“You don’t get to tell me what to do!”
Her words are harsh, shouting, though she has no reason to.
“No.” I sigh. “I don’t. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to stand here and watch you starve.”
Her eyes roll.
“Could’ve fooled me,” she mutters.
She’s still spinning to the music, and I wrap an arm around her waist, forcing her to stop.
“Iris, baby, come on. You know I can’t stand to see you like this.”
“Oh,” she snaps, slamming her fists on my chest. “We’re back to pretending like you like me? That’s great.”
Pretending?
What does she mean, pretending?
“Iris, I do like you. I like you a lot. I just don’t…”
I stop.
The words die in my mouth as I look at her.
Her face is blank, eyes desperately searching, and I know what she’s thinking.
She’s replaying every moment, wondering if it was all just well practiced. And while it might seem like it, the one thing I know for certain is that everything I’ve ever done for her was becauseIwanted to.
Whether it’s respect, anger, understanding, or some other lesser feeling, I don’t know. But why should it matter? Just because it isn’t love doesn’t mean it’s not real.
Does it?
I dip my head as she sways, pressing my forehead to hers, and her eyes slide shut as she sucks in a shuddering breath.
I wonder if she can feel it, the faint hum of the pack. It isn’t as strong as it would be if we were fated mates, but it’s still there, anchoring her to me as it has been for the past three months.
“Let me take you home, Iris.”
Her body softens in my grip, and she leans into me, roping her arms around my neck as she nods.
“Okay.”
Chapter25
Lie to Me
IRIS
There’snothing like hurtling through the sky on an enchanted motorcycle to sober you up fast. And there’s nothing like hitting the plush surface of a warm bed after a night out to send you crashing right back down again.
I groan into the pillows.
“My feeeet hurt,” I whine.
“I know, baby,” Elliot whispers, sliding his arms out from under me as he deposits me onto his bed.
“When are you going to stop calling me that?”
