Page 155 of The Bitter Words

I place my utensils down. “After I put you into bed, I was straightening out the room. I bumped your purse off the table and all the contents spilled out. Now you can sit here and lie to my face or prove you’re not a rebellious child and tell me the truth.”

She glares at me and swallows. “I’m not a child.”

“Then admit you use drugs and we can have an honest conversation about it.”

“Why is it any of your concern?”

“It’s not. But if you want my thoughts on it, I think you’re throwing your life away.”

“Why would you care?”

“Because I do.” I stare across the table and try to burn my earnestness into her eyes. “More than I should, probably.”

“Why?”

“Livianna, you have so much potential. You seem to have a drive deep in your soul. If you harness it and quit being so damn self-destructive, all your career dreams will come true.”

She wipes her mouth with her napkin, studying my expression with the precision of a laser. “Do you really believe that?”

“Yes.”

“Would you be willing to help me take my business to the next level?”

“Not if you’re using drugs.” I shrug. “I won’t waste my time with someone I believe isn’t taking my value seriously. Ifyou don’t treat yourself well, how could you do it with your career?”

She glances at her purse, then back at me. “I’d take everything you shared to heart.”

“How can I be sure?”

“I guess you’d have to trust me.”

“It’s not that easy.” I take a sip of my coffee and ponder that for a moment. I place my cup down. “You’d need to prove to me I could first. I won’t go into this blindly and believe you wouldn’t manipulate me or lie to me like you do when you’re trying to get what you want.”

“I don’t do that all the time, Jax.” Her cheeks turn red and fire lights up her eyes. “I only do it…”

“What were you going to say?”

Her posture softens. “You’re right.”

“About?”

“I know how to work people into getting what I want. It’s like my superpower.”

“There’s nothing wrong with it if you go about it ethically.” I take a bite of my pancakes and damn, they’re delicious. My eyes nearly roll back into my head. I swallow and gesture to her plate. “Tell me those aren’t the best things you’ve tasted all month.”

“Well, it’s the first of January, so…” She laughs and shakes her head. “Your mood swings are giving me a headache.”

“I don’t have mood swings.”

“Yes, you do, but I get it.” She returns to cutting into her food. “I might have some things I need to work on, but so do you.”

Her challenging attitude makes me flex. “Knowing my boundaries doesn’t reflect on my emotional balance.”

“Jax, relax. I’m just pointing out that you can be sweet with me one minute, and the next I’m just a project you’re trying to help. It’s okay. I know that’s the way you are.”

“The reason I do that is because…”

She puts the fork into her mouth and I’m magnetized to her actions. Her lips seal around the metal and she slides it out in a seductive manner while keeping her sparkling gaze on mine. Or did she?