Page 108 of Between the Blue
He takes a step forward. “Sutty. He blew you off?”
I look up at him, shaking my head. “What? No. Nothing like that. He was talking about giving me a ride, but–” I cut off, blowing a breath out of my nose. “It doesn’t matter. I’m just going to take the metro.”
I start to push open the door once again, but Ben reaches out, closing it.
“No, you’re not.”
I slowly turn my head to look at him, finding him entirely too close. “Excuse me?”
“It’s too late. I’ll drive you.”
Before I can even protest, Ben releases the door, moving past me and towards the direction of the parking garage.
I glance back at the door before me. With him away from it, I can easily ignore him and leave. But something makes my gaze return to his back as he walks away from me.
He’s not wrong. It is pretty late. It’s not like I can’t handle Austin’s public transportation at this time… But that doesn’t necessarily mean I want to either.
I blow out a steady breath, step back from the door, and follow after him.
We walk all the way to the garage and get into Ben’s black Range Rover– which, ironically, sits right next to Rhett’s whiteone– without a word exchanged between us. And, between getting buckled in and the entire ride to my apartment, the only other communication we have involves entering my address into Ben’s GPS.
By the time the vehicle pulls to a stop in front of my place, the air is thick with tension. Ben and I have never been in such a small enclosed space together for any amount of time, and, given recent events, I’m not sure it was necessarily the best idea. Not willing to push my luck any further, I throw open my passenger side door the moment the car is in park, hopping out.
I turn around, opening my mouth to say thanks, but realize Ben is getting out of the car as well. I close my mouth, tilting my head at him.
He nods up towards my front door, I guess to let me know that he’s going to walk me to it.
I think about arguing, but decide the smoother and quicker the exit, the better.
I round the car, making my way up the steps to my front door. I can’t decide if Ben’s massive threatening presence behind me as I’m fitting my key in the lock eases my nerves of being out here alone or worsens them.
I manage to get the door open and step across the threshold. When I spin back around, I find Ben’s gaze on the ground, his hands in his pockets once again like he’s holding back his frustration. Like he'd rather be anywhere but here. Anywhere but with me.
Then why did he offer to take me home?
I shake my head, clearing my throat.
“Thank you for the ride. I appreciate it.”
Not shocking me in the slightest, Ben says nothing.
“Goodnight, Ben.”
I turn away, letting the door swing closed behind me.
I wait for the sound of the automatic lock engaging, but it doesn’t come.
I spin back around, finding the door still cracked open, a shoe holding it in place.
I don’t get to process what’s happening before Ben’s pushing the door back open and stepping into my apartment.
thirty
HER
“Ben?” I breathe.
He places a hand on either side of the doorframe, taking up the entire space with his body as he looms over me.
