Page 177 of If Our Hearts Collide

“Chris.”

“Fine, Chris. If so, why are you here?”

His eyes turn to anger. “I’m still furious that you took it upon yourself to go to a place like”—he lowers his voice—“Limit-X. What were you thinking?”

“The same thing you were,” I mutter, my eyes cast downward, shamefully. Although I had no clue what I was getting into, other than to attend a party and meet new people.

After several agonizing seconds, I sigh. “Please don’t tell my brothers.” I mean, what would they think? I imagine they would tighten security on me, probably thinking I’ve gone wild. My teeth gnaw at my lip, as anxiety builds in my stomach. I feel ill, lightheaded, and weak. “I was trying to?—”

“Check off fuck goals from your to-do list?”

My eyes dart up to his. “What did you say?” I feel the pulse in my neck ticking with fervor, as if my blood is suddenly too thick. I can’t possibly be hearing him correctly.

“You heard me.”

I look down at my hand and then up to him. “You snooped through my bag? How dare you! What is wrong with you?”

“I could ask the same thing about you, Pen.” He takes a step forward, closing the distance. From my hands, he snatches my handbag, unzips it with ease, and removes the copied list I have folded into a square. Unraveling it, he stares at me. “You want to be tied up? Blindfolded? Make out with a stranger?” He glances down at the sheet, scanning over my inked words.

I reach out and grab at the paper, only for Collins to pivot and avoid my attempt. “Give it to me.” My words come out labored, as I struggle to take in enough oxygen.

Collins spares me from further humiliation by stopping there, and not reciting the goals of having sex and visiting a sextoy store. When I made my goal list, I never expected anyone to find it—especially not my bodyguard.

It was for just me.

How am I ever going to look this man in the eyes again without subconsciously thinking back to this very moment in time where he has invaded my privacy and crossed a very clear line?

“Are you happy?” I ask point-blank.

He tosses the handbag he’s still holding onto the counter in the kitchen along with my portable goal list. “Happy with what, Pen?”

“Happy humiliating me? Does it make you feel good? More of a man?”

“Fuck no,” he snarls, taken aback by my anger. How did he expect me to react? “I’m simply pointing out how reckless you’re being. Why can’t you see that?”

“You overstepped, and now you’re trying to make this look like it’s my fault. Isn’t that the definition of gaslighting?”

Turning my back, I walk deeper into my apartment, ignoring his presence behind me.

“Penny, just listen, please.”

Keeping my stride, I call out, “No, Collins. For a man who uses minimal words, the ones you do string together suck. Get your head out of your ass and come up with a better plan for us to coexist, because right now I’m so heavily pissed off you better be glad I’m not running to my brothers for an intervention away from you. Bye now.”

33

COLLINS

If Penny is trying to tick me off, it’s working. I’m at my wits’ end with that woman.

Sassy.

Fiery.

And stubborn as hell.

She is testing me, and I am failing miserably. From the moment she saw me at Limit-X, to the way she fought me on giving her a ride in the parking lot, to how she set off my security system without a second thought, to now…

Dismissing me?

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