Page 27 of I Love to Hate You
“Of course it’s you,” Kendrick says with a roll of his eyes. Once again, the man stands before me with anger written all over him, but he somehow still looks regal. His bearded chin is up in the air, pure pride emanating off of him like a visible aura. His broad shoulders are twice my width and make me feel tiny standing in front of him. He’s the epitome of intimidation, and his gaze sinks my feet into the floor. He’s … jaw-dropping.
“No, of course it’syou,” I say after swallowing the awe I feel in my throat. “What, you can’t watch where you're going? It’s bad enough I just had another run in with your girlfriend in there, now I come out and you're slamming your big dumb chest into my face, giving me a concussion.”
“God, you're so dramatic,” Kendrick says, frowning. “And don’t ever call Amy my girlfriend again. I saw her and Jennifer come strutting out of here, and just the look of her makes my stomach want to erupt. I can’t believe I was ever with her.”
I stare at him blankly for a moment, surprised by this sudden show of depth as he shakes his head and wipes his brow. When he looks at me again, the anger that was there before is gone and I have to clear my throat to remain steady on my feet.
“Umm, yeah, I can’t believe you were with her either,” I say, half joking.
“You’re one to talk,” he answers. “Eddie isn’t exactly Prince Charming.”
“No, that’s the problem. Eddieisexactly Prince Charming. He may be a lazier, sloppier version, but deep down, he’s Prince Charming and that’s exactly why I couldn't stand being with him. He was too boring for me.”
Kendrick’s eyes widen. “Was? You broke up?”
Our eyes lock, neither of us blinking. “Yeah. A couple of days ago. I thought everyone knew by now.”
“Not me,” he says. “That’s … interesting.”
“Why’s that?”
If the sprinklers in the building were set off right now, I’m certain the water droplets would hover in mid-air at this moment as time stands still. Kendrick looks at me in a way he never has before, and my stomach does somersaults. There’s just something in his eyes that renders me helpless. Unlike Eddie, my natural defiance and demeanor doesn’t feel overwhelming when I’m in Kendrick’s presence. I feel small with him. It’s like I’ve never met someone who I felt was bigger than me, and that has nothing to do with our physical size. With Kendrick, it’s like I’m the most powerful deity in the world standing in front of the most powerful deity in theuniverse. We’re both powerful, but his power could engulf mine if he really wanted it to … and I want to know what it would be like if it did. My knees weaken when I look at him, and no man has ever been strong enough to do that before.
Instead of answering me, Kendrick takes a step closer and asks, “Why’d you and Eddie break up?”
I clear my throat and lick my lips as nervousness starts to show itself in my behavior. “I just told you. He was boring. I felt bigger than him—like I was the one in control of our relationship all the time.”
“And you don't like being in control?” Kendrick asks.
“It’s not that I don't like being in control,” I answer honestly as heat radiates up and down my entire body. “I just don't always want to be. The problem was that Eddie wasn't dominant enough to take control from me. Nobody is.”
Kendrick takes another step forward. “Nobody is?”
My breath shudders. “Nobody.”
“Is that why you're always staring at me?”
“I’m not always staring at you. You're just full of yourself.”
“Is that so? Because from the look on your face right now, you wish you could befull of me.”
The breath that shuddered now leaves my lungs all at once and I cough from the breathlessness. Once I manage to pull myself together, I stand up straight again.
“What? What did you just—”
“There’s something about you, Maya,” Kendrick interjects. “You’re a complete pain in the ass and unafraid to challenge me. With anyone else, it’s laughable because I know they’re not really a challenge. It’s just a bluff they hope I don't call. But with you, it’s real. You're a goddess in your own right. That’s why everyone fears you. Everyone except me.”
“What are you talking about? Me and you haven't had a single instance where we got along. We hate each other.”
He takes another step closer, leaving only inches between us. I feel the warmth of his breath on my face and smell the fragrance of his cologne casting its spell, and all thoughts of Amy are gone. Her words disintegrate into nothingness along with the rest of the world, and there is nothing but the two of us standing in front of the bathrooms alone.
Kendrick clears his throat as he leans forward. “Do we?”
We lock eyes and my brain fragments. Words evade me. My heart pounds before skipping multiple beats, and I can’t get my breathing under control.
“Yes,” I force myself to answer.
“Good,” Kendrick says. “Maybe that’s what makes this so mouthwatering. You hate me and I hate you, but I can see your heart pounding through your shirt. I see the sweat on your brow. I feel the shuddering of your breath. Are you sure it’s hatred causing all of that?”
