Page 36 of Spark

“There’s nothing to talk about. Now, please, just go,” she said with more force.

He was going to be sick. A feeling of wrongness grew and expanded as he climbed out of her bed and got dressed. As she watched him from across the room, like she thought he’d grab her and not let go.

Christ. That’s exactly what he wanted to do.

He shoved his feet in his boots and was about to walk out but stopped and looked back at her standing there, breathing hard, eyes a little wild. “I’m not the only one feeling this. I know I’m not.”

She said nothing.

He forced himself to walk out of her room, through her small apartment overflowing with Christmas decorations and pretty things, and out the door.

How could it be over?

How the hell was he going to let her go when he’d only just found her?

Chapter 10

Dex turned his back to Joe, who was on the other side of the garage, and hit Hattie’s number, trying to call her again. He’d been trying since he got home from her place early that morning—shit, before he’d left her building. She wouldn’t pick up. Wouldn’t reply to any of his texts.

The sound of her sweet voice asking him to leave a message echoed down the line.

“Fuck.”

He was leaving in an hour, heading home for the wedding, but he didn’t want to, not until he’d spoken to her.

He shoved his fingers through his hair. Jesus, he needed to hear her voice. He needed her to tell him it wasn’t over, that she’d just freaked out like last time he’d said more than he should, that he was right—that she felt the same way about him.

Somehow, he forced himself to get back to work and, on autopilot, finished changing the oil filter on the Honda he was working on.

After closing the hood, he wiped the grease off his hands and, unable to help himself, pulled his phone from his pocket and tried to call Hattie for the fucking millionth time.

Again he went to voice mail.

Goddamn it. “Hattie, please. Call me back, sweetness. I pushed, and I said I wouldn’t. I won’t…say what I did again. I’ll do whatever you want. Please, I need you to call me. I need to hear your voice before I leave town.”

Breathing heavily, he ended the call and shoved his phone back in his pocket while he tried to gather his control. The way he felt right then, if he could have, he’d have picked the car up in front of him and hurled it across the room. That’s how angry he was at himself.

No wonder she was running scared. What the hell was wrong with him? She probably thought he was some desperate, obsessive loser.

“Christ, you look like you’re about to Hulk out. What’s going on?” Joe said from beside him.

Dex hadn’t even seen him walk over.

“Nothing,” he bit out.

“Your nostrils are flaring, your teeth are about to shatter from gritting them like you’re in the fucking electric chair, and your fists are clenched tight like you’re ready to punch someone.” Joe winced and took a step back. “Woman trouble?”

Dex planted his hands on his hips. “Listened to you assholes. Now everything is fucked.” They’d made him think he could care for people again, that the risk of pain and rejection would be worth it. It fucking wasn’t.

Joe frowned. “What the hell did we do?”

Hugh walked out of the breakroom, and Dex couldn’t control it or hold it in. “Why the fuck did I listen to you?” Adam was there as well. “I barely know you. The fact we’re related means jack shit.”

“What the hell’s going on?” Hugh said. “Brother, talk to us—”

“Not your brother. My brother’s about to marry my ex, and the other two have made it clear they want nothing to do with me. Don’t want or need more.”

“Jesus, what happened?” Adam asked.