“Itissafe.”
“No, it’s not!” I jerked back as his voice rose in pitch. “Piper, he’s from your past.”
“I know,” I repeated. I took a breath to try to calm myself down, but Joey took that as a chance to speak again.
“And you’redatinghim?”
“He’s more than his past, Joey.”
He shook his head, eyes wide. “He’s gotten to you then.”
“No, he hasn’t. Theo washorrifiedthat our pasts are connected. He feels terrible about all ofit.”
“That’s what he wants you to think!”
“No, Joey! Stop!” My voice was high as anger flooded me. I tried to keep it under control, but the idea that Theo was controlling me was ridiculous. “He isn’t manipulating me. I’m sorry that you found out this way. I should’ve told you, but this reaction right here is why I didn’t tell you.”
“Me?” He blinked. “How am I in the wrong?”
“You’re not listening!”
“Oh, I hear you, but you’re wrong. You’re staying here and that’s final.”
I let out a sound between a groan and a growl before speaking again. “You have to stop this!”
“Stop what?”
“Stop bulldozing me! Stop trying to protect me when I’m fine on my own.”
“You’re like a sister to me, Piper. I’m always going to protect you.”
“There’s a difference between protection and control.”
“Control? How am I controlling you?”
“You just told me to leave Strawberry Springs! You’ve been negative about me moving there the whole time.”
“And I had a reason to be.”
“I handled that.”
“Not well, considering you let him touch you.”
My jaw tightened. “You can’t keep doing this! Do you know why I moved out? Because ofyou, dude! You’re smothering me in the same way my father did.”
This time, he rounded on me. “Donotcompare me to him!”
I winced at how loud he was. I hatedloud voices, but I had to push past it. “I didn’t mean to. I just feel so restricted when you’re around.”
“And so the second you’re free, you go after a man who’s just like your father?”
I felt like I’d been slapped. “What . . . what did you just say?”
“Don’t think I don’t see it. The long hours? The whole bad-boy vibe he gives off? You’re into him because he reminds you of your childhood, Piper. And he’ll abuse you just like your dad did.”
I could only stare at him as I thought of all the things Theo had done for me and how gentle he’d been from the beginning. It was one thing to disagree. It was another to make Theo sound likehim.
“How dare you.”
