Page 63 of Bleed for Me

He shrugged. “I mean…I could fuck you first.”

I rolled my eyes. He was obviously joking. He’d made it abundantly clear that he wasn’t that interested in me when we spoke earlier in his room. “Let’s just get this over with.” I sighed, pushing away from the tree and moving to stand in front of him.

He reached out with his free hand, his fingers dancing along the side of my face like he was cataloguing it for memory. I couldn’t help it. I leaned into his touch, reveling in the sparks of electricity that flowed from where our skin connected.

“You’re sure about this?” he asked softly.

My throat constricted and I glanced away. “Don’t go all soft on me now. I chose you because you’re an asshole and because you hate me.”

“I don’thateyou, Rosalie. I tried to, but you don’t make it easy. You’re too fucking nice and it pisses me off.”

I snorted at that. “You’re mad because you can’t hate me?”

He shrugged. “Among other reasons. But you’re not here because you want answers. You’re here because you want to make it all stop. Even if you changed your mind, we’d still be enemies tomorrow.”

At least he was honest. That’s one thing that intrigued me about him. Jordan and Archer were that way, too. They weren’t scared to hurt people’s feelings. They’d tell you just like it is, regardless of how it made you feel.

I nodded in agreement, because it didn’t matter. I wasn’t changing my mind. But I needed one last thing before he took my life. Just to feel for a moment longer, however brief it may be.I reached forward, fisting his shirt in my hand and tugged him toward me. He stumbled, but didn’t even try to fight it. Rising on my tiptoes, my lips brushed against his softly. To my surprise, he reacted immediately, cupping my face with his free hand and deepened the kiss.

He sucked the breath right from my lungs, my head spinning with the intensity of it. I was the first to pull away, my chest heaving and my lips tingling.

“I’m ready. Do your worst.”

His throat bobbed as he swallowed, and his hand fell to his side. “Sit on the ground,” he ordered.

I lowered myself to the ground as instructed, extending my legs out in front of me. He came behind me, placing a leg of his on either side, his torso brushing my back.

“Lean against me,” he whispered in a shaky voice.

I did as he said, placing my head against his chest. He brushed my hair over one shoulder and brought the knife to my neck, the cold metal pressing against the skin. He waited for a few moments, silently urging me to change my mind. When I didn’t, he applied more pressure.

My breathing hollowed out, a tear leaking from my eyes and trickling down my cheeks. This was it. It was what I wanted. I couldn’t afford to have any doubts now. He wasn’t going to make it hurt like he threatened. He was going to make it fast and as painless as possible. Even going out of his way to make me comfortable. My heart swelled at the kind gesture, but that’s all it was. I couldn’t afford to feel anything for him, because that alone could give me doubts about this entire thing.

“Do it,” I urged.

His hand shook where he held the blade, but still, he made no movement to kill me.

“Seven,” I continued. “Please.”

When he still didn’t do anything, horror swept through me, twisting my insides and tying them into knots as realization settled in. He was backing out.

He dropped his hand, scrambling to his feet as quickly as possible. “I can’t, Rosalie. I’m sorry.” He shook his head and started for the trees, turning his back on me.

“What? No!”

No!

I jumped to my feet and started after him, anger coursing through my veins.

“Sorry,” he said again, not bothering to turn and face me. I deserved a better explanation than that.

I shoved him, causing him to stumble forward, but he quickly composed himself. If he was too much of a coward to give me what I wanted, then I’d piss him off enough that he’d have no choice.

“Rosalie,” he warned, turning to face me.

“Fuck you,” I snapped. “You said you’d do it. I didn’t take you for a pussy. So, man up and give me what I fucking asked for.” I shoved him again, but he barely stumbled this time, as if he were expecting it.

His eyes narrowed, his jaw thrumming as he clenched it. Bingo. “Don’t press me,” he growled, the sound sending shivers through my body. “I know what you’re doing, and it isn’t going to work.”

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