Watched them order drinks, appetizers. Watched Lena laugh at something her aunt said, though it didn't reach her eyes. She looked tired, fragile, like she'd been crying the whole drive down.
Good.
She should feel what this was doing to both of us.
Twenty minutes into their meal, Lena excused herself from the table. I watched her weave through the restaurant toward the back hallway where the restrooms were, and I was out of the truck before I could think twice about it.
The restaurant's interior was dim and elegant, jazz playing softly over hidden speakers. I kept my head down, moved with purpose like I belonged there, and slipped into the hallway just as Lena disappeared into the women's restroom.
I gave her thirty seconds, then followed.
The bathroom was upscale like the rest of the place with marble counters, individual stalls with floor-to-ceiling doors, soft lighting that was supposed to be flattering. And standing at the sink washing her hands was Lena.
She saw me in the mirror and froze.
"Kil…Killian…"
I was across the room in three strides, my hand wrapping around her wrist before she could move. "We need to talk."
"Let go of me." Her voice shook, but there was steel underneath it.
"No." I pulled her toward the largest stall at the end, the handicapped one with actual space, and pushed her inside. The lock clicked behind us with a finality that made her flinch.
"You can't just fucking do this," she stared up at me about to fly off the handle, but I cut her off.
Licking my lips, I leaned down close to her. "I can. I did. And we're going to talk about why you thought running away was a good idea."
"It wasn't running away, it was leaving." She tried to pull her wrist free but I held firm. "There's a difference."
"Not to me there isn't." I stepped in closer than close, backing her against the tiled wall. "You don't get to just leave, Lena. That's not how this works."
"There is no 'this' anymore!" Her voice rose, and I pressed my hand over her mouth.
"Quiet," I said softly. "Your aunt is right out there. You don't want her to hear us, do you?"
Her eyes went wide, furious, but she nodded.
I slowly removed my hand.
"You're insane," she hissed. "Following me here, cornering me in a bathroom…"
"I'm insane?" I laughed, the sound harsh in the small space. "You're the one who ran instead of talking to me. You're the one who's out there lying to your aunt about what we have."
She rolled her eyes, "What we have is toxic!"
"What we have is real." I gripped her chin, forced her to look at me. "More real than anything you've ever had with anyone else. And you know it."
"That doesn't make it right…"
"I don't care about right." My other hand found her hip, pulled her flush against me before moving to one of her ass cheeks and full on palming it. "I care about you. About us. Aboutthe fact that you're mine and you're trying to pretend you're not."
I felt her breath hitch, saw the way her pupils dilated even as she tried to maintain her anger.
"I'm not yours," she said, but her voice was weaker now.
"Liar." I leaned in, my lips brushing her ear. "Your body knows the truth even if your mouth won't admit it."
"Killian…"
