He walks away with that easy swagger, leaving Scout sitting there staring at her hands with that flush still staining her cheeks. I'm moving before I consciously decide to move. Crossing the lanes, shoulders squared, everything in me coils, tight and ready to snap. I grab her elbow, tugging her away from the Coven.
"Let’s go home,” I grate out.
“Home?” She looks up, startled. "What? Why?"
“Because I want to.” I grit my teeth. "Now, Scout."
She puts a hand to my chest, peering up into my face. "Silas, what's wrong?"
"Just come with me." It comes out as more of a plea than I mean it to. I don't wait for her to argue. Instead, I lift her, grabbing her purse and coat. “Here.”
“Silas! Wait, I need my shoes.”
Gritting my teeth, I walk her up to the counter and impatiently wait as the teenager who works the shoe exchange gets to us. I’m on edge as we both shove our feet into our shoes. She slides me a look while she’s knotting her laces.
“Are you going to tell me what’s going on?”
“Outside.” I drag my coat on as I wait for her. When she’s finished, I tow her out the doors. Thorne is watching us, his eyes narrowed, but he doesn’t call attention to us.
I’ll deal with him later. Right now, I wrap an arm around Scout’s waist as I pull her toward my truck.
She runs out of her admittedly saintlike patience. "What the hell was that? You just dragged me out of there in front of everyone."
I point at the door. "Get in the truck."
"No." She plants her feet. "Not until you tell me what's going on."
It’s hard for me to be so out of control. I round on her, hissing. "Kozlov asked you out again."
"So?"
"So?" My voice rises. "Were you going to say yes?"
"I wasn't! I tried to let him down gently. Then you got all caveman and demanded that I leave with you." She crosses her arms. "And even if I was planning to say yes, why would you care? We’ve barely even kissed."
The words hit like fists to my ribs. Using my own bullshit against me. "Scout..."
"No. You don't get to be jealous." Her eyes flash. "You don't get to act like you own me when you treat me like kryptonite most of the time. You kiss me and then you stare at me. Like… what? The math ain’t mathin’."
She isn’t getting it. "I'm trying to protect you."
"From what?"
"From me!" The words tear out of my chest. "From the fact that I'm broken and angry and I don't know how to be what you need."
“Si.” She pauses for a long beat. "I need you to stop pushing me away every time we get close."
The space between us crackles with electricity. It’s charged and dangerous, ready to ignite.
"You deserve better than me."
"You don't get to decide what I deserve." She steps closer,chin lifting in defiance. "That's my choice to make. Not yours."
"Scout..."
"Do you want me or not?" Her eyes are the exact shade of green of a juniper tree. "Just be honest. For once in your life, just be honest with me."
The truth claws up my throat. "I want you so much I can't fucking breathe around it. I think about you constantly. I dream about you. Fuck, I wake up hard and aching and hating myself because you're ten feet down the hall and I can't have you."
