Page 53 of Fierce-Hyde

“Yeah,” she said, sighing. “Urghhh!” She ran her hands through her hair as if she was going to pull it all out. “Yes. I asked you. I wanted it. I don’t want you to think I’m going to say otherwise.”

“Then why are you saying I should have told you no?” he asked, rubbing his hands over his face hoping to clear up any confusion.

It wasn’t happening.

He stood up to get his clothes and walked into his bathroom with the door open. He took care of the condom and heard her moving around in his room looking for her clothes.

He yanked his underwear and jeans up fast.

“I told you that you bring the worst out of me. I’ve never done that before,” she said.

If it wasn’t for the fact Tori looked as if she was ready to burst into tears, he might have yelled something at her and they’d both regret it.

He was going to be the one to stop and think of his words more carefully from this point.

“I don’t think what we did was bad,” he said calmly. “I’m a little insulted, if you want to know the truth, and I’m trying not to get pissed over it.”

“This is on me, not you,” she said.

“Why does it have to be on either of us?” he asked, throwing his hands up.

“I have to leave,” she said.

“No,” he said, grabbing her arms. “We are going to talk about this like mature adults. Tell me what was going through your mind.”

“I don’t want to,” she said.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “You know, Tori. I’m starting to think your superpower is self-sabotage.”

Her jaw dropped. “What?”

“You heard me. The last hour or so was all you. All on you. I went along and even asked a few times if you were sure. We were talking about things and you wanted to just kiss. You wanted to forget everything going on in your life. So I’m going to think all you wanted to do was use me and I don’t believe that is the case. I don’t think you’ve got it in you to do that.”

He hoped not. He was taking a risk saying that because his first instinct was to accuse her of that, but he’d learned already the two of them shouted things without thought at each other.

He was going to try something different.

“No,” she said. “I wouldn’t. I mean, I kind of did but not like that. See? That isn’t like me.”

“Come here,” he said softly.

“I should go,” she said.

“You’re not leaving. I’m not letting you do this to us again.”

“Letting me?” she snapped.

“Stop it right now,” he said firmly. “One of us has to put their foot down and it’s going to be me. We keep doing this. We have these wonderful moments and then something makes us do things we don’t normally do. You said we bring the worst out of each other, but right now, you’re bringing the good out of me. Do you see it? I’m not snapping. I’m not yelling. I’m trying to getyouto see reason. To look at it the way I am.”

She stopped to stare at him, her eyes the size of oranges. “You are.”

“So will you calm down and talk to me? Please?”

She nodded her head. “I need the wine.”

“Let’s go sit on the couch and talk.”

She took a few deep breaths and followed him to the couch and they sat.

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