Page 56 of Aftersome
Before I had the chance to, I was grabbed again, but this time his hand wrapped tightly around mine to stop me.
“Stop,” he demanded. His voice was harsh, yet desperate. “Just… sit down.”
I didn’t want to. I’d rather stay in the bathroom the whole flight than sit next to him, but a silent plea had fallen from his mouth, causing me to reconsider.
“Please.”
With my back turned, I warily peered over my shoulder.
“Why should I?”
I thought I had felt his finger slowly rub along my knuckle but I was too distracted by the despair and confliction in his eyes to be sure.
“Because I said so, Doe.” He lightly tugged me down by my hand until I was once again seated.
It wasn’t a good reason.
It wasn’t a reason at all, but knowing Mal, it was the best answer I would get.
“Would it kill you to be nice to me?”
After buckling my seat belt, I leaned back on the headrest and turned in his direction.
“Would it kill me? No. Would it make things more difficult? Yes.”
Just then, he leaned back onto the headrest and mirrored my expression.
“Aren’t things between us already difficult?”
He went silent. Deep in thought, we continued to stare at each other until he took his eyes off mine and looked ahead at the seat in front of him.
“I don’t need them to be any more difficult.” He sighed in annoyance.
“So if I said we should be friends, would that be more difficult?”
After I said it, I immediately wanted to take it back. I wasn’t prepared for his reaction, nor was I ready for it. So as his body went eerily stiff and his gaze pierced mine, I panicked.
“What I mean is…”
“We aren’t meant to be friends, Doe. Not now or ever.”
The shock of what he said had my stomach clenching.
Painfully.
And I hated that it made me feel that way.
“And why’s that?” I asked through my anger and confusion.
“You don’t want to be my friend.”
“You don’t know that.” I scoffed, causing the corner of his mouth to lift.
“Name one reason why you want to be friends.”
Shit.
A normal response would be,Because you make me laugh, you make me smile, I love being around you.But with Mal, none of those would be believable.
