Page 50 of Forbidden Hearts
“Why did you leave school then?”
“No reason.”
There’s no way I’m telling him about Jonathan. I don’t need him thinking I’m a homewrecker, even though I had no idea.
His hand moves to my chin, tilting my head so I can’t look away. “Who humiliated you?”
My gut clenches, and I want to cry. Not because of what happened, the horrible shit people said, or because I ran away with my tail tucked between my legs. No, because the way he’s looking at me—as if he’d destroy the person who hurt me if it meant I wouldn’t feel this way for another second—makes me ache.
This is stupid. I shouldn’t want him. I shouldn’t care that Asher Whitlock seems angry that someone hurt me. All of that is irrelevant because we will never be.
We can’t.
I’m not good enough, and he’ll figure that out.
“It doesn’t matter,” I say, pulling my face away.
“It matters to me.”
Oh, fucking crap. Why does he say these things? Doesn’t he know the whole mistake thing and the we-can’t-do-this excuse just vanished?
“Please don’t . . .”
“Don’t what?”
I close my eyes for a second. “Don’t care. Don’t ask me this. Don’t want to protect me like a knight in shining armor. Don’t be so damn perfect when I am trying really hard to dislike you so I don’t kiss—”
“All right, Olivia did great!” Daniel says as he exits the booth.
I stand and put a smile on my face as Olivia comes rushing out.“Did it hurt?”I ask her.
She shakes her head.
Good. I’m glad at least one of us is making it out of this appointment without any pain.
thirteen
PHOEBE
“And you’re going to help with the dance-off in a few weeks?”
“Yes, Daddy.”
“Because it’s important. We need to help raise money for Run to Me. The police department is sponsoring it,” he says as he stirs his coffee.
“No more of this.” I reach forward, taking it from his hand. “You’ve had six cups today, you need water.”
“Where do you think coffee comes from?”
I roll my eyes and grab him a green smoothie from the fridge. “Water or this.”
“What the hell is this crap?” He reads the ingredients on the back. “Spinach? You want me to drink spinach?”
“It’s better than the garbage you eat and drink all day. It’s good, I promise it doesn’t taste like spinach. Just drink it.”
He opens the top, sniffs it, and exhales dramatically.
“Oh my God, Daddy! You have been pepper sprayed, tased, and who knows what else, and you’re going to scoff at drinking something healthy? Please, drink it for me.”
