She didn’t want to, but she did it anyway. She looked into his beautiful, warm brown eyes. They had gold facets in them and right now they gleamed like hidden treasure. “I…”
There was something strange about him, she thought, and a second later she had it. Patrick’s eyelids were smooth, the skin between his brows peachy. She hadn’t been this close to a guy his age since she was twenty-three. Maybe younger.
She looked away, her heart like an iron fist in her chest. “I… I think we have a great future. As friends.”
Patrick gave a low growl, the side of his jaw working like he was chewing gum. “I said, look me in the eyes and say it.”
“Um, no thanks.” Cheryl shifted as far back as she could on the couch. “So, um, thanks for cleaning up, and sorry for yakking on you. Do you want to go get breakfast? My shout.”
Patrick stared at her, the muscles in his face flickering.
“… Or I could cook?” Cheryl added a little desperately. “I’ll make those gross almond meal pancakes you love so much. I’ll barely even complain.”
He didn’t move.
“If you’re not doing anything today, why don’t we go to Healesville for a hike? I’ll pack us a lunch and—”
“Cheryl,” Patrick growled. “Did you not hear what I said?”
“About what?”
“I don’t want to eat pancakes or go for a hike—”
“What about the movies?”
“I’m obsessed with you,” he said, loud enough to shock her. “I don’t want to go to the fucking movies. I want to fuck you and be your boyfriend and fucking marry you one day.”
“Patrick! What the hell?”
“Don’t,” he warned. “I told you, we’re done fucking around. I’ve held back, I was happy to hold back. But you spent all of last night telling me I’m so big and sexy and you’ve been wanting to fuck me since we first met—”
Cheryl moaned. “I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be fucking sorry! Just listen to what I’m saying—I want that too. That’s all I want.”
“But I don’t want that, I was just drunk and—”
“Are you drunk now?”
“No!”
He pointed to her t-shirt. “So, did you go get all dressed up and forget to put your bra on to tell me, what? I’m too fucking young for you? That you only see me as a mate? Fuck that.”
He moved closer, his face tight, and she knew he was going to kiss her.
Stop him, she thought, but her head seemed to float away as she dimly wondered what underwear she’d put on.
Patrick didn’t kiss her. He leaned back, shoving his fingers through his hair. “Fine. You don’t want me, fine.”
Cheryl felt an acute stab of disappointment and hated herself for it. “I’m sorry.”
“Yeah, me too.” He gave her a hard look. “Lola, that chick from last night, got my number. She texted me this morning. She wants to go out. And I’m going to do it.”
“Lola? Like the girl rabbit from Space Jam?”
“Yup.”
Cheryl remembered her and Patrick laughing together and was almost sick on the floor. “You’re going to hook up with Dollar Store Salma Hayek?”
