topics.”
“Excuse me?” Her hand fell from my arm, and though I wanted to place it back there and pull her into my lap, I had turned the table on her, and I wasn’t about to let it go.
“As soon as the conversation heads towards something you don’t want to talk about, you change the subject.”
Her lip curled up. “Was I supposed to fawn all over you because you called my lip-licking adorable? Sorry to disappoint.”
No one ever called me on my shit. Most people
did
fawn over me. Not Kat. Never. While she was quiet and shy with everyone else, she blew me off. Rolled her eyes at my undeniable charm. Acted like me talking to her was the most excruciating thing she’d ever had to endure. I was hooked after the first eye roll.
“For starters,” I said and gave her the look. The one that would make most girls melt, but only put gas in her bitch tank.
“Back to being a grade-A douchebag I see.”
I winked at her and did the douchebag head nod. “What can I say? Chicks dig it.”
Her forehead crinkled. “Chicks? Can you be anymore degrading?”
Before I could answer, her hand shot up. “Never mind. Don’t answer that.”
I stood up, leaned on my crutches and moved towards her. “Why not?” I asked, as I continued to close the gap.
Her tank drained, sputtering to empty. While all her blood rushed to her cheeks, mine rushed somewhere else. I loved that I still made her nervous.
“I . . . uh . . . wh . . . huh?”
But what I really loved was I could still get her all flustered with a simple touch. I dragged my finger down to the spot below her ear. The two years between us evaporated the closer I got. Just like the first time I pulled this move, she sucked in a breath then let it out slowly, eyes closing.
I moved until my mouth was next to her ear. “What was that?”
God, I wanted to kiss her. Lift her up on the counter and do all the things my memory still reminded me of. But I wanted her to kiss me first. To show me she needed me just as badly as I needed her.
Resisting the urge and hanging onto every ounce of self-control, I pulled away. Her eyes were still closed, but when she sensed I was no longer near, they popped open.
I waited. Hoping. The line she’d drawn was back, and if we were ever going to move on, she needed to come to me.
Her hand reached out, and my heart skidded to a stop, but instead of grabbing me, she grabbed my crutch and yanked it away.
“What the hell are you doing?” I demanded, trying to keep the growl out of my tone.
She put my crutch behind her back. “It’s time to stop making excuses. Walk.”
“It’s not that easy.”
“Sure it is,” she said, way too cheery for me.
Tension pulled tight across my forehead. I pushed my fingers into my skin in an attempt to subdue it.
“Let’s go,” she said with a playful smile. But there was nothing playful about this.
Didn’t she get it? It wasn’t that easy. I couldn’t just walk. Muscle was torn. Flesh destroyed. Luckily the bullet missed my femur. But still. It would take more than stealing my crutch.
I held my hand out to her. “Give it back.”
“Come and get it.”
I knew she was trying to help me, even had a playful tone in her voice, but I couldn’t diffuse the anger boiling within. My leg was heavy, my good one feeling weak.
“This isn’t funny. I’m not playing this game.” I put my hand out again. “Give. It. Back. Now!” I yelled. Kat jumped back, a look of fear on her face, and I knew I’d gone too far. It was as if I had no control.
Her big eyes widened even more, but other than that, she kept her composure. But I didn’t need tears to know I’d hurt her.
“I’m sorry,” I said, but the damage was done. She wouldn’t even make eye contact with me. Once the crutch was in my hand, she darted out of the kitchen.
I hobbled after her, using the crutches to propel me forward. If I could just get rid of them I would. But I couldn’t. The truth was, I didn’t know if I’d ever
“Excuse me?” Her hand fell from my arm, and though I wanted to place it back there and pull her into my lap, I had turned the table on her, and I wasn’t about to let it go.
“As soon as the conversation heads towards something you don’t want to talk about, you change the subject.”
Her lip curled up. “Was I supposed to fawn all over you because you called my lip-licking adorable? Sorry to disappoint.”
No one ever called me on my shit. Most people
did
fawn over me. Not Kat. Never. While she was quiet and shy with everyone else, she blew me off. Rolled her eyes at my undeniable charm. Acted like me talking to her was the most excruciating thing she’d ever had to endure. I was hooked after the first eye roll.
“For starters,” I said and gave her the look. The one that would make most girls melt, but only put gas in her bitch tank.
“Back to being a grade-A douchebag I see.”
I winked at her and did the douchebag head nod. “What can I say? Chicks dig it.”
Her forehead crinkled. “Chicks? Can you be anymore degrading?”
Before I could answer, her hand shot up. “Never mind. Don’t answer that.”
I stood up, leaned on my crutches and moved towards her. “Why not?” I asked, as I continued to close the gap.
Her tank drained, sputtering to empty. While all her blood rushed to her cheeks, mine rushed somewhere else. I loved that I still made her nervous.
“I . . . uh . . . wh . . . huh?”
But what I really loved was I could still get her all flustered with a simple touch. I dragged my finger down to the spot below her ear. The two years between us evaporated the closer I got. Just like the first time I pulled this move, she sucked in a breath then let it out slowly, eyes closing.
I moved until my mouth was next to her ear. “What was that?”
God, I wanted to kiss her. Lift her up on the counter and do all the things my memory still reminded me of. But I wanted her to kiss me first. To show me she needed me just as badly as I needed her.
Resisting the urge and hanging onto every ounce of self-control, I pulled away. Her eyes were still closed, but when she sensed I was no longer near, they popped open.
I waited. Hoping. The line she’d drawn was back, and if we were ever going to move on, she needed to come to me.
Her hand reached out, and my heart skidded to a stop, but instead of grabbing me, she grabbed my crutch and yanked it away.
“What the hell are you doing?” I demanded, trying to keep the growl out of my tone.
She put my crutch behind her back. “It’s time to stop making excuses. Walk.”
“It’s not that easy.”
“Sure it is,” she said, way too cheery for me.
Tension pulled tight across my forehead. I pushed my fingers into my skin in an attempt to subdue it.
“Let’s go,” she said with a playful smile. But there was nothing playful about this.
Didn’t she get it? It wasn’t that easy. I couldn’t just walk. Muscle was torn. Flesh destroyed. Luckily the bullet missed my femur. But still. It would take more than stealing my crutch.
I held my hand out to her. “Give it back.”
“Come and get it.”
I knew she was trying to help me, even had a playful tone in her voice, but I couldn’t diffuse the anger boiling within. My leg was heavy, my good one feeling weak.
“This isn’t funny. I’m not playing this game.” I put my hand out again. “Give. It. Back. Now!” I yelled. Kat jumped back, a look of fear on her face, and I knew I’d gone too far. It was as if I had no control.
Her big eyes widened even more, but other than that, she kept her composure. But I didn’t need tears to know I’d hurt her.
“I’m sorry,” I said, but the damage was done. She wouldn’t even make eye contact with me. Once the crutch was in my hand, she darted out of the kitchen.
I hobbled after her, using the crutches to propel me forward. If I could just get rid of them I would. But I couldn’t. The truth was, I didn’t know if I’d ever
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