“Nah. It’s just a little hot in here.” He fiddled with the air condition buttons, his hands shaking.
“You should get yourself checked out. The last time I saw you, your heartbeat was over the roof, and now this.”
He chuckled. “I’m fine.”The only thing that hurts is having you in my heart.
“Maybe you should slow down with the partying, the booze, the pot…the pussy.”
He laughed loudly. “Jealous much? Now that your boy has you on a tight leash?”
“Fuck you. I’m not on anybody’s leash.” She glared at him as he snickered. “What was that at the party anyway, threatening him like some gangster?”
“He told you about that?”
“Yes,” she hissed. “Now you got him thinking you wanna…” She chopped off her words.
“Wanna what?”
She rolled her eyes, shaking her head. “Nothing.”
“Spit it out.”
“Well…he thinks you wanna…you know…have sex with me.”
Blood must have slipped from his face because, instantly, he went from burning hot to ice cold. For the second time in one month, someone had figured out what he’d been hiding for years. How had he slipped up with something this big?
Maybe he should tell her the truth himself and get this whole thing over with. Tell her about the hole in his heart that no one would fill but her. About how he’d been looking at her from the corner of his eye all the times he touched that blonde model, hoping to catch a glimpse of jealousy in her hazel eyes. About the fire that blazed in his chest as he had to watch, arms-folded, while her perfect hips moved for another man. Tell her how long he had been fucking dreaming about being that man. Her man.
Wouldn’t it be better than hearing it from that giant ass?
“You have every right to have that look on your face. It’s stupid. I know,” she said. “I told him he was nuts to even think that way. It’s impossible for you to—”
“He’s right,” he mumbled, his heart sinking to his knees.
She froze.
Then her eyes flashed, and he couldn’t decide whether it was fury or panic in there. Either way, she was oblivious, and he had to come up with a retraction plan. Fast.
“What… Do you…?” she stammered.
He exhaled a heavy breath. “I mean I’d been a dick that night. Anyone in his place would think that way.”
Her eyes escaped his as her fingers touched the new bracelet absently. “Yeah. You were.” She snorted. “Okay. I...” She pointed her thumb at the door, her eyes narrowing. “Gotta head back to my friends. I literally locked them up in the apartment.” Her hand was already on the handle.
Cold sweat trickled down the back of his neck. “Sure. Yeah. Um…listen, instead of another party, let’s do dinner tonight. Okay?”
“Sounds good.” She opened the door and got out of the car. “Thanks for the gift.” She ran to her building.
With a tilt of his head, he squeezed his eyes shut, steadying his breath.What the fuck was I thinking? I’m such an idiot.
He looked at her as she entered the building.A fucking idiot who is in love with you.
Scene17
Maggie
My heartbeats slammed against my chest as I pressed the elevator button, heat rising to my face.
God knew how much I wanted it all to be true; I wanted to hear Mike say, “Yes, I wanna have sex with you. I’m in love with you, too. Be with me.”
