Page 52 of The True Garza

My neighborhood is only about eight minutes from Jules’s, and True drives like a madman, so we’re outside the house in no time.

“Thanks for the ride.” I waste no time opening the door and jumping out. “I’ll talk to Charles and update you. Goodnight.” I shut the door before he can respond. The farther away I am from him, the easier it is for me to breathe.

Halfway up the path to the front door, I hear a car door slam behind me and wince. Without looking back, I call, “No need to walk me to the door.”

Still, his footsteps don’t halt.

Why does he have to make it so hard for me?

Once I’m on the steps to the door, I stop, take a breath and turn. “Wh—”

“You forgot your food,” he says without expression or inflection and holds up the food container from the restaurant.

“Oh.” I take the container. “Uh, thanks.”

“Are you sure it’smewho needs to get over myself?”

“Whatever, True. Night.”

“Night,” he returns.

But when I turn to go, there’s a tug at my jacket.

Glancing down, I see he’s casually gripping the bottom of it. “Night, True.”

“Night, London.”

Again, when I try to leave, I’m hindered by his grip on my jacket. With a frown, I gaze up at him, confused.What? What do you want?

Nothing. I get nothing from those unreadable eyes. He’s just staring down at me.

And then his eyes are on my mouth.

A kiss? Is that what you want? A good-night kiss?

Heart hammering in my chest, I turn fully to him then, slowly rise up on the tip of my boots, and start inching my lips toward his.

He doesn’t meet me, and I falter a beat, wondering if I’m making a mistake. But… I want thisso damn badly—to feel his lips on mine again, to touch him—so I continue.

When my lips are a breath from his, he jerks back, still impassive, and asks, “What’re you doing?”

Lips parted, I’m paused on my toes. There’s no way I read this wrong.Did I?“I-I thought—”

“Why do women always do that? Try to be a gentleman, and they mistake it for something else.”

“Are—are you serious?”

Nowhe lets go of my jacket. “Was just trying to give you your leftovers and bid you good night, London. I’m not a piece of meat that you can take advantage of.” With that, he turns and strides off.

And I’m just left there, gaping, wondering if I’m losing my ever-loving mind.

I’ve always prided myself on having damn good instincts. But when it comes to True Garza, I haveno fucking clueaboutanything. Somehow, I seem to read everything wrong with him, and it’s exasperating as hell.

As he speeds off from the curb with me staring after him, I decide then and there that my mental state isn’t quite right when he’s around. So, the best thing for me going forward is to—when possible—stay the fuck away from True Garza.

~

True:Is it a good or bad thing that I feel like I’m going crazy when I’m around her?