Page 123 of Into Pitch

“That’s not an answer,” I hiss.

“It is, little fox. Just not one that makes you comfortable.” He murmurs gently.

I bark out a laugh and then fight the urge to scream into a pillow again. Lot of that going around lately.

“You don’t get points for honesty right now.”

“I’m not asking for points,” he muses.

“Kind of seems like you need them.” I grumble and shift on my feet. “If not points then, what are you asking for?”

“I’m asking you to hear me.” He says softly. Far too softly for someone who was just screamed at by a bat-waving lunatic.

“Fine. Then talk.” I snap.

“I love you,” he says.

Just like that.

No buildup or flourish. No fancy declaration or hesitation. Just three words, spoken unevenly like a diagnosis.

“That’s—” I start, then stop myself because what do you say to a man who doesn’t think in normal terms? Who doesn’t look at the world and see it the way most of us already do? “That’s not something you just get to say.”

“Why? You said it,” he counters.

“Yeah, well you don’t love me. You’re only obsessed.” I shoot.

“Yes,” he agrees.

I stare at him, stunned. “You’re not even going to deny it?”

“No, because obsession doesn’t preclude love. It only sharpens it.”

“That is the most unhinged thing I’ve ever heard,” I breathe.

He tilts his head, studying me. “Is it inaccurate?”

“Yes!” I explode. “You kidnapped me. You killed someone. You control everything—”

“I gave you space,” he interrupts.

I scream through my clinched teeth, unsure what else to do. “You literally drugged me and took me to a cabin in the woods!”

“And let you leave when you panicked. When it would have been easier to just keep you.” He supplies as if that’s somehow a miraculous favor he bestowed upon me.

“I don’t own you, but I won’t share.” He adds. Just tossing fuel on the fire.

“That’s ownership with better branding,” I deadpan.

“I like to call it a boundary.”

I scoff. “You want to talk boundaries? Let’s talk about all the ones you obliterated. You don’t get to talk about boundaries.”

“Then neither do you, because you keep stepping into mine.”

My brows arch at that, because well… he’s not wrong but I want to be right, right now so I’m just going to ignore that.

“You love the part of me that’s broken because that’s what fits into your world.” I snipe at absolute anything.