Page 60 of The Final Beat

I stood up and turned for the door but stopped when I heard Joey scoff.

I swivelled to face him. “What?”

He shook his head. “You. That’s all. Running like you always do.”

“Running?” I asked, my voice almost a screech. “Running from what? You? Is that what you think?”

Joey stood, his good hand gripping the bottle of water making the plastic crackle. “Actually, yeah, I think you are. Ithink you’ve spent every day since we first had sex running from me.”

“Bullshit.”

“No, it’s not.” He shook his head, his ridiculous grin back on his face. “And you know it’s not. You are totally aware that you’re scared and every time we get close to being something more than fuck buddies,yousabotage us.”

My eyes widened as his words hit me. “Not true.” I didn’t sabotage us. He was a fucking liar. He had no idea what he was talking about. “We just don’t work, Joseppi. That’s all.”

“We fucking do, and you know that we do,Daisy.”

I threw my hands in the air, frustrated with the truth that I didn’t want to hear. Angry that we were still having the same conversations that we’d had for the last few years. “You’re talking shit and you know you are. We have never worked and never will. We’re toxic and all we ever do is hurt one another.”

The bottle of water thudded to the floor as Joey let it drop and took a step closer to me. “Why the hell can’t you just admit that I’m right and that you’re wrong?” he hissed. “That I’ve never hurt you? I admit that I annoy the fuck out of you, but I’ve never hurt you. We annoy each other.” He shrugged. “Why can’t you just acknowledge that you’re scared of how I make you feel? That I scare you?!”

“You don’t make me feel anything,” I said with a scoffing laugh. “As for scaring me, you’re not even close to scaring me.”

“Daisy,yourfeelings formescare you.” He took a step closer, and I took one step back. “You know they do.”

I shook my head. Slowly. My lips thinned into a determined line. I wasn’t going to admit anything.

“No, they don’t.”

“Liar. You’re scared because of how much you care about me.”

I shook my head again and swallowed hard to try and get rid of the emotional tickle in my throat, attempting to dull the emotions that threatened to spill over. I tried to stop the feelings of truth that were racing through my veins and making my heart stutter.

Joey pinched the bridge of his nose, only he used his injured hand and winced. “Fuck.”

I took a half-step, wanting to check he was okay, but stopped myself. because I needed to create distance between us, not get closer.

“Stupid fucking idiot,” I hissed. “Do you actually want to perform again on this tour?”

“It’s fine.” He shook out his hand but when his face crumpled, it was clear that hadn’t been a good move either.

“Just rest the fucking hand, Joseppi.” As I turned to leave, he grabbed my arm, and I shook him off. “Joey, just leave me alone.”

Unrelenting, he moved in front of me into my personal space. Dark brown eyes with a penetrating stare bored into me as he stood unmoving in front of me. A solid wall of muscle and masculinity with a handsome smile and beautiful chocolate eyes.

Shaking my head of the lust, I tried to move past him, but Joey moved a step to the side, barring my escape.

“Joey,” I pleaded.

“Please, Destiny. Just think about it. Think about how good we are. You know that we are.”

Inhaling deeply, I chewed on my bottom lip and watched as his eyes begged for me to listen to him.

Finally, I whispered, “Please, let me go.”

Joey shook his head, lifting his hand to cup my cheek. “I can’t, Daisy.”

My breath caught in my throat as his words sunk in. He couldn’t let me go but I couldn’t let myself be taken. I’d done thatonce and it had nearly killed me. It killed my chance of a family. A future.

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