Page 67 of Surviving Slater
I turned off the stove.
"You're looking for Jordan?" I heard Levi say, and I frowned as I tried to figure out who it was.
"Yes." The voice was tight and unfriendly. I stopped. I knew that voice.
"Come in," Levi said. I had the urge to run and hide but there wasn't time.
Slater was silent when he followed Levi into the kitchen.
"I'll be in my room," Levi said to me before he left us, giving us privacy.
Fighting to control my response to him, I crossed my arms and pinned him with a look that told him he wasn't welcome.
"I see you have a new roommate," he said. He had the nerve to look annoyed by it.
"What do you want?" I asked, getting straight to the point. There was no need for pleasantries. He had hurt me, he didn't just to waltz in here and pretend everything was fine between us, because it wasn't.
"I wanted to check on you."
I frowned. "Really?"
He shrugged. It hurt to see him, like a physical ache in the middle of my chest. It made me wish I had taken my medication after all.
"Why?" He hadn't cared the night before. What had changed?
"Does it matter?" He raised the eyebrow with the piercing.
Did it? No.
"I'm fine." I held his gaze, willing myself not to falter under his intense look.
"Taylor is worried about you. She mentioned it to Sin."
Just when I didn't think it could get any worse. He wasn't here because he was concerned about me. I folded my arms, needing to protect myself. He hadn't mentioned anything about the pills Taylor had seen me take, so I hoped she had kept it to herself.
"I'm fine," I repeated, hoping it would be enough for him to leave.
He studied me for a moment.
"Does this have something to do with the other night?" he asked.
He'd hit the nail on the head but I couldn't let him know that. I didn't want a feeling of responsibility to keep him here. If I revealed the truth he might feel obligated to me, and that was the last thing I wanted.
"No." The lie rolled off my tongue effortlessly.
"I don't believe you."
"Why are you really here?" I asked, taking a step closer. I hoped by confronting him I could get him to back off and leave. "You're here because you feel guilty. You've pulled some shitty moves and you're trying to make amends."
"I never promised more than what I gave." He was right but it hadn't stopped me from developing deeper feelings for him. The pain in my chest worsened.
"You're right. You didn't do anything wrong," I said, desperately trying to sound serious to get him to go. "You can leave."
But he didn't make any attempt to leave.
"I'm done with this conversation." I walked past him and made a beeline for my bedroom.
I hadn't expected him to follow me but when I turned he filled the doorway of my room.
