Page 119 of The Casualty of Us
I snap my head to the right at Graham’s shout, seeing him posted up at the outdoor kitchen and pouring a shot for himself.
That’ll do.
My feet take me there without much thought, fingers immediately closing around the glass and lifting—
“Nope.” A hand closes over the top of the shot glass, stopping it midair. “She’s done.”
“What the fuck?” I look up at Hayes, seeing the challenge written all over him now and narrowing my eyes in warning. “Let go.”
“Try.” He nods down to the glass. “Go ahead, be my guest.”
“I’m not five,” I snap. “You can’t—”
“I can do this all night, but you’re done trying to drink your feelings away here.”
The shot glass slips from my hand, clattering to the counter loudly with liquid splashing everywhere as Graham whistles in disbelief. “Damn.”
I lift my chin, anger sparking to life behind that knot in my chest and making me lash out, “Fuck you.” I suck in a deep breath. “I didn’t call you to come stage an intervention.”
Panicking when my words don’t even seem to hit him.
“Yeah, well.” He leans in, eyes flicking between mine as his voice drops low. “If you wanted someone to let you keep spiraling, you wouldn’t have called me, would you?”
Fuck.
He’s going to get—
“Ugh!” I push past him none too gently, not even knowing where I’m heading, but when I catch Talan out of the corner of my eye again, I know it’s nowhere around here.
The panic sends me fleeing back to my room on the second floor in search of something to calm me the fuck down since apparently alcohol isn’t on the menu. Hating the way my heart just beats faster with every step. So much nervous energy coursing through me that my hands are shaking by the time I make it there and push the door open. Not even getting a freaking second before he’s right there again.
“Ophelia.”
“Stop,” I whisper, coming to a halt in the center of the room and keeping him at my back purposefully.
“I’m here, okay?” he starts, voice unbearably heavy with something in my ears. “I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere, but you need to tell me what the fuck is going on.”
That’s the problem, though.
“What happened with you and Ollie?”
I shake my head stubbornly, barely choking out. “Nothing.”
“Fucking hell.” I hear a few quick steps before he suddenly appears in front of me, brows pulled down sharply over hazel eyes that are suddenly drilling into mine. “What has you so twisted up inside that you won’t let me help you?”
I blink up at him, knowing it then. That he’s going to get—
“Why the fuck are you toting around two bodyguards like you picked them up shopping for shoes?” he scoffs darkly, head dipping closer to mine and bringing that smell with him. “Why are you mad at me?”
“I’m not mad at you,” I gasp, trying for another breath, but—
“Then why are you acting like life would have been easier for you if I did fuck some random girl this summer?” he bites out, sending my stomach flipping again. “Especially when we both know that it’s bullshit.”
Fuck.
I can’t breathe.
“And I swear if you don’t tell me who made you look so sad, I will go downstairs and launch a full-scale fucking inquisition.” He pauses, nostrils flaring for a beat before his next words come out like a promise. “Your choice, baby.”
