‘Sure thing,’ she replies.
I practically chase Anya down the hallway. I stick my foot in the bathroom door before it slams shut. I grit my teeth, and she whirls around, narrowing those pretty eyes at me.
‘What are you doing?’ she hisses.
Stepping inside, I close the door, thankful that the bathrooms here are private, so no one can overhear us accidentally. The light overhead dims in and out of brightness, and for a moment, I wonder if we’re about to be blanketed in darkness.
‘You look mad.’
‘I’m not mad,’ she retorts with a huff. ‘You were having fun. I’m having fun.’
‘I don’t want to be here. I don’t want to be doing this. I just want to spend time with you.’
‘Right. And that’s why you bought that girl a drink.’
‘Trust me, I didn’t have much choice in that situation.’
‘Okay,’ she says, disbelief clear in her tone.
‘Wait,’ I say, folding my arms across my chest, unable to fight the smirk threatening to take over my face. ‘Are you jealous, Blush?’
Two splashes of colour brighten her cheeks. ‘No.’
‘Yes, you are.’
‘If you need to tell yourself that, then fine,’ she argues, running her tongue across her teeth as she stares down at her feet.
‘Why are you here with him?’ I ask, stepping closer to her. Her gaze lifts to meet mine, and I see her throat move as she swallows. ‘With Kai?’
She curves an eyebrow. ‘You’re the one who sounds jealous, Mase.’
‘That’s because I am.’
Her lips part in surprise. Raising my hand, I trace my fingers down the side of her cheek, and I swear I can hear her pulse drumming. Or maybe it’s just mine.
‘Don’t make decisions because you’re angry at me,’ I say. ‘You know your worth. Remember it.’
Her eyes drift closed, and she leans into my palm. My thumb strokes across the soft lips inviting me in for a taste.
‘You need to go,’ she whispers. ‘You have someone waiting for you.’
‘I don’t care.’
She lets out a soft laugh, her warm breath spilling across my thumb. ‘You should care.’
‘Well, I don’t. I only care about you.’
‘Mase ...’ She trails off, shaking her head. ‘This isn’t very “just friends” of you.’
‘You’re kidding yourself if you think we can be just friends.’
‘Mase,’ she says patiently, stepping out of my hold. She circles her small hands around mine, squeezing them. ‘I want you to always be in my life. I have always loved you. But too much has happened. We aren’t destined for anything more. Please ... just leave it be.’
‘Why are you saying this?’ I demand, a strange mix of fear, anger and urgency welling inside my chest. ‘I know what I did was shit. I screwed up. But I’m here now, and I want to make it right.’
‘It’s okay, Mase,’ she says softly. ‘You don’t know everything, and it’s okay. Just ... let me go.’
‘I don’t know everything?’ I echo. ‘What does that mean?’
