Page 56 of Out of Bounds
When she reaches for the cake knife, I reach for her wrist and hold it down.
Her full lips part and the color now drains from her cheeks. I watch her pulse quicken and her breaths became uneven as nerves fill her.
“You remember, don’t you?”
“What?”
She’s already giving herself away.
“What do you mean by what?” I knit my brows together and give her a ruthless stare. “You know what I mean?”
“I know what you mean but… no I don’t remember anything.” She stutters out the last few words. “Just what we talked about.” Which was nothing. We didn’t really talk about anything much.
Should I even remind her I’ve known her since she was ten, we went to school together, and I’m also a high ranking cop? If I don’t know when she’s lying by now I never will.
When Bree lies her little nose twitches, she automatically tucks her hair behind her ear, and she starts blinking. She just did all three.
Common sense should tell me to leave this alone, but I’ve never been one to listen to things like that. Definitely not when it comes to Bree Dawson. No not Bree Dawson.
That certificate she should have in her suitcases has her listed as Bree Carson now.
“Do you remember anything?” she asks tentatively.
I play the devil I am and run my thumb over the silky skin of her knuckles. Unlike her I’m not going to lie.
“Yes.”
The deep green of her eyes darkens, and I’m reminded of how she looked at me when she kissed me.
“Oh, well maybe I’ll remember too at some point.” She tries to move her hand away, but I keep it there.
“Stop lying.”
She wrinkles her nose and frowns at me. “Why would you think I’m lying. If I say I don’t remember, then I don’t remember.”
“And I was born yesterday. I can see you remember. So, the real question is what are you afraid off?”
I’m opening all the boxes of hell. Pandora’s, the can of worms, and everything like that.
There’s no need to say that to her when I know what she’s afraid of. It’s me.
It’s whatever she feels for me and me for her. It’s that unsaid, invisible thing that’s always existed between us I’ve purposely tried to shun away.
It’s the same thing that made her get on that plane to Vegas in the first place, not whatever I owe her.
Again, I should leave this alone, but curiosity is getting the better of me and when I get like this, I’m like a dog with a bone who just can’t let go until I get what I want. In this instance I don’t actually know what I want but I’m going in the direction my dick is taking me.
“I’m not afraid of anything.”
I release her and I realize what’s grating on my nerves. It’s her attempt to deny the night we have. If she claims she can’t remember then it’s like it never happened, when it fucking did.
That’s okay. Two can play at this game.
I stand and reach for my jacket.
“You’re going?” she stands too.
“I have things to do.”
