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“Unbelievable,” I muttered under my breath, spinning on my heel.
Tyler and Jeremy were sitting in the car, the engine idling as they chatted. I could feel that their conversation was about me as their mouths stopped when their eyes landed on me.
I held up my finger to say ‘one minute’ and spun around to walk back inside.
I wasn’t leaving things like this.
I pushed open the doors to the library and spotted Robert as he walked back down the hallway toward the auditorium where we had been eating.
“Robert!” I snapped, my voice sharp and echoing down the hallway.
He turned toward me, his eyes narrowing.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” I demanded, stomping up to him. “You think you get to accuse me of being some kind of two-timing liar?”
His jaw tightened. “Delia, this isn’t the time or place. You were right to leave. You should keep going. Go find Jeremy. It’s obvious you two are meant for each other.” His tone was sarcastic, cutting me deep.
“I get to choose who I’m meant for!” I shot back. “You don’t have any claim over me.” I poked my index finger into his broad chest, feeling the tense muscles of his pecs. “You don’t get to be mad if I want to be with someone else. You gave up any stake you had in…” I gestured between us, “…this…when you told me to get out.”
His nostrils flared, and for a moment, I thought he was going to yell back. Instead, he took a step closer, his voice low and dangerous. “I did not tell you to get out. I told you you could stay in my guest room. But that wasn’t enough for you. You just had to push for more.”
I crossed my arms, angry that he was bringing that up as though I’d demanded his bedroom. It was thewayhe’d done it, and he knew it. “I thought you were so emotionally mature. Isn’t that what you said? But now you’re playing games.”
“I’m not the one playing games,” he said. “You’re the one who can’t seem to figure out what the hell you want.”
I laughed bitterly. “You’ve got some nerve. So if you weren’t kicking me out, why haven’t I heard from you?” I looked around the room as if looking for a carrier pigeon to arrive with a letter from him. “You’ve made no attempt to contact me, Robert. Sure seems like you kicked me out and now you’re done.”
His eyes flashed with something—guilt, maybe, or anger, or both. “How was I supposed to know you felt so strongly about me? You’ve pushed me away at every turn. Hell,” he turned up his head to the sky with a chuckle, “even thatnight,it was hell to get you to agree to let me drive you. A man could save yourlife, and you’d still act like he had a vendetta against you!” He pointed at me angrily. “So stop acting like you have some high ground in running when we both know you don’t.”
I chewed on my bottom lip, the truth socking me in the stomach. He was right. It was the absolute truth. Hehadsaved my life. And Istillthought it was all part of some plan to hurt me.
Even now, while I berated him, I knew the secret I had. I was afraid of him running? I couldn’t even tell him the truth, that I was pregnant with his child.
“You’re right. You couldn’t have known how strongly I felt about you because Idon’tfeel strongly about you,” I lied.
The silence between us crackled like static, heavy and charged. His gaze bore into mine, and for a moment, neither of us moved.
Then he reached out, grabbing my arm and pulling me closer.
“Delia—”
I didn’t let him finish. “No, don’t. I’m done.”
His hand was still on my arm, a static shock between us so strong that I was surprised I was still breathing. And then he kissed me.
It wasn’t gentle or sweet or apologetic. It was angry and desperate and electric, and I hated myself for kissing him back.
His hands gripped my waist, and I shoved him against the wall, my frustration and fury pouring out in the way my fingers tangled in his hair, and my teeth grazed his lower lip.
“This doesn’t mean you’re forgiven,” I muttered against his mouth, even as my body betrayed me by pressing closer to him.
“Not asking for forgiveness,” he murmured, his voice rough.
His hands slid down to my hips, pulling me even closer, and I let out a low, frustrated groan.
“This is a terrible idea,” I said, even as I pushed his jacket off his shoulders.
“Probably,” he agreed, his lips moving to my neck.