I can tell she’s scared of me.
And Iamfurious. I don’t think my anger is directed at her, at least, not most of it. But I’m aware that I can come off as pretty damn scary.
I can’t find it in me to reassure her, though.
“The kid’s gonna be staying in the other room with Everest.” Her worried eyes grow confused as I add, “There’s a crib in there.”
“A crib?” she repeats, frowning.
“Isn’t she supposed to sleep in one? I sure fucking hope so, because I just paid extra for that shit.”
“Uhm…” She blinks. “I guess so. But Carmelo never got her a crib.”
I tense at the sound of his name on her tongue. “Well, I paid for one, so she’s gonna fucking sleep in it.”
I slam the door behind me before she can protest again. Everest has just brought in the kid, who’s sleeping after having spent much of the car ride awake and babbling loudly. He sets her down in her crib, then looks around.
“Where’s your girl?”
“She’s not my fucking girl,” I hiss. “And she’s in the other room. You’re sleeping here.”
“Fine,” he shrugs.
I turn abruptly away, heading to the other room, alreadyregretting that I’ve decided on this sleeping arrangement, because I have no fucking idea how I’m supposed to face her.
But she’s decided I won’t have to, in the most literal sense of the word. When I return to the other room, her face is turned to the opposite wall, and she’s on her knees, stark-naked, her arms up with fingers laced over her head. The same position I made her take back at the villa.
“What the fuck?” I growl, hurriedly shutting the door behind me.
“I was… waiting for you.” She swallows nervously.
I edge into the room slowly, eyeing her—or, rather, her ass, since she’s facing the other way—with distrust. I’m so pissed off that not even the sight of her naked body is enough to take the edge off my anger. “What are you doing, Lia? Turn the fuck around.”
“Oh… okay.” She awkwardly turns, still on her knees, her fingers still laced over her head. She clears her throat then begins again. “I wanted to… to tell you. He didn’t rape me.”
I arch an eyebrow. “Uh huh.”
“I know that’s what you were thinking. That I was raped. I saw that you were… disgusted with me. And—”
“I wasn’t disgusted,” I interrupt, sitting on the bed opposite her. “Why the fuck would I be disgusted?”
“Fine.” She doesn’t sound like she believes me. “I’m not lying to you, Logan,” she adds, blinking her green eyes up at me. “He didn’t touch me.”
“So what, you got pregnant on your own? Like a fucking snail or something?”
“No, I mean… he didn’t… he didn’tdefileme. I’m not tainted. I only had sex once in my entire life, apart from with you. I swear, Logan.”
“You only had sex once,” I echo in disbelief. “Sure, Lia. You know what? It doesn’t matter. Let’s go to bed.”
“Please.” Her voice takes on a desperate quality. “I need you to believe me.” Her contact lenses are foggy with tears, and I stare at her in utter confusion. “Please, I just need you to believe that nothing like that happened. I… I’m not saying I’m a virgin. But almost. I’malmosta virgin.”
I snort. “Your dad really did a number on you, didn’t he?”
“Wh-what?”
“Where are you getting that kind of bullshit from? I don’t give a fuck what you are or what you aren’t, or what you’ve done or haven’t done. What’s this purity talk? Is that what your daddy taught you?”
“Uhm…” She swallows in confusion, then frowns at me. “But youdocare, don’t you? Youwerehappy to learn I hadn’t had sex back then. Youareangry I’m with Carmelo. Aren’t you, Logan?”
