Page 75 of Tangled In Lies

“Fuck.” He leans his forehead against mine and exhales harshly. “I’m sorry, but I can’t. There’s no place for someone like you in my life.”

I ended up getting drunk and losing my virginity to Tyler that night.

Happy birthday to me.

Chapter 18

Phoenix

My foot is heavy on the gas pedal on our way home.

The silence in the car is deafening, and with each passing moment, my grip on the steering wheel tightens.

Evangeline shifts around, one hand still holding that damn paper bag like her life depends on it, and I’ve never been so offended by a paper bag before. I’m two seconds away from tossing it out the window and reversing over it for good measure.

I glare at her when we stop at a light. “When you agreed to marry me, you agreed not to see other guys. I will not allow you to make a fool of me in public. Was that not clear?”

She doesn’t say anything.

“Eve, I’m talking to you. If I ask you a question, I expect a response.”

My tone is as cold as ice, but I can’t help myself. When it comes to this woman, I feel like someone grabbed me by the arms, pushed me into the vortex of a tornado, and yelledafter me, “Good luck finding your way around in there, buddy.” An absolute clusterfuck. And while I usually pride myself on my control, I must admit it’s mostly absent where Evangeline is concerned.

A week ago, I kissed her like she truly belonged to me and held her in my arms a few hours later, worried sick after I found her in the music room amid a sea of broken glass. I watched over her all night, unable to close my eyes because I had to make sure she was okay.

I thought spending time away from her would clear my head and put things back into perspective. Despite the minor setback of obsessively watching her on the camera feeds, it did help some. Then we started texting more, and I got to know another facet of her. The urge to race back to the house grew, so I stayed away longer than planned. Now, we’re at a point where one minute in her presence, one guy looking at her, touching her, tips me over the edge and all bets are off.

No one touches what’s mine.

I want to strangle every guy who even glances in her direction. When Holden sent me pictures of her cozying up with Mason, I cut my workout session short and drove here like the Devil was after me.

And, of course, she acts like it’s not a big deal. That only makes me want to punish her.

Maybe it’s time to teach her a lesson and make use of my threat.

“Evangeline.” My voice comes out low, my anger barely disguised.

She sighs like I’m the one who did something wrong.

No matter how much she fights me, she’s mine, and the sooner she understands that, thebetter.

“Yes, Phoenix, I got it.” She couldn’t have put more attitude into that sentence had she tried.

“Were you trying to get my attention then today, is that it?” I keep my gaze on the road, but I can still see her in my periphery.

Her head snaps my way, her body turning. “What the hell are you talking about?”

The roads start to wind along the tree lines, and I ease my foot off the gas.

I exhale through my nose, probably sounding like an angry bull. “I can’t tell if you’re playing stupid right now or if you’re just completely oblivious.”

She holds up her index finger. “Number one, don’t talk to me like that.” She adds another finger. “And number two, I genuinely have no clue what the hell you’re talking about.”

I glance at her with narrowed eyes but can’t detect a lie on her face. “I’m talking about how you allow guys to fawn over you in public. I was in the café less than five minutes, and you let two men touch you. Anyone could have walked in there and taken a photo or video of you to post it online. And you’re not even wearing your ring.”

“It’s still new, so I forgot it when I got ready, okay? And no one was fawning over me.”

“Eve, you were snuggled against Mason’s chest. Any closer, and you would have sat on his lap.” The words taste like acid on my tongue, and I take a deep breath. “And don’t get me started on how that barista was drooling after you. He still has the same stars in his eyes when he sees you as he did back then.”

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