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“Jesus Christ, Alvin. Do you ever shut the fuck up?” He stepped closer and pressed careful fingers against my side.

I winced anyway, and his hand instantly flattened against my waist to steady me. Neither of us moved. His palm was warm while mine curled against the edge of the table.

“You should’ve been there,” I said quietly. “For Trevor.”

“I should have been there,” he agreed. “For Trevor.”

There was something strange about hearing him admit it. It sucked some of the air out of my anger. Not all of it. I wasn’t that forgiving.

“It’s fine if you regret something, Dee.” It wasn’t. “But it’s not fine to use that regret as an excuse to avoid the people who rely on you.”

“You think that’s why I’ve been avoiding you?” he asked, his eyebrows pinching in the middle.

I looked at him. “Wasn’t talking about me.”

“I am.”

My heartbeat became painfully obvious. Dee’s hand was still against my waist, and I looked down at it. “So you admit you’ve been avoiding me,” I said.

His fingers flexed, adding pressure to my skin. “Alvin, I told you not to move.” I leaned towards him, and he stepped closer until my thighs were pinned in place by the width of him. “You know exactly what you’re doing to me,” he grumbled.

“Do I?” I fluttered my eyelashes. His gaze dropped to my mouth and I smiled when I felt his cock harden between my legs. The action pulled at the cut but I didn’t care. “Like I said, you’re so fucking predictable.”

“And you’re a reckless dickbag,” he countered.

“Maybe.”

“Selfish as ever,” he added.

“Sometimes,” I agreed.

“Infuriating.”

“So I’ve heard.”

“You could’ve gotten seriously hurt, Alvin.”

My smirk dropped into a confused frown. “You were scared… for me.”

“No.”

“You were.” I reached up and fisted the front of his shirt. He responded by grabbing my wrist. But neither of us let go. “You were scared for me. Admit it, DeeDee.” I pulled him closer and watched his breath hitch. “Will you just quit it already?”

“Quit what?” he exhaled.

“Pretending like you don’t care about me.”

His face was millimeters from mine now. “Never said I didn’t.”

That shut me up. But not for long. “Could’ve fooled me.”

His fingers squeezed around my wrist. “You think I enjoy watching you throw yourself head-first into every goddamn fire you see?”

“You watch me pretty closely for someone who doesn’t like me,” I hummed.

“I didn’t say that either.”

My pulse jumped. His eyes dropped again. Straight to my mouth. I whispered, “Then what exactly are you saying, Dee?”