Something told her not to argue with Luke right then. Suppressing her anger, she turned to Flint.
“Thanks for this,” she said, raising the hot chocolate in a “cheers” motion. Before she could bring her hand back down, Luke snatched the to-go cup from her. He took a stride away from her and tossed the cup into the garbage.
Her mouth dropped open.
She was about to quarrel with him, but Luke wasn’t even looking her way. He was staring Flint down with his arms crossed.
Fuming, Emmeline stalked away. She walked along the pathway, stopping in front of one of the empty benches. She sat down, then stood again, too worked up to stay seated.
Releasing a frustrated sound, she began pacing back and forth. The sun had set by then, the sky a deep shade of navy blue. It was too early to see the stars.
Emmeline glanced over, where Luke was exchanging heated words with Flint, who looked peeved. Obviously they didn’t like each other, but she didn’t care. That still didn’t give Luke the right to behave in such an uncivilized manner with her.
She continued to watch as eventually Flint left. Luke released a long breath, as if trying to steady himself. He was practically twitching, and though she was angry with him, seeing him so distressed made her unsettled.
It was the first time she had ever seen Luke so upset. Not even when she had broken his heart all those years ago had he been this agitated, like a kettle shrieking. She could have sworn steam was coming out of his ears, and for a moment, she felt a little guilty, as if it was her fault, somehow.
Then, Luke turned in her direction. He stalked over, his anger directed at her, and any remorse she felt quickly went away. She was the one who should have been angry he was late, after all. And yet, his eyes were blazing, his hands in tight fists at his sides.
Turning her cheek, she crossed her arms over her chest as he came to a stop beside her.
“Do you have any idea who that is?” Luke asked. She ignored him, and he grabbed her elbow, pulling her to face him. “Do you?”
She turned, narrowing her eyes at him. “Oh, now you’re speaking to me in more than one-word orders?” she asked, voice dripping with venom. Luke made an irritated sound,looking away for a moment before snapping his gaze back to hers.
“Don’t piss me off, Emmeline,” he said. She threw his hand off her arm.
“What is wrong with you?” Anger burned through her. “How dare you order me around like that? Who the hell are you?”
He scoffed. “When you’ve taken complete leave of your senses, that’s what you get,” he replied. “Are you insane? You just take any drink from any stranger you met five seconds ago just because he’s hot?”
Emmeline paused. Luke kind of had a point, but she was not going to admit that. Besides, she could handle herself, and even if she couldn’t, Flint was correct in noting that Torch had been circling above. Her dragon wouldn’t have let anything happen to her.
She didn’t explain any of that.
“It was just a hot chocolate!” she cried, genuinely baffled by his reaction. “It’s five p.m. on a Monday evening! And we’re down by the lake, not in some club!”
Luke ground his teeth together. “Stay away from Flint.”
She couldn’t believe this. “You don’t get to tell me who to stay away from!”
“I do when you have exceptionally bad taste in men!”
“No wonder I went after you!” The words were out before she could think better of them.
Emmeline froze.
Luke’s face twitched, confusion breaking through the rage. “But that was just to get back at me,” he said. Her heart pounded. “You weren’t actually interested in me.”
She paused, unsure how to respond, and the moment was enough for his anger to come back in full force as he seemed to replay her words.
“And don’t compare me to fucking Flint!” he snapped.
His expression was furious, as if she had offended him deeply. She had no idea why he was so upset, but he was behaving entirely out of character. He wasn’t explaining anything; he was just ordering her about.
“You’re right—he’s much nicer than you!” she snapped back.
Luke’s face flashed with hurt. Before she knew what was happening, he bridged the space between them, seizing her shoulders. “You don’t know anything,” he said, shaking her.
