Page 28 of Where the Darkness Goes

“You couldn’t crush me if you tried.” He smirks, holding me too tightly. “But I’d welcome the challenge.” His fingers flex on my hip, and I swear I feel something underneath me.Him.

I feel him underneath me, where he wasn’t before. My cheeks flush hot, but I force a laugh, though it sounds more nervous than gleeful. “God, you’re such a pig.”

He shakes his head. “Don’t be a chicken.”

“What would make me a chicken, exactly?”

“You started this.” He lifts his other hand to my side, sliding his palm slowly down to my hip. “Not me. Here I was being a perfect gentleman.”

“You’ve never been a perfect gentleman a day in your life.”

“Trust me, I have.”

“Well, I never asked you to be.”

“You didn’t have to ask. You’re…Will’s sister.”

Despite feeling as if I were floating just moments ago, his words send me crashing to the ground and into our sobering reality. “His sister.” I nod. “Your friend. Right. Yep, you’ve made that very clear.”

“Tessa…”

The warmth I felt blooming in my chest moments ago dissipates in seconds, and I stand. “Thanks for dinner.”

He lifts his hand and takes my fingers, but I pull them back. “You don’t have to go.”

“I know.” His eyes are sad, but he doesn’t follow me as I make my way across the room. “But I really should get some sleep. I’ll see you in the morning, okay?” And then, because it’s him and because I really don’t want to leave things awkward and uncomfortable, I add, “By the way, now that I’ve had both, my sandwich waswaybetter.”

He tosses his head back against the couch with a silent laugh, and we’re back to normal. Just like that.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

GARRETT — PRESENT DAY

Holy fuck.

I thought we’d left all of that in the past. I thought she’d moved on, thought I’d moved on, but what was that? Why did she…

Why did I…

What the fuck was that?

I stand, staring toward the hallway, prepared to bang on the door and demand that we talk this out or…sort things out another way.

Preferably without clothes on.

In her bed. My mouth on her…

Jesus, I need help.

How am I supposed to spend the next few days in this house alone with her? There is still so much between us that we’ve never resolved, and I’m ready to resolve it now.

Except…

My eyes fall to my phone, where there’s a text from hours ago waiting from Will. I pick it up and call him, eager for a distraction and a moment to cool down.

“Yeah?” he asks, voice groggy like he’s been asleep.

“We’ve got a problem.”

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