Page 38 of Cruel Devotion

“Haley. Tell me.”

I frowned at him. “Why? So you can gloat with the person who—”Dammit.

He leaned in, gripping my chin so I’d face him. “The person who…?”

I licked my lips and jerked out of his touch. “Forget it, Eli.”

“No. What happened to them?”

“Why do you want to know? To avenge them? To right some wrong? Yeah, right.”

“Yeah, thatisright.”

I spun to face him, refusing to cower or hide. Sitting sideways and squeezing my legs between his, I ignored how close we were. How the heat of his body radiated to mine. How the clean spice of his cologne assaulted my nose. How the bright blue of his eyes tantalized me more directly.

“Let me get this straight. I do a good deed to help you, and all of a sudden, that makes you want to be some kind of friend. A knight in shining armor. I’m not that stupid. Go play mind games with someone else.”

He slanted closer, setting his hands on the top of the high-back stool that twisted when I faced him. Those lean, muscled arms were locked tight, bracketing me as he towered over me.

Contradicting his tough, almost predatory position of caging me in, he kept his tone gentle. Tender. “Why don’t you want to tell me what happened to your glasses?”

“Because I don’t want you looking at me like I’m some pathetic victim. Even if you’re taking a break from bullying me, I’m not fond of discussing how others will still try to.”

“It’s not a break, Haley.” He shook his head, dropping his gaze to my lips for a second. “I’m not that guy anymore.”

“Sure.” I rolled my eyes.

“And you’re not a pathetic victim.” He huffed a laugh. “And trust me. Iknowwhat that feels like.”

Studying him closely, I tried to interpret that riddle. “You? A victim?” I laughed once.

He dipped his chin, frowning. “Yeah.”

“And what sob story is the sexy jock going to give me now, huh? Mr. Popular, a victim of anything?” I taunted.

He lifted his ocean-blue gaze to me, giving me such an intense look that it robbed my breath.

Wait, he’s serious. He actually thinks he’s some kind of a victim or…

I caught on quickly. Looking at the healing cut on his lip, the spot that was split when he came into the library, I sobered up fast.

“Fuck,” I whispered as I turned away, twisting my seat. “Sorry. I’m sorry to make fun and?—”

He gripped my thighs and spun me back to face him.

I sighed heavily, hating that he’d been hurt. He’d made a hobby of hurting me with his teases and taunts, but?—

“Your dad beat you that night. Didn’t he?”

He nodded.

I swallowed hard, hating that I wanted to hug him and deceive him into thinking there still was some good in the world. “I… I used to wonder if he did.”

“Now you don’t have to.”

“He’s just so strict and?—”

“That’s putting it mildly.”

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