Page 99 of Only With You

“Why the hell did you tell Finn we’re together and why did you give him the sweater back? I texted you and asked you where it was!” She hisses, a mask of anger covering her face.

Did I possibly make a statement by returning it back? Yes. Do I feel bad about it? No.

I don’t dwell or pretend. If I do, it’ll consume and push me over the cliff I’ve done well not to go near.

It’s a path of self-destruction and self-loathing, which is why I like to be upfront about how I feel. No bullshitting. The inevitable is bound to happen and it’s why I never hold back. But lately, I’ve been holding back from her.

There have been so many years of animosity between us that I’m not sure what to make of this. It’s confusing the hell out of me, but there’s one thing that’s certain: I like whatever the hellwe’ve got going on. I like that she fights me, when she gives me her patronising stares, and her smart-arse mouth.

God, I love her mouth.

“I didn’t tell him we’re together. If he misunderstood what I was trying to get across, then that’s a problem he needs to work on. And what’s so special about the jumper?” A bullet of irritation hits my chest, and with the already bitter feeling in there, they collide and become best friends.

Julianna crosses her arms against her chest and inhales a breath like she’s trying to rein in her frustration. “And what were you trying to get across?”

“Tokindlyfuck off.” And that’s as polite as I’m going to get.

She stares, taken aback. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means I want Saturday again.”

The tension on her body crumbles, her eyes grow a tad, and a rosy hue coats her cheeks. “I thought you said it was a one-time thing.”

That’s what I told myself that night. I thought once I got her out of my system, I’d be able to stop fantasising about her. Stop wondering what she sounds like, what every inch of her body feels like, what she tastes like. And I got exactly what I wanted, but once I left her apartment, I could still hear her breathy moans, still smell her perfume on me, taste her on my tongue, and feel her on my hands.

When I got home, I saw that she had followed me back. When I saw her pictures on her private account, I understood why she keeps it private. They’re provocative and so fucking hot.

I’m not ashamed to say I fucked my hand staring at one of her pictures. But after I came, it hit me that the same way I saw her, someone else will, too.

I can’t let that happen.

“I was wrong. I don’t want it to be a one-time thing. I want more as long as you do.”

We didn’t anticipate what happened on Saturday, but we weren’t fighting against it either. If anything, we were provoking each other on purpose. We knew what we were doing, we knew we were egging each other on, because we both wanted it bad.

Once was never going to cut it.

A deeper shade of pink spreads across her cheek. “Why did you give him the sweater back?”

I swear I see red, but I shove the bubbling bitterness away and lift my hand behind my head, grab the neck of my jumper and take it off. I don’t miss the way her eyes land on my exposed abdomen. I’d call her out on it, but that’d only encourage an argument. I don’t mind them, but I’m still in the hall, waiting for her to let me in.

“Here, it’s made out of the same material.” I hold it out for her to take, but she stares at it with hesitation. “Don’t be difficult.”

“I’m not being difficult, but I don’t think you understand. Finn didn’t let me borrow his sweater. He let me keep it. I don’t want to borrow yours.”

“I’m not handing it to you so you can use it temporarily. I want you to keep it.”

I’ve never imagined Julianna wearing anything that belongs to me, but now it’s all that’s seizing my thoughts.

Her brows quirk up, but then her eyes narrow with suspicion. “Is this supposed to be some kind of game?”

I swear to God only Julianna has the ability to annoy and make me want to kiss her in the same breath. The thought is both shocking and overwhelming.

“I don’t like to bullshit. This isn’t a game. I want you to keep it and I want you to think about Saturday.”

The pink seeps back on her cheeks and her throat bobs as she takes the jumper from my hands and lets me in.

She gives me a tight-lipped smile before she sighs. “It’s best if we don’t.”

---