Page 58 of The Last Days of Lilah Goodluck

“Fuck you, Alistair.”

His brows descend and his gaze goes nuclear. But it’s the way he gets all up in my face that is truly special. “Don’t you dare call me by my full name.”

“I thought you preferred it. I thought me calling youAliannoyed you. Keep the jacket. Maybe you can return it and get your money back.”

“What’s wrong with us being just friends?” he asks, emphasizing theFword by tossing the offending item of clothing into the corner. “Tell me.”

“Nothing. Not a single thing. If you behaved like just a friend.”

“You’re misreading things. I was only looking out for you. This isn’t to do with that bullshit prediction about us being soulmates, is it?”

“No,” I say, loud and clear. “This is me simply reacting to your behavior.”

“Nothing about you is simple.”

“Straight back at you, buddy.”

I grasp the door handle, but he’s there, pushing against the front door and holding it closed. While kneeing someone in the groin isn’t on the wish list, it would be a daring, new, and interesting experience. I am not ruling it out. Because, boy, is he asking for it right now.

“If this is what you learned at your dancing and deportment classes, something went very wrong somewhere along the way,” I say.

“With all due respect, you’re being fucking unreasonable. You know that, right?”

My laughter is wholly without humor. “I’mthe one being unreasonable? Are you serious? You’re not letting me leave, you asshole!”

“Because if you leave when you’re still angry, you might not want to see me again!”

And I have nothing. Nada. Not a damn thing. I stand there and stare at him while he proves my point. Whatever is going on between us is more than just friendship. I have no idea how or when, but feelings have been caught by both sides. It might only be lust. Something we can learn to ignore. But he’s lying when he says it doesn’t exist, and now he knows it too. The evidence is right there on his somewhat startled face.

He hangs his head and stares at the hardwood floor. His shoulders rise and fall and the sides of his chest expand with his breathing. “Say something.”

“I honestly don’t know what to say.”

“Yes, you do.” He stands tall and moves toward me. He takes a step forward and I take a step back. We keep moving like this until I am backed into the closest corner. With a hand to the wall on either side of me, I am caged, and he is right the hell there. Both of us breathing heavier than normal. My heart is beating so hard it’s about to break right out of my chest. Being this pissed off and turned on at the same time is a lot. “Go on.”

“I don’t want to keep arguing with you,” I say. “I also feel like I’ve won, so it’s probably best to quit while I’m ahead.”

“You’ve won, huh?”

I just shrug.

His gaze drops to my mouth and stays there. Is he going to kiss me? I have no idea how we went from arguing to this, but I am not complaining. I lick my lips and his dark gaze tracks the movement. Fuck. This is actually going to happen. But then he takes a step back and my heart sinks to my toes. I am not surprised. Though I am disappointed.

“So,” I say.

“So,” he replies.

“It would seem that one of us has some abandonment and intimacy issues that could do with a little work.”

“I’m happy to find you a good therapist if that would help.”

Patience is a great virtue. A pity I’m currently out of the stuff. “Okay. I better—”

“My pool is heated,” he says out of nowhere. “I don’t think I mentioned that.”

“What?”

“My pool is heated,” he repeats.

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