I reach for it.He closes his fist.My fingers skim over his thick, callused knuckles before I jerk my hand back.
“Obviously it is, since you dove under the table for it.I’ll give it back after we talk,” he says.
Fury washes over me.Audrey’s retching echoes in the silence.
“You’ll give it back now,” I demand.
He quirks a brow.
A dozen scenarios play out in my head, but none of them end in my favor.I don’t have the strength to pry his hand open, and I’ve always sucked at verbal sparring, so anything I try will most likely only humiliate me.
I clench my hands into fists and drop them to my sides.
“You’re a jerk, Sebastian.I don’t have time for this,” I manage though the lump in my throat.
With my entire body trembling and my heart aching, I spin on my heel—almost ruining my haughty exit when I lose my balance—and stagger a few steps before rushing toward the dining hall.
It hurts to walk away without my ring, but Audrey is more important.She’s alive and sick in the bathroom whereas the ring is an inanimate object.It will survive a few minutes in Sebastian’s humongous hand.
With annoyance, I realize warmth pulses low in my belly and my nipples throb inside my bra with my every step.They haven’t felt this sensitive since I pierced them several years ago.
Unlike the icy terror I experienced throughout high school, my body flares to life around the man I once thought would always be my savior.
It’s not fair, but life never was.Not from the very beginning.
“Penelope.”
I stop mid-step at the firmness in Sebastian’s voice.With my heart in my throat, I look over my shoulder at him.
“I’ll keep it safe and return it to you after we talk,” he says.
Relief and apprehension war within me.
How did he know a part of me expected to never see the ring again?Anytime my bullies took something from me, I either never saw it again or got it back damaged beyond repair.
I scowl and turn back toward the dining hall.When I step through the door and almost collide with Brook, the woman who leads the self-defense class, I skip my instinctual apologies and let her know about Audrey instead.
Before she walks away, I rest my hand on her arm and meet her eyes.
“Tell Audrey I’m sorry and to forget what I said.I didn’t mean it,” I say.
She lays her hand over the back of mine and gives me a gentle squeeze.
“Whatever happened, I’m sure it’s not as big a deal as you think it is.Audrey has probably already forgiven you, but I’ll let her know,” she says.
“Thank you,” I respond.
With a reassuring pat, she offers me a quick smile before starting toward the restroom to rescue our ailing friend.
Do I look that pathetic?I’m twenty-seven years old, gosh darn it.Why does everyone always aim pity-filled eyes at me?Even with my curves and piercings, they see me as inexperienced.Are my insecurities pasted on my forehead or is it just because of my small stature that everyone treats me like a child?
Matteo Ricco, Brook’s new husband, spots her dashing out of the room and follows her without hesitation.
Sebastian blocks the exit before I can escape.
With dread gluing the soles of my platform sneakers to the floor, I watch as he ducks through the doorway and joins me.
“You rescued your friend.Ready to talk?”
