Page 76 of Implode

“No?”

“No. You want me to go crazy, so you will be the one who looks normal,” she bites out.

I can’t stop my smirk any longer, and I can feel it break out over my lips. “Invite me inside. C’mon.”

She props her hands on her hips and gawks at me as if I lost my mind. “You drive me absolutely insane.”

“Not any more than you drive me.”

“Me?” she scoffs. “I drive you insane?”

“Yeah. And I think you like making me go crazy, so you can feel alive.”

“You are out of your mind, Nic Hoffman! You have moved from the unhealthy amount of crazy to certifiable pretty quickly.”

Claire stomps toward me, and I brace myself for her spirited arrival. With a finger poking toward me, I back up as she takes a step closer and closer and only stop when I am pressed up against the wall. I allow her this illusion of victory and stay pinned, but I have no intention of backing down from her. I just need to get her to see reason and logic. With as fiery as her temper seems to currently be, it may take me all night to get through to her.

“Let’s talk.”

“I am done canoodling with liars.”

“Is that so?”

I bite my bottom lip to keep from laughing. It is just that Claire is so dang cute when she is this heated. It does something to me inside that makes me want to turn the tables on her, press her lush body against the wall, and kiss the hell out of her. I haven’t heard the word “canoodling” outside of an old movie, and the way she surprises me with these little moments in time only makes it clearer to me that she is the one.

“I don’t need your smirks or your ill-placed kindness. Just go.”

“Well, I don’t need your attitude,” I counter. “But here I am, being graced with it and still not running away.”

“You should run away.”

“I’m not some weak boy, Claire. I can handle you and your mood swings and help you find your Midol and heating pad.”

By the fire in her eyes, I know I’ve hit a nerve.

“Oh, fuck you! I’m not on my r—” I can almost see the steam coming out of her ears, as she angrily taps her foot. “Just stop!”

“I really hope you can heal from the events in your life that no one has yet apologized for. But here I am, standing before you, saying sorry.”

Her eyes dart away, as they fill up with moisture. “This is all just too much.”

“Did you eat dinner?” I ask, completely changing the subject.

“No.” She pauses and narrows her eyes at me. “I’m supposed to be mad at you.”

“Be mad, but let’s at least eat so you can regain your strength and continue fighting with me over more nonsensical things.” Her eyes flare, and I hold my hand up for her to wait until I finish. “Let’s call this an intermission. What are you in the mood for?”

“Nic, no. I can’t keep doing this.”

I frown over the sad edge to her words. “We can talk about everything on your mind. But how about I order some soup for us and a salad? Fresh bread?”

She thinks about my offer and I can tell she wants to accept, but her stubbornness is also helping to sway her mind. “I can’t keep going down this road with you. We aren’t compatible.”

“And why is that?”

“You think relationship rules don’t apply to you and that you can just do whatever the hell you want and lump your actions under the ‘I’m protecting you’ arbitrary category you made up.”

The elevator door dings, and I don’t even have to look to know the peace treaty has arrived from the shocked look on Claire’s face.

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