Page 109 of Unraveled

“Why?” she asked, rubbing her tears into my shirt. “You got a good enough view.”

I took a second to smirk and then drew in a bracing breath, tired of hiding it. It wasn’t exactly a secret now, anyway. “Because that’s how I found out about Annie and Enzo.”

She grew tense, and her head slowly rose from my chest as she looked up at me, her green eyes wide and…wary? “You meanAnnaand Enzo.”

“Yes.”Oh, bloody hell. What did I just say?

Annie shrugged herself out of my arms. “That’swhat this is about.” She pointed her index finger at me, backing up a nervous step. “That’s why you don’t like me. I remind you of her. Don’t I? I was just fucking around when I suggested it before, but, oh, God. I do, don’t I?”

“Some.”She does? Christ, she does. Shit.

“What about me, Nic? My name must drive you crazy. I’d say the way I look must have something to do with it, but then you’d have to be attracted to Izzy, too… Unless,that’swhy you’re so nice to her.Hername wouldn’t set youoff.”

I just stared at her, slack-jawed as she lost it and I was slammed with the reality of how I’d connected her to Anna.

“God… Does Tucker know? Does Jet?” Pain flashed across her face. “I guess it wouldn’t matter if he did.”

“Annie, stop it.” I grabbed her arms to make her look at me. “It’s not like that. I’m not attracted to Izzy like that.”

“But you are tome?” Terror filled her eyes as she waited for my answer.

“No. I swear. Youdohave things in common with Anna, but I’dneverwant you that way.”

“Why?!”

“Why do you care?!”

“Because I want to understand why you hate me so much! Why you hated me from the beginning when I never even did anything to you!”

“I don’t know!” I roared, my frustration at its limit.

“God, you are so infuriating!” she screamed in my face.

“Exactly! That’s why!” I decided. “You irritate me too Goddamn much!”

My eyes bore down into hers. Somehow, we were now standing toe to toe. My breaths were labored, I was so furious with her. And she hadn’t really even done anything, just like she’d said, other than scream. Which was a day in the park with her.

Annie’s chest and shoulders heaved along with mine. It was pure anger and frustration. Pure intensity, and I couldn’t look away. Tension mounting between us.

Her gaze darted to the side, and mine flickered across her face down to her lips and back up over each of her features. She was striking, even more so in the moonlight, but it wasn’t until now that I’d really noticed. ThatI took in all of her similarities to Anna. Her spunk and her passion and the fierceness she held in her eyes.

I looked into them, finding so much pain and intensity radiating there, but something else flickered in them that I couldn’t quite read. Before I could begin to wonder what it was, she was dragging me down to lock her lips with mine.

Her fingers wound themselves in the hair at the nape of my neck, pulling me in as she pressed her warm, slender body against me. The heat of her kiss seared against my mouth, drugging and intense. She really had lost it.

Apparently, I had, too, because I realized my tongue was hungrily seeking hers in return as my hands pressed against her back, hugging her tight to my chest. I felt starved for the touch, for the connection.

As suddenly as it started, she broke away, leaving me stunned. We both just stood there, staring at each other, shocked looks across our faces as Jet called out for Annie from nearby.

Fuuuuuck.

Chapter 34

ANNIE

The stupor of that kiss wore off as Jet ran up. This was it. Hiding wasn’t an option. He’d caught me, and now, I had to face it.

I hope he liked getting a taste of his own medicine.

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