Page 39 of Choosing Forever
“I’m capable of walking over on my own. I was in the middle of a conversation, actually,” I toss back.
There’s a break in his mask as the corner of his eye twitches. “You’re more than welcome to finish it.”
“But I thought it was time to go?”
Sam clears his throat. “I should go find my group, actually. We’ll catch up later, Delaney.”
“Oh, alright. Yeah. We can talk later,” I agree weakly.
It’s obvious that I don’t want him to stay for anything other than to be a buffer between me and Darren. Shit. I refuse to use anyone just to get a rise out of a ghost from the past. Nope.Nothappening.
Sam takes a wide step back, his gaze lingering before shifting to Darren. “Have fun, guys.”
“You too,” I croak.
He’s hardly two feet away when Darren speaks again. “How well do you know that guy?”
“What?”
“Sam, was it? How well do you know him?”
I stare at him in surprise, my arms crossing over my chest as I grapple for an appropriate response.
What he really deserves is a very colourfulscrew you.
“Why does it matter to you?”
The tick of his jaw is almost satisfying to witness. “It doesn’t. I just think you should be careful with who you’re letting into your life.”
“And why’s that? Because you’re so concerned? Cry me a river, Darren.”
His reply doesn’t matter enough to keep me standing here. The audacity of this man to think he can ask any sort of question about my personal life is astounding. I’d rather have this discussion with Banana, Anna’s fluffy cow, than with Darren.
“You wouldn’t believe me even if I admitted that I was concerned,” he says, following after me.
I spin right back around and jab a finger in the air. “If anyone here was going to be a danger to me, it wouldn’t be Sam.”
Darren presses his lips together while he lurches to a stop. “What are you insinuating?”
“I don’t know. WhatamI insinuating?”
“I’d never hurt you.”
“Not physically. But there are plenty of ways to hurt someone without lifting a hand. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to take a look at group assignments myself. Stop following me.”
“I want to talk to you, Delaney. Have a real conversation. I wasn’t putting that out there at the school for shits and giggles. I meant it.”
My heart tries to jump out of my chest and into his arms as I struggle with the lingering pull to him that won’t just disappear once and for all. It’s never mattered how many nights I stayed up begging the universe to suck the memory of him out of my head. There’s always been Darren’s face in my mind, reminding me of what could have been.
I stare him straight in the eyes and speak slowly, concisely. “Prove it.”
His single step forward steals my breath. “Fine.”
“Fine.”
“And when I do? Then what?”
My shoulders go loose, a façade of ease transforming me.
