Page 96 of Sardonic Burn

“It’s not, I already ate some. And besides, I can smell her cooking from a mile away.”

With a sigh, he puts the objects in his hands on the couch and walks toward the kitchen while I’m still trying to calm myself. He looked so pretty in that collar; it’s a sight I’ll never be able to erase from my head.

“What do you want to eat?” he yells.

“There’s some homemade lasagna and a fruit salad.” I pause, then yell again. “Don’t eat the salad though. It has strawberries.”

Hudson’s head pops through the door, brows creased.

“How do you know I’m allergic to strawberries?”

I smile sheepishly. “Confession time. Around two years ago, we were at one of the fundraisers together. You were pissing me off, so I put pure strawberry juice in your drink.”

His mouth opens, then closes. Shock flashes through him, and he is trying his best to remain calm. Slowly, he clears his throat.

“You sent me into anaphylactic shock.”

“Would you believe me if I told you my goal was the cemetery?”

“You,” he breathes out. “You nearly killed me for no reason?”

“Do I need a reason?”

He clenches his jaw before reemerging into the living room with the bowl of the fruit salad. He didn’t bring me what I asked for, which I assume is his way of protesting.

“I suppose you don’t.” A bitter laugh fills the room. “I’m not even surprised you tried to kill me when I barely even glanced at you that night.”

“A week before, you blew up my summer house. While I was inside!”

“That was only because you fucking smashed my car into pieces.”

“It’s your fault for parking on my territory.”

“It was the fucking cemetery, Noelle. It can hardly be calledyourterritory.”

“It falls on our land, so yes.”

“You’re the most arrogant brat I’ve ever met.”

“And yet here you are,” I spit out. “You know where the door is.”

“Are you kicking me out?”

“No, I’m inviting you to move in with me.” Sarcasm coats my tongue. “What do you think? There’s no reason for you to be here.”

Hudson’s anger slowly starts to melt away. “I’d say you’re obsessed with me.”

“With the idea of seeing you six feet under, yeah.”

His eyes squint. “I’m not sure how long you’ll keep pretending, but you’re just lying to yourself. You like having me around.”

“Why the fuck would I like having a menace being in my personal space all the time?”

He cocks a brow, a teasing smile tugging on the corner of his lips. “Well, you spent a week with me without complaining.”

I ignore the tingly sensations in the lower part of my stomach and swallow harshly. “Speaking of last week, there’s something you need to clarify for me.”

He raises a brow. “Yes?”

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