Page 69 of Meet Me In The Dark
“Perjury. I saw it.”
“Shut up.”
“Say ‘cheese plate.’”
She tries to say it without her mouth moving. “I’m not saying cheese plate.” Her lips betray her, and the corner jerks. She bites it back, which only makes it worse.
“Come on. Give me teeth. One, maybe two.”
“No.”
I pause, trying to come up with something else that will break her. “Okay, say ‘Julian has a massive co—’”
The smile splits her face, and fuck, it’s a sight.
“Damnit,” she curses, stomping her foot.
“So, it’s the truth that makes you smile,” I tease before she shoves at my chest.
She stares daggers at me for a full beat before she exhales and lets it happen again. It breaks over her face, bright enough that I feel it in my chest.
“Beautiful.”
She immediately rolls her eyes, yanks her elbow out of my hand, and pivots away.
“Walk-through,” she calls, already moving. “Try to keep up.”
I bark a laugh but follow.
Don’t I always?
I’m like a dog on a damn leash.
We round into the southwest corner, out of the main site. The wind funnels through the temporary wall and starts its own argument with the dust.
She turns to me. “This will beyour—”
The gust of wind hits, kicking up dust and slapping us both.
She flinches and throws her hands over her face.
“Dammit.” Her right eye floods with tears. She blinks hard, but it just gets worse.
“Celeste?”
“I’m fine,” she says, voice too tight.
“Let me see.”
“I said I’m—”
“Fucking stay still.”
I step into her space, one hand cupping her jaw, the other steadying her hard hat so she doesn’t jerk away. She tries to bat me off with the clipboard. I take it and throw it on the ground.
“Don’t fight me,” I tell her.
“You’re overreacting.”
