Page 25 of Witch Queens: Tales from Oz

“I call bullshit,” he growled, his fists clenching.

“Why is this important to you?” I cried out, pushing up and grabbing a towel.

For a moment his eyes were suspended on my body, but then he shook his head as if to clear it.

“Why? Are you shitting me? You are important to me, Indy. If someone makes you cry, I want to know.” He stepped closer to me grabbing the towel and tossing it behind me.

“That’s rich!” I was almost shouting, “Do you really want to know who made me cry?”

He looked at me like I had grown a third limb, “No, Indy, I want to know the weather in China today.”

“Funny,” I mocked.

He ran his hands through his hair, “Why won’t you tell me?”

I felt the emotions boiling up, and I did not want to do this again. “Because it was you, Scarecrow! I was crying because of you.”

The look on his face was priceless. And if I hadn’t been so upset, I would have laughed.

“Me? What did I do?”

And suddenly I felt too naked, too vulnerable, and I needed space.

“I need to go home. I can’t do this anymore.”

His eyes widened, “Did I hurt you? Indy, I never meant to...”

I put a hand up to stop him as a tear slipped down my cheek. “You didn’t hurt me. At least not how you are thinking. I know you are used to the no strings attached. And I tried to do it, I really did. But that’s just not me.”

“I don’t understand,” he growled out, grabbing my wet naked body, and pulling it against his still clothed frame.

“Then let me spell it out for you,” I placed a hand against his whiskered jaw, “I can’t be this close to you and not have feelings for you.”

He closed his eyes, and when he opened them, hurt and indecision swirled in their depths.

“Indy, I am not right for you,” he whispered.

“Then let me leave now, while I still can.”

For a moment I thought he might, but then his arms tightened around me, and he picked me up. “You can’t leave, I told you-you are mine.”

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