Page 89 of Rebel Secrets
His lips quirked in what passed for a smile from him.
“You going to carve me up and put me in the sandwiches?I don’t think I’d taste too good, although after leaving them with Bonesaw and Ian for the morning, the kids might appreciate seeing me carved up.”
It was such a bad joke that I really shouldn’t laugh.But I did.It almost sounded like a bark, and my hand shot up to my mouth to cover it.Luckily, it wasn’t the one holding the knife.
He waited a beat before he said, “You okay?”
Was I crazy to think he actually cared?Or was I seeing what I wanted to see and not what was truly there?But if he didn’t care, why was he here?
I shook my head, though that wasn’t my answer to his question.“I just feel like I’m never enough for her.”
Well, shit.That was way more than I’d wanted to reveal.And probably more than he’d wanted to know.But he was here, and I needed to talk.No, Iwantedto talk to him.I wanted him to tell me everything was going to be okay.That was so ridiculous, I should be ashamed of myself.
“Why do you think that?”
I rolled my eyes.“Just forget I said that.”
“Not gonna happen.”
“Don’t you need to get back to camp?”
He shrugged.“Ian and Bonesaw have it covered.”
“Rebel, I need some space.”
“Is that why you’ve been avoiding me?”
Grr, this wasn’t the conversation I wanted to be having now.I didn’t want to be having any conversation now.Not with him.
Liar.
“I haven’t been avoiding you.”Yes, you have.“I’ve been busy.”
His gaze dropped to my lips, and the by-now familiar heat rolling through my body in waves.I wanted to kiss him.Or I wanted him to kiss me.I didn’t really care which way that went, but I had no idea where we stood, what was going to happen with us.He was leaving?—
“Erin.”
“Yes.”
That was definitely an answer to a question he hadn’t asked.If he was asking me if he could kiss me, that was my answer.If he was asking me to leave with him and get naked, that was also my answer.
He pushed away from the wall and closed the distance between us.My heart pounded harder with every step he took until it was in my throat when he stood only inches away from me.
“We need to talk.You can’t avoid me forever.And you’re fucking amazing.Don’t forget that.Don’t let her make you feel less than.Because you’re fucking not.”
While I struggled to breathe, he turned and walked out of the kitchen.
Well, damn.
I just fell completely in love.
Oh, man, I was so screwed.
ChapterTwenty-Three
Rebel
Wednesday afternoon after camp,my sister stalked into the room I was using as an office in the arena and shoved the door shut behind her.
