Page 162 of If Our Hearts Collide

“You followed me here?”

I shake my head. “I had no clue you would be here.” I glance toward the mansion. Even if she had no clue what happens on the inside, why would she risk going into a new place alone? This is equivalent to going into someone’s van because they are claiming to sell cheap designer purses.

“Okay. I didn’t know you’d be here either.”

“I hired Chris just for the night. He probably saw you leaving Sky View and followed you. He probably got stopped at the doors here and prohibited from entering—just as you should have been.”

“That is so beyond creepy. And the fact that you don’t see it as such makes me extra angry. But please, keep enlightening me. Maybe if you throw me enough crumbs, I’ll be able to paste them all together to actually understand the inner workings of your damn mind.”

Shit, she is pissed. I take in a deep breath, slowly exhaling. “I came here to let off some steam, Pen. I had Chris monitoring you while I took time off to figure out my next steps. He’s probably been in his car waiting for you to exit the building most of thenight. It’s not like he had a good way of contacting me, when I too don’t have access to my devices. But why are you here, Penelope?”

“It’s not your concern.”

Her sass is giving me the start of a migraine. “If I’d known you were coming here, I would have surely stopped it.”

She lets out a huff. “Of course you would, Mr. Always Knows Best.”

“This isn’t a place for you, Pen.”

“Is that so?” Her eyes look back at the building that is buzzing with vibrating energy. “Seems very double standard-ish, if you ask me. But that’s the thing, Collins. You never ask me. You just assume to understand how I’m feeling or what is best for me. And you are slowly and methodically driving me to my breaking point. So, tell me, Collins. When did you develop a kink for beating up defenseless women?”

My teeth clench together. “It was consensual, Penelope.”

“That’s what any abuser says.”

She’s pushing me, and if she does it any harder she will find out what darkness lurks at the end of my threshold.

“Why Daphne?”

“Who’s Daphne?”

Her hands fly upwards. “You don’t even know the name of the person you were striking?”

“It was consensual spanking, Pen.” Why do I need to keep reminding her? “I would never do anything to someone who wasn’t begging for it.”

Her hands get animated again. “Don’t you dare try to twist what I saw to suit your narrative. As if you were doing her some grand favor. My goodness, do you even hear yourself?”

“I was doing Michael a favor. And in return he better grant me one with never allowing you to step foot back into that building.”

“Well, if I wasn’t welcome here tonight then they shouldn’t have been handing out invites.”

“Penny, whoever told you this venue was open to nonmembers lied to you.”

I watch impatiently as she paces back and forth, teetering on her sky-high heels. She’s going to twist an ankle. Why does she continue to wear such impractical shoes? I mean, they look sexy as fuck, but they are dangerous.

Then, without warning, she starts walking farther away from me.

It’s my eyes that chase after her first, because my brain can’t get my feet to cooperate.

“Where are you going?” I call out.

“Home.”

“Penny!” I yell, forcing myself to move.

“Collins,” she mocks in an obnoxious voice that has never been used with the saying of my name in the past.

I break out in a jog in order to catch up with her. “I’ll drive you home.”

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