Page 71 of Yellow
“You what?” he said in a hard voice.
“I wanted you.”
“Are you sure? Or was it only fun because I’m not a fan who swoons over you? Maybe you just wanted me so you could prove to yourself that you can haveanyman you want?”
“Is that what you think?”
He didn’t answer.
“That’s not fair,” I objected.
Adam frowned. “Maybe not, but either way, you can’t have me.”
It was as if a bomb exploded inside me; I lost it. I knew that if I opened my mouth I would spew fire and throw him out of my apartment.
“Chloe?” he said, clearly aware that he had upset me. “I already told you it’s not you. Thousands of guys would want you if not millions, but I’m done with one-night stands.”
I closed my eyes and drew in the biggest breath ever and then I stood up and placed my hands on my hips. “For someone who thinks he’s emotionally intelligent you are incredibly hurtful. You’re basically saying that I’m only good for one-night stands.”
“I didn’t say that; you’re twisting my words. I’m just saying that’s all it would be between us.”
“There is nous,” I pointed out and stormed off.
“Exactly,” he called after me as I slammed my bedroom door. “And may I suggest you meditate a bit to calm that feisty temperament of yours.”
I opened the door and gave him a dirty look. “May I suggest you take a good long look in the mirror and admit what you really are:racist.”
That day was strange. I stayed mostly in my room and from what I could hear he watched TV shows and spoke on his phone.
I wanted to call my family too, but my parents were in the Philippines and I didn’t want to call Faith, since I would only spoil the surprise by admitting I was going to pick her up at the airport tomorrow.
Sleeping alone had always been difficult for me and with my life now so chaotic, I found it even harder. Martin, the head of security, still hadn’t called back and it was my own fault, since I’d told him to take a break and enjoy his first vacation in years. Tomorrow I would have Tina call his second in command and have him send a security guy over right away. I should have insisted on it sooner, but having Adam around gave me a sense of safety.
Still, after hours of tossing and turning, I was all worked up because of Max’s on-and-off growling. Of course, he wasn’t used to the noises of the city and would react to harmless things like a car honking or someone walking the staircase in the building. But every time his throat made those scary growls, I was alert, listening for sounds of a potential break-in.
Since I couldn’t sleep, I got out of bed to get a glass of water. Max came to see what I was doing and I scratched his ear and told him, “You’re a good dog, Max, but could you please only growl when we’re actually in danger?”
He yawned and lay back down again, curling into a ball.
The sofa was empty, so Adam had to be sleeping in the guest room. It annoyed me that he got to sleep when I couldn’t, and in an irrational petty fit of infantile stupidity I walked down, opened the door, and turned on the bright light in the room.
Adam woke up with a grunt. “What’s wrong?” he asked and covered his eyes against the blinding light.
It gave me time to see his muscular arms and the dark hair in his armpits.
“Can you fight?”
Adam raised his head and squeezed one eye open. “Can I what?”
“Fight.”
“What do you mean?”
“If there’s an intruder. Can you protect me?”
“Is there an intruder?”
“No.”
