Page 81 of Almost Rotten

He shakes his head and spins the key ring around his finger. “I didn’t drink. I’m fine to—”

“Well I’mnotfine,” I explode, getting right up in his face. “Nothing about this is fine. We’re the opposite of fucking fine right now, Tytus. Give me the fucking keys tomyfucking car and get fucked.”

He blinks, and when he opens his eyes again, the darkness sets in, his pupils dilating, his chest expanding, then locking up, as if he’s holding his breath.

For the first time ever, I don’t give a flying fuck about his emotions, about where his head’s at. He can’t get out of this by going dark on me. I’m done. This ends right here, right now.

In one quick move, I snatch the keys out of his hand. Then I retreat, putting several feet between us, and cross my arms over my chest, breathing deeply to settle my heart rate. Silent tears stream down my cheeks, but I don’t even bother to wipe them away as they mix with the steady rain.

“What you did in there? What you committed me to? This isn’t a fucking game. Not anymore.”

He stares, unblinking.

Is he even listening? Anymore, I don’t care. Tiptoeing around Ty’s darkness when we share so much of the same fucking trauma is an exhausting act of self-harm.

“I went along with all this because I thought you’d cool down,” I grit out. “I thought you’d see reason. That we could work past this. But you’ve taken it way too fucking far. You’re delusional, and now you’re spreading that delusion as if it’s reality.”

Ty licks his lips, then laughs. The sound is low and sinister, laced with the promise of opposition and resistance. “I’m delusional?”

He takes a step forward and swipes the car keys back from my hand.

I take a step back, only to bump into my soaking-wet car.

“I’m not the one lying to myself. I’m not the one pretending that our connection means nothing.” He bares his teeth, his face inches from mine. “I’m not the one chasing people twice my age instead offucking waitinglike I promised. And I’m not the one who was grinding and writhing and begging for cock. That was all you, Sawyer. All. Fucking. You.”

My heart lurches into my throat. “Because you made me.”

Ty smirks. “No, petit diable. I’ve never made you do a damn thing. If anything, I’ve shown an incredible amount of restraint. You make the final call. I defer to you, over and over, even in the heat of the moment. And if that’s what you tell yourself to feel better, I’ll play the part. I’ll be your villain. But that’syourdelusion to come to terms with, Sawyer.Not mine.”

Fury and frustration flood me, my neck and cheeks heating with embarrassment.

He looms over me, his lips at my ear.

“Youput my fingers inside your body. You dropped to your knees and asked to taste my cock. And eventually, you’re gonna beg me to fuck you.”

With a will of its own, my open hand makes contact with his face, the sharp crack startling.

“I hate you—” My words are cut off by a sob.

Eyes narrowing, he nods. “I hate me, too. Doesn’t change what we have. Or what we are to each other now.”

He’s delusional.

Utterly, completely, irrationally delusional.

And I’m delirious. Exhausted and overwhelmed and so fucking done.

“We’renothing,” I scream, shoving against his chest. “We’renotmarried.”

Eyes bulging, he cups my mouth. “Shh!”

“No.” I duck to one side and swat him away. “Go back in there right now and tell them the truth. Go back in there and tell them, Ty.”

He guffaws, like I’m the crazy one. “And have them think I’m a liar? No fucking way. There’s no reasonable explanation.”

He’s right. There’s not.

Lips pressed together, I shrug. “I don’t care what they think. You took this too far. I can’t keep playing this game. I can’t keep pretending. I’m not doing this with you. Not anymore.”