Page 57 of Resist Me

My brow furrowed. I stared at the place he’d disappeared. My heart was galloping and I didn’t think it was because of the excitement from the fight.

“I’m gonna find Kai,” Willow informed me before prancing away.

I wanted to follow, but I continued to look at the stairs. At the very least, I should probably make sure that Lincoln was okay. He’d obviously been upset.

Chapter 21

Lincoln

What the hell was I doing? Because of Willow, I’d reopened my interest in talking to West. It was pointless and most likely futile, but ever since he was at my apartment, I found myself wanting to open him up so that I could see what secrets lay inside.

It was stupid. I was going to get burned like I always did. He was the last person in the world I should be flirting with, but I couldn’t help myself tonight. I saw him as soon as he walked in the door and it was like a scene from a movie. Everything faded into the background and I was locked on those keen blue eyes. I hated his haughty attitude, but at that moment, I could feel the way he had the potential to command a room.

With a deep breath, I sat on the bench in front of my keyboard. It wasn’t as nice as the one at my apartment, but I didn’t come here when I needed to practice. This night was supposed to give me a break from playing, but this wasn’t about perfecting a composition. I just wanted to play and let myself calm down.

Matt’s comment made me see red. It was unnecessarily disrespectful. Not too long ago, West came to my defense when Jessimade her comments about me and Kai being gay. I couldn’t help myself and that was concerning.

I flexed my fingers. They were stiff from that hit. Throwing punches was not a good idea for someone who required dexterous hands.

Centering myself, I started playing a song I’d learned a long time ago. My mom wrote it and taught it to me. It was what she walked down the aisle to, what she hummed when she put me to bed, and it never failed to help me calm down.

“Wow,” someone said from the doorway. I’d left it open a crack and now there was a figure standing in the space. “You really are a musician. I thought it was all bullshit.”

I looked away from West and focused on the song. It was hard when he was here, especially once he came closer. He sat on the bench beside me, even though it was a tight fit. His thigh pressed against mine and I stumbled over the notes.

Putting my hands in my lap, I tried to reorient myself. Suddenly, he started playing from the page I had set up. Like Willow, he was a little choppy and the tempo was slower than it should have been, but he seemed to have a decent grasp of it and I was shocked that he could read music.

Shit. Watching his long fingers move across the keys woke something in me. I moved my gaze to his face: his high cheekbones, the paleness of his skin below his dark hair, and his beautiful blue eyes when he glanced at me. His hands stilled as he stared back at me. The silence in the room made the tension unbearable.

And I just… gave up.

I grasped the back of his neck and leaned in. When my lips met his, something inside of me burst open. For a second, I felt excited. Then, he pulled back abruptly. Without a word, he rose from the bench and left the room. It was so quick that I sat there in stunned silence, trying to process what had happened.

I was an idiot, that was what happened. Whatever feelings had begun to awaken inside of me weren’t reciprocated and I shouldn’t have considered that they could be, even for a moment. Of all people, I couldn’t have West. Just that thought made me sigh. This was going to make things awkward the next time we saw each other.

The door slammed and I jumped to my feet. West was back, his eyes wild and locked on me. I looked at the closed door, then back to him. As soon as I stepped around the piano, he closed the distance between us.

“What’s your problem?” he demanded.

“I shouldn’t have kissed you.”

“It was uncalled for.”

“Then, why are you back?”

His jaw ticked. “I want an explanation. You’re acting different, offering me your special beer, harassing me in libraries, and punching guys. What are you doing?”

“I’m trying to resist feeling something,” I replied, deciding to go with honesty. “Trying to resistyou.”

“Try harder.”

“Stop being so angry. I never started this war with you.”

“You’re competition, Linc. All I ever want to do is beat you.”

Raising my chin, I fixed my gaze on him. “So beat me, West. One up me.” I stepped closer, pressing our chests together. “Show me how fucking special you are.”

He silenced my next words with a firm kiss at the same moment that his fingers wrapped around my throat, keeping me in place with a bruising grip. The show of dominance was both exhilarating and made me want to take control.

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