Page 65 of Obsessed with the Heartbreaker

Of course not.

“Are you saying no because you don’t want to follow your parents’ footsteps, or because you genuinely don’t want to?”

I sighed roughly.

More than even Maddox himself, Antony knew the whole shit I went through with my parents. The way I resented them and wanted nothing to do with their business. I’d shared quite a lot with him back in the day when we were…neighbors. And he hadn’t forgotten about it.

“I refuse to be what they want me to be.”

“But what about whatyouwant?” Antony dropped his brush and put all of his attention on me. “If what they thought didn’t matter or affect you, what wouldyouwant to do?”

I eyed the people around us, and thankfully, it seemed we were for now having a private conversation, since everyone else seemed distracted. The guys closest to us laughed loudly as one of them, Jonah, told them something about the time a turtle bit his finger and wouldn’t let go.

“Are you a therapist now?” Deflection. That was my only shield right now.

Antony gave me a look.

“Why do you care what I want or don’t want?”

He was silent for a moment before turning again toward the wall. “I just do.”

I had to admit that I liked this side of Antony. I liked that hecared. It made me feel like I had actualbutterfliesin my stomach. My parents had dropped me off at boarding school as soon as they’d been able to. My visits to them had been rare, even more so as I became older, and it had felt like they cared about me and my feelings as much as they cared about their cars—well, actually, they definitely caredlessabout me, and that was saying something because they changed cars every other year.

So it had always felt really special when Antony, who owed me nothing, who I should have beenno oneto, showed me that he cared, no strings attached. I’d never had to prove my worth to him in order to earn it.

He’d made me feel…loved.

Don’t go there.

Adam, who was several feet away from us, called out from up a ladder and asked something I didn’t even catch, still distracted by my thoughts, but as soon as I turned to him, I saw Maddox notice what he was doing. My best friend immediately dropped his brush and went toward him like a dark cloud.

“What sort of idiot goes up a ladder without someone holding it?” Mad took hold of it and looked up at Adam’s surprised face. “Has no one told you not to get on top of a ladder?”

Adam met his chastisement with a grin. “You have, just now. And you’re holding it for me, so win-win, right?”

Maddox looked like he wanted to threaten him to let go of it, but when it wobbled slightly, he held on to it harder.

Antony’s attention had also been pulled toward them, and when he felt my stare, he sent an inquisitive look my way.

I had nothing to tell him.

Adam and Maddox were one of the many mysteries on this Earth.

More guys called on to me, though, so I left my stuff and was grateful to get some distance from the guy pulling at all my heartstrings.

Jesus, look at my thoughts.

I was theHeartbreaker, for fuck’s sake.

What was I turning into?

Chapter 20

Antony

My heart didn’t know what to do, being so close to Henry Campbell. It raced as Henry asked me why I cared, and I found myself fighting a blush because, suddenly, I had to make myself that same question.

Yes, I was technically doing this because Connell had asked me to. It was almost physically painful to see him and Henry fight, not just because I knew Connell meant well, but forHenry. I hated how sometimes it felt like he was alone in the world. Always turned against his family, always having to fight them off, always avoiding their calls.

---