You saw other women, and I saw other men.”
“I don’t care about those other women, and I was willing to accept your other men if it didn’t interfere with what we had. But you let this man come between us.”
“There was never an us. You’re not making any sense.”
“I want to be with you,Cara. Just us.”
My feet stop on the turf. “Please tell me this is a joke.”
“You think I’m a joke?” He takes an aggressive step closer, leaning forward, his arms akimbo. “Is this a big laugh to you?”
The volatile shift is staggering. I’d never seen Eduardo even upset before. I liked that he was chill, fun, and didn’t make any demands on me. He seemed perfectly content with our arrangement. All of this passes through my head as I consider my surroundings. We’re alone in the park, but it’s a residential area, about four hundred yards from my house, less than a three-minute sprint. But I’d have to get around him.
“I don’t think you’re a joke at all. I’m just surprised and trying to process it.”
“Did you not feel me making love to you every time I entered your body?”
“I had no idea you felt that way, Eduardo.” I push out of the swing, needing to be on my feet just in case.
“You didn’t want to see it,” he continues, his tone harsh. “You didn’t care enough to see it.”
“I’m sorry if I hurt you. That wasn’t my intention.”
“Do you love this man?”
“No,” I lie, and he catches it.
“He didn’t even want you, and still, you love him over me.”
The only way out is the way we came in. I gauge my chances of getting by him as slim to zero.
“I have gone to great lengths to get your attention. And still, you don’t come to me. You chose to let him protect you when I should have been the one.”
Hisgreat lengthscomment interrupts my escape plans. Eduardo and I had talked about the vandalism in nearby neighborhoods. He knew about my rift with Talon. He knew I had security cameras installed…he knew enough to cover his tracks and throw off any suspicion pointed toward him.
Stiles had been right all along about the motive—tormenting me in a sick, twisted attempt to be my protector—but he had the wrong person. If I had told him about Eduardo, he would have suspected him right away. But I’d been too cocky, too sure of myself to allow for any possibility other than vandals and Talon.
“You sent me the flowers and card.”
“Don’t look at me like that.”
Oh my God, he did. I hadn’t been one hundred percent certain until now. “And you slashed my tire and broke my window too.”
“I love you,Cara.”
“That’s not love.” My knee-jerk impulse gets the better of me. “That’s fucking insane.”
“Don’t say that.” He grabs my arm, his expression vicious. I try to break away, but his grip tightens. I scream, and he claps a hand over my mouth. “Stop this,” he hisses. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
I bite his hand—hard. He yelps, and in a fast blur of motion, the full force of his hand across my face sends me backward. Pain explodes in my cheek and lip. I taste blood, and my hip sings from connecting with the ground.
My temper rises, piping hot, but my mind burns with ice-cold clarity. I have to get myself out of this. I bring my hand up to touch the left side of my face, feeling where it has started to swell.
Eduardo stands above me, scowling like his actions were my fault. I lean into it. “I’m sorry I made you angry.”
“Cara, I did not want to do that.”
