Page 25 of Ly to Me

He ignored me and walked up to the windows, tossing the curtain to the side as he jiggled on the latch.

“You didn’t try to run?”

I scoffed in reply.

He stepped back, then scanned the bed, a glimmer now showing in those eyes I used to dream about.

Now I just wanted to claw at them.

“This what you bought with my card?” He tsked and raised one of the bras I’d purchased as my jaw stiffened. “You expect me to be pissed about you buyin’ this?”

I crossed my arms harder and jerked my attention away from him, glaring at the desk, which also seemed tampered with since I’d left the room this morning. He continued, “Or was it jealousy you sought?”

My teeth clenched, and my gaze flitted to the ceiling. “As strategic as ever, I see. The glass was a nice touch.” He raised his hand, which my eyes stupidly jumped to. He smirked. “Also found your cute little note, Ly. Love the threatening undertones.”

“It was clearly a threat, asshole.”

“Ah, she speaks.” He circled around to face me, pulling his shirt from his jeans and tossing it over his shoulder. Carver placed his arms on either side of me, caging me in as he prowled forward.

“What do you want?” I spat and leaned back, my elbows digging into the bed.

He crooked a finger, latching onto several strands of hair. “For one, I want you to dye your hair back.”

My eyes narrowed on him. “You don’t control what the hell I do.”

“And two,” he continued, acting as if I’d said nothing as he pushed back and walked up to his desk. A few seconds later, he was pulling the chair out. “Sit.”

“No.”

He clicked a pen. “I wasn’t askin’.”

“Maybe you should.”

He let out a sigh and tapped the pen vigorously on the wooden desk. “You don’t deserve—”

“You don’t get to tell me what I deserve.” My fingertips bit into the blanket. “What I deserve is to know what the fuck I’m doin’ here. Why make me stay when I could leave and make this easier for the both of us?”

Carver assessed me—not my body, but my face. “Fine.” He dropped the pen on the papers and leaned back on the desk, crossing his ankles. “I have a proposition for you.”

“Take your proposition and shove it right up your ass.”

“It involves money.”

My back straightened. “I’m listening.” He folded his arms over his defined pecs, and I traced the lines of tattoos that dotted his upper body. He shifted when he noticed, swapping one arm over the other. After a few long beats of silence, I circled my hand in the air. “This is when you—”

“Marry me.”

“No. I—wait, what?”

“You heard me, Ly.”

I turned and started rapidly bagging up the lingerie sprawled over his bed.This is not happening, this is not—

“Stop.”

I froze with several garments in my tight fist. Red fizzled from my vision long enough for me to see his eyes flick to my knee, and that’s when anger sprawled like the Devil himself was inhabiting my body. I quickly gathered more pieces and threw them at him, then darted for the door.

My heart was pounding as I tried to turn the handle, then realized he must’ve locked it because it wasn’t fucking moving. Instead of messing with the lock, I gave up and slid my back down the length of the door, folding in on myself.