“Where I’m not anywhere near you?” she cuts in, voice sharp, wounded.
“Not like that—”
“It’s fine, Eli,” she snaps, lifting her chin. “Your hot and cold, broody bullshit is more than I bargained for. It was fun to play lost-in-the-woods and pretend like something was happeninghere. But playtime’s over. I get it. You don’t want me here and neither of us can afford anything messy right now, right?”
“Max—”
She turns on her heel and starts marching out of the greenhouse. I toss the strawberries back onto the workbench and storm after her.
“Look,” she says, throwing her hands up when she hears me close behind. “I’ll call a rideshare to take me to a hotel and get out of your hair. I don't need to stay where I’m not wanted.”
“Would you fucking shut up and listen to me for a second?” I bark, my voice tearing through the silence so loud and raw it startles a flock of birds from a nearby tree.
They shoot into the sky like a black cloud, wings flapping in frantic protest, but I don’t even blink.
All I can see—
All I canfeel—
Is her.
She whips around, fire blazing in her eyes, and for half a second I brace myself for impact. Like she might actually swing on me. And honestly? I’d deserve it.
She’s furious. Hurt. Still wearing my fucking flannel over one of her shirts. And the sight of it nearly tears me apart.
She’s beautiful. And looks like she belongs to me.
“What, Eli?” she snaps, her chest rising fast. “You’ve made it crystal clear you don’t want me here!”
That’s the lie I can’t let sit between us.
Because I don’t want her to feel rejected. Not like that. This is on me. None of it has anything to do with her.
She keeps talking, the words coming hard and fast, anger sparking off her like live wire. AndI knowif I let her finish, if I let her stand there and really look at me, she’ll see it.
The want. The fear. The way I’m barely holding the line I just swore to myself I wouldn’t cross.
I can’t let her see that.
I can’t let my war become hers.
So I do the only thing I know that will stop it.
Stop everything.
Shut her up.
“Eli—” she starts again.
But I don’t let her finish. “Shut up, Max. Would you just shut your mouth for a fucking minute?”
I fist the back of her neck and pull her to me, crashing my mouth over hers in a kiss that’s all heat and restraint colliding at the same fucking time.
It’s not gentle. Not careful. It’s a kiss meant to silence her before she sees too much.
Fucking smart mouth ass, stubborn ass, Max.
When I tear my mouth from hers, I hold her face steady, locking her in place with my glare.
