Page 74 of Caught Stealing

I can’t do this right now.

Shaking my head, both answering him and trying to hold it together long enough to pack up my things as quickly and quietly as possible.

“Nix,” Holden whispers beside me as I finish zipping my bag closed and stand up. He utters it again, and even goes as far as grabbing my hand when I climb over my seat. But after finding a clear path to escape in the row behind us, the last thing I’m gonna let him do is hold me here.

I slip my wrist from his grasp with a quick yank, and within ten seconds, I’m in the empty corridor. Shouldering my bag, I set off toward the exit, a frantic need for as much space as possible between Holden and me acting as my driving force.

Except once again, I underestimate the guy and how relentlessly stubborn he is.

Which is why I know whose hand catches my elbow before hauling me through a door and into a dark room. The electricity coursing through his skin into mine was a dead giveaway the second he touched me. Instantly confirmed when the light is flicked on, illuminating the empty classroom.

Only one person makes my body react this way, and it’s the very person I’m trying to evade.

“Walking out of class now, Nix? That’s what it’s come to?” Holden doesn’t even try to hide the hurt in his voice when he adds, “That’s how much you don’t want to hear what I have to say?”

A growl of frustration rips from my chest as I yank my arm free from his grasp and glare into his whiskey eyes. “Give it a rest. There’s nothing to talk about.”

“You know we need to talk about this, or it’s only going to get worse,” he whispers.

The frustration evolves into anger as I move past him toward the door. “I don’t fucking know anything right now other than I can’t be here. I can’t do this with you. So please, Holden. I’m begging you, just leave me alone!”

The plea rips from my throat in a cry—something between agonized and feral—and I think the sound alone keeps him from chasing after me this time.

Only Holden doesn’t need physical contact to have a hold on me. To keep me here, once again trapped and desperate for freedom. He can stop me dead in my tracks with a simple sentence alone.

“I ended things with Kason.”

I spin on him, not just angry but entirely pissed off now that this man—this exasperating, unrelenting man—is capable of twisting me into a person I don’t even recognize. Into a man who would put my own selfish gain over the happiness of the one person who I care about most.

“And that’s supposed to make what we did less fucked-up, right?” I snap. “We’re suddenly absolved of our sins now that you’re free to screw whoever you want?”

“I always was, but that’s not what I’m—”

“Really? Because it sounds to me like you’re ready to hop from one guy’s dick to the next.” I toss my arms out to my side, unleashing all the guilt and resentment from my body in vicious words. “Newsflash, Holden, we’ve already had sex. Twice, now. So I don’t see the need for another repeat, considering you’ve already stopped at this stone on your path to sleeping through half the student body before graduation.”

Holden doesn’t so much as wince at the venom I’m spewing. Rather, he simply crosses his arms over his chest and leans back against the wall—taking all my animosity at full force.

“Honestly, I don’t even know why you want to talk to me at all. You’ve been known asMr. Love ‘em and Leave ‘emsince freshman year, and I doubt that will change anytime soon. So really, Holden, what makes me different? Why am Isuddenlyso important to talk to when no one else ever has been before?”

My chest heaves as the final words leave my mouth, only some of the anger vanishing after my outburst.

But to his credit, Holden remains motionless and silent, simply watching me with curious eyes until I finally catch my breath.

“You planning to let me talk now?”

I honestly don’t want to. God knows there are a million things I’d prefer to do, but if we get this over with now, then we never have to do it again. We can move past it, call it a mistake of the past…and be done with each other. For good, this time.

So rather than fighting it, I concede with a nod.

“About fucking time,” he gripes with a shake of his head. “You really think you have this shit all figured out, don’t you, Nix?”

I toss an unamused glare at him. “Stop calling me that.”

“No.” He pushes off the wall and walks over to me. “Because you like it when I call you that. I see it all over your face. In the same way I know you don’t regret what happened between us. Kason or no Kason, it doesn’t fucking matter.”

Is he deluded?

“Of course it matters. You know—”

---