Page 47 of On a Fault Line

Collins is still sporting a scowl so I add cheese to the next mouthful.

Why is he so upset? Nothing bad happened.

Collins’s eyes scan down my outfit, making a tingle run up my spine. “You should change.”

My confidence wilts. Does he not like it? I go to stand up, finding my trusty shadow right beside me. I move into the dressing room, but before I can shut the door, I feel the looming presence of Collins at my back. “A little privacy would be nice.”

“Privacy is earned by good girls. Are you a good girl, Penny?”

I nibble at my bottom lip, resisting the urge to crane my neck backward to check out his facial expression. “You only want me to be when it suits your needs.”

“That can’t be further from the truth. We are in a public place and surrounded by those you love who would be able to sniff out anything between us if we step out of line just one time.”

“Well, then I guess I’m not a good girl. Because I refuse to act like nothing is wrong between us when your coldness is making me want to withdraw.”

Suddenly I’m pressed forward so I’m flat against the full-length mirror.

Taking his palm, he presses my face against the glass surface so my cheek is getting the brunt of the coldness.

It feels good to have the contrast between that and my heated flesh.

“Is this what you want?” He bends at the waist to gain access to my dress with the slide of his hand up my naked thigh. “You want to be felt up in dressing rooms while your sister-in-law and future sister-in-law are shopping in the other room?”

Clearly he doesn’t understand that since walking out of the safety net of his apartment, it isn’t the lack of physical attention that I’ve been upset with. The fact he thinks that’s what I want makes me feel like some whore.

I want more from him than just to be fucked. If he can’t see that then he doesn’t know me at all.

Regardless of being good or bad, I fear I won’t be the type of girl Collins wants anyway. And while his caress feels amazing now, I’m not sure I can pretend I don’t have anxiety over the heartbreak I will surely endure when our contract comes to an end.

The more strings I tie to him, the more I’ll have to untangle when the false hope of forever blows up in my heart.

“Maybe I’m just not good enough,” I finally say, unable to eradicate the sound of defeat completely from my tone, in fear of sounding pathetic.

Collins releases me, trying to make eye contact—but I refuse. Quickly I strip down in front of him and replace the clothes for purchase with the ones I arrived in.

We aren’t on the same page today. We aren’t even reading from the same book.

“You’re mad at me?” he asks.

I shake my head. “No. I’m just sad this lightbulb moment didn’t come sooner.”

Cornering me against the wall and mirror, he blocks me in with his arms at the sides of my head. “You are enough, Penny.”

“You say that, but I don’t even think you believe it yourself.”

I dip under his arm, making my way out of the dressing room first and checking to be sure the girls aren’t out there to witness us being together.

Collins takes up the dutiful bodyguard position against the wall, while I plop down onto the comfy sofa.

“Drink more juice, Penelope.”

I glare daggers at him.

Collins may be good for my body, but he can cause major damage to my heart. Maybe it’s just destined for breaking.

Time to start erecting those walls to protect myself.

“Penny? Is something wrong?” Angie asks, rushing to my side when she enters the room with Claire.

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