Page 35 of Avenging Azalea (California Made Men #2)

“Really? Oh my god! Yes, that would be incredible. Thank you,” Fawn exclaimed from the backseat, and I sucked in a slow, deep breath. I needed to get control of this jealousy before it pushed me to do something stupid.

“Surgery is at nine,” Taylor said.

Fawn began asking questions about how the injury happened and other things that I’d never be able to answer, which only fueled my irrational anger. Thank god the tall white building with the glowing golden sign came into view. I focused on it. Pulling in, I stopped in front of the doors.

“Thanks for the ride,” Dr. Taylor said, offering me his hand. I shook it and nodded but didn’t dare speak.

Fawn hopped out with the good doctor and walked him to the front door.

Stay put, don’t get out. Just stay put.

I watched them talking, and when they hugged, I growled, garnering Sheba’s attention. It lasted only two seconds, but it was the longest two seconds of my life. The way he held her…

Looking away and counting in my head was the only thing that sort of helped. When Fawn climbed into the front seat, the anger settled. But I could still smell Taylor’s cologne and wanted to clean my truck to erase the scent.

“Okay, out with it,” Fawn said as the silence lingered on our way home. Glancing at her, I licked my lips, ready to spout off, but just shook my head. “No, I’m not letting you off with that. You were weird in there. You were acting jealous, and I don’t get it.”

“I’ll ask you again. How well do you know this man?”

“Well enough to say yes to a date,” she said, and my head snapped in her direction.

“You agreed to a what?”

“Titus…I don’t know what you want from me,” she said.

“It’s simple, Fawn. That man is easily twice your age.

What the hell is he doing asking you out?

Not only because of the age difference, but you work for him.

He is your mentor. There have to be at least fifty human resource violations in that one act.

That was before all the flirting he did tonight.

He could hardly keep his hands off you.”

Fawn crossed her arms and looked away.

“I hate it when you do that,” she said, her voice soft.

“What?”

“Act like my father,” she said as I pulled into my driveway.

Shutting off the truck, we sat in the dark, staring ahead. When Fawn moved to get out, I couldn’t let her leave and grabbed her arm.

“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to make it sound like that.” Daring to look at her, I searched her face for any signs of anger, but all I saw was confusion that matched my inner turmoil all too well. “I’m concerned. It’s not that I don’t trust your judgement, but…”

“But what, Titus? Huh?”

I looked away, unable to hold the stare that told me I was being a dick. I knew it, and hated it, but couldn’t seem to stop myself.

“Talk to me or I’m getting out.”

“You know what the issue is, Fawn,” I said.

“No, I don’t. I told you how I felt, and you told me you were engaged.

I threw myself at you and was humiliated for my effort.

You tossed the one guy my age who was interested in me into a pool, and now you’re acting as if Dr. Taylor, who has been nothing but amazing to me, is a horrible person.

So, you don’t want me, but you don’t want anyone else to want me. Is that about right?”

“No…yes…fuck.”

“I see.” Fawn opened the door and jumped out before I could stop her. She helped Sheba out of the back as I walked around the truck.

“Fawn,” I said, but she ignored me.

We stepped inside the house, and she marched up the stairs with me following right behind her. I should’ve turned left at the top and gone to my room, but instead, I went right.

“Stop following me,” Fawn ordered.

That was it. The last of my threadbare control snapped. I grabbed Fawn before she could walk into her bedroom and pushed her up against the wall.

“Titus—” Cupping her face stopped whatever she was going to say.

“It’s not that I don’t want you. I want you so fucking much it hurts. I feel like I’m stuck in a wave, crashing against the rocks over and over as it slowly kills me,” I admitted.

Saying the words out loud didn’t make this situation any better. And neither did kissing her, but I did that too. Fawn moaned and shuddered as I deepened the kiss. She pressed against me, and I was ready to throw every one of my morals out the window to claim her.

A wild desperation had broken open inside of me. The rational part of my brain wanted Fawn to move on and have a life, but seeing it in front of my eyes and knowing what that meant for us…what that meant for our future…

I hated our reality.

Fawn melded perfectly into my arms like our bodies were made for one another. Breaking the kiss, I nipped at her lower lip and then kissed a line down her neck. The whole time, I prayed for forgiveness while sucking on her soft skin. Fawn shivered as I licked at the reddish mark.

Not giving her a moment to think, I claimed her mouth again, my tongue exploring as I ravaged her. Fawn broke away this time, and we stood there panting for breath. Her eyes were filled with lust, but swirled with some other emotion.

“I can’t do this,” she said, and shook her head. “I thought I could, but…” She gave my chest a little push, forcing me to step back, and her eyes filled with tears. “I think we need some space. This is getting harder, not easier.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean…I’ve started looking for apartments.

I hope you’ll support my decision to move out and not try to stop me.

Each day that I stay here, knowing that it’s just another X on the calendar closer to your wedding is a stab in my heart.

I can’t live under the same roof as the two of you, I just can’t. ”

“Fawn…” I ran my hand through my hair.

“No, please don’t. I get it, and I know you don’t have a choice.

But this is something that I have to do for my sanity.

I thought seeing your jealousy would make me happy.

But it’s the opposite. It hurts more knowing you want me, and…

that’s not fair to me. At this point, you’re just playing with my heart. ”

She wiped away the tears running down her cheeks.

“I don’t ever want you to go. But…I’ll support your decision,” I said, when all I wanted to do was get on my knees and beg Fawn to stay.

I wanted to tell her that I was still looking for ways out of this mess. But dangling hope that could easily be yanked away seemed unreasonably cruel. I’d already hurt her too much.

“Goodnight, Titus,” Fawn said, slipping into her bedroom and officially pushing me away.

“Goodnight, my Little Bird. I love you, and I’m so sorry,” I whispered, and walked away as my heart broke with every footstep.