Page 32 of A Very Merry Enemy
“Holiday—”
“Why did you sign me up for that contest?” I cut him off. “What kind of sick game is this?”
His eyebrows shoot up. “You thinkIwould do that? You’re the last person on this planet I want to see. Why would I volunteer to be around you? That’s modern-day torture.”
“Who did it?”
He crosses his arms. “Just quit.”
“No.” I let out a harsh laugh. “You quit.”
“Stop playing games. You don’t want to do it, so why don’t you march your sassy little ass down to the chamber and remove your name from the list?”
“Actually, I will,” I tell him. “You’re right. I’ll find someone else to partner with me. I advise you to do the same.”
We stare at each other. The air between us crackles with tension.
“You can’t do that,” he says.
“Actually, I can do whatever the fuck I want,” I tell him.
“You’re impossible,” he says as I turn to walk away. “Mawmaw signed us up.”
I turn back to him. “Why would she do that? You know what? I’m not doing this. Not here.”
I storm toward the bakery. Lucas’s boots crunch on the gravel behind me.
“Holiday—”
“Leave me alone!”
I reach the bakery and yank the door open. He catches it before I can slam it in his face.
“Get out,” I snap.
“Not until we finish this conversation.”
He steps inside. The bell jingles cheerfully. It’s completely opposite from the rage radiating off both of us.
“There’s nothing to finish.”
“You either quit or you bake with me.”
“You don’t get to make the rules, Lucas.” I scoff. “You know that if I bake against you, I’ll destroy you. You need me, don’t you?”
“No. I don’t fucking need you.” His voice rises. “You really think I want to spend the next five weeks trapped in a kitchen with you?”
We’re standing too close. Close enough that I can see his chest rising and falling rapidly. Close enough to notice the exhaustion in his eyes. I hate that I notice.
“Why do you hate me so much?” The question escapes before I can stop it.
Something dangerous flashes in his eyes. “You really want to know?”
“Yes.”
“Because you’re selfish. You make promises you don’t keep. You leave when things get hard.” He takes a step closer. “You came back here because your perfect life in Paris fell apart, and now you’re slumming it in Merryville until you find your next escape. That’s why I can’t allow you back into my life, and I’dvery much prefer if you just went ahead and fucked straight off.”
Each word is a knife.
