He sighed. “To apologise, okay? To beg you to let me wait for you. To be your friend until then. I just didn’t want to lose you.”
“I was never saying yes to him, you know. I was being a sarcastic idiot. That’s what I do when I’m hurting. He wasbadgering me, and hounding me, because she left him. I didn’t want him. I don’t.”
Rocket stepped closer, his arms dropping to his sides.
“Wanna punch me, baby? Will it help get some of that anger out?”
Oh, how I wished. “My hand is only just recovering from nearly breaking it on that fucker’s face, so no thank you. Although I might kick you in the balls.”
His hands immediately covered his junk. “Nope. Kinda need those intact. I mean… not that I’m suggesting… you know…”
Idiot. I watched as his frown deepened.
“Hang on, you did what to your hand?”
He forgot how much he cared for his man bits, as he came over and reached for my right hand, knowing that’s the one I’d have used, or maybe I was moving it differently. I let him take it and he cradled it gently in his palms, sliding his thumbs over it.
“You really hit him, huh?”
“Right in his asshole face,” I replied, releasing a slow breath, as calm flowed over me with his presence. He was really back. I forgot how much it improved every room, just with him being in it. Sure he was loud, obnoxious, and all of that, but when he let someone see his heart, suddenly it was like it lit him up from inside.
“Why don’t you show them this side of you?”
He lifted his eyes, but he was still stroking my hand, and I was inclined to let him, because I’d missed his touch.
“I’m not in love with any of them.”
I swatted him with the other hand, and he grinned.
“Weakness isn’t something I like showing people. It gets used against you. Trust me, I’ve been there.”
“Love isn’t weakness, Rocket. It’s strength. It’s connection. It’s something many of them have probably never felt in the sameway, but it doesn’t make you weaker than them. It makes us strong together.”
He turned my hand over in his, stroking my palm softly.
“Forgot how it feels to touch you, to feel your skin against mine.”
“I’m serious.”
“Me too. Wanna stroke my cock? He’s been missing you too.”
Ugh. I shoved him away and returned to picking up the last few piles of clothing that I’d neatly folded.
“Nope. Lemme do that, you stubborn wench.” He gathered up the clothes I held, and I let him, casting my eyes around the room that I’d been wallowing in. The room they were taking away from me.
“They kept trying to make me leave, but… I couldn’t go.”
Chapter Thirty-Two
Fuck me. I wantedto fucking devour her, hold her, cry with her, and we had no time for any of that. Guess what, that was my fault too.
I stopped at the doorway, my arms laden with clothes, as another thought hit me.
“Fuck. I have nowhere to go.”
She shoved me from behind, and I staggered a step before I caught my balance.
“Jesus, woman! I nearly faceplanted, thanks to you!”
