Page 119 of The Catalyst

His eyes narrow and his jaw ticks again. “You know what I mean.”

“What? That we’re together?”

“Yeah, that. I have plenty of reasons to be pissed about that. Did you forget what he did to you?”

Now, he’s just being ridiculous.

“Um, no. I didn’t fucking forget. How could you ask me that?” My eyes widen.

“Because you’re not fucking acting like you remember. You’re back to being his little bitch,” he mutters, running a stressed hand through his hair.

“Hey!” Like, what the fuck is wrong with him?

He shrugs. “It’s true. You’re hanging all over him and always with him like he didn’t kidnap you in the dead of night and throw you in his trunk. I don’t fucking get it.”

Is that really the part that bothers him? I know their relationship has been strained, but I thought he was fine with things.

“Pull over,” I demand and he looks at me like I’ve lost my mind.

“What?”

“Pull the fucking car over, now!”

He growls, but doesn’t go against my demand. He pulls off the highway and into a dimly lit gas station right outside of Grove Hill. He drives into a parking spot hidden by the dumpster and I climb out of the car, cursing under my breath that we have to do this right now, but if we don’t, he’s going to be insufferable the entire time. I won’t be able to think clearly and that’s not a good way to go into this.

He gets out of the car and I shove at his chest, but he quickly grabs my wrists, nearly growling in my face. “Don’t fucking push me,” he warns, but I’m not having that.

“Fuck. You.” I hiss right back in his face. “Do you seriously think this is how I want shit to be? I don’t. I’m making the best of a crappy situation and if you didn’t like something about it, you could’ve fucking talked to me like an adult instead of throwing a fit.”

He presses my back against the side of the car, wrapping his fingers around my throat, like he’s ready to end my life right now.

“I fucking know it’s a crappy situation, but I didn’t think for a second you would jump back into his bed. I thought when you said you were going to stay, you would stay in the room we put you in, but no–”

“Do you really believe he would’veletme? You’re smarter than that, Oliver. Nigel is fucking crazy. If I had my pick of beds to sleep in, you should know it would be yours I’d be in,” I admit, a moan on the tip of my tongue. His fingers tighten, a look of rage across his face.

“Damn right, it would be,” he rasps before slamming his mouth down on mine. My entire body purrs from the first contact I’ve had with him in months. God, his kiss is everything.

I fucking missed this, the danger of his touch and his kisses are addicting.

As he pulls away, I ask, “Feel better now?” Sass drips from my tone and a small smirk pulls at his lips.

“I’d feel even better with you riding my cock, screaming for me, but this isn’t the time or the place for that.”

He’s right, so even though I’d like to make him feel even better, we get back in the car and on the road. This time, instead of scowling at me like I’m the thing he loathes most, he takes my hand in his and holds it as we reenter the highway.

* * *

Another five minutespass before Oliver speaks.

“Why did you tell me the reason you care?” he asks, his voice unnervingly soft.

“I hoped you might open up on your reason, but I guess that was wishful thinking. You’re as impenetrable as bulletproof glass, Oliver Doyle,” I quip with a smirk on my face.

“The reason whyIcare?”

“Yup. That’s what I was looking for, Einstein.”

An additional moment of silence passes before he whispers into the silent car. “Because…she’s Aimee.”

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