Page 50 of Rough Love

The last part is a murmured statement, not a question. He continues to stare, considering me, sizing me up, and looking for something. What though?

“What exactly are you insinuating?” I whisper, my voice barely audible. Under the scrutiny of his glare, especially this close, I can’t bring myself to snap back at him, even though I want to.

He remains silent for another moment, and the tension between us thickens. His face is so close to mine now that I can feel every breath leaving him with his exhales. They waft across my face, and with every single one, I fall deeper and deeper under his spell.

Finally, he breaks the silence, and his question almost sounds like it’s ripped from his soul. “Why are you really here, Violet?”

Violet. Not Kitten. Not baby. Just, Violet.

My heart sinks and I don’t understand why. What exactly was I expecting from him? He left. He said he wanted to stay, to be with, tokeepme, and he left anyways. More than that, he never came back.

Pushing away the hurt, I focus on his question. I know the answer immediately, but I refuse,absolutely refuse, to speak the words;because I missed you so much.

Instead, I steal my spine and allow a mischievous grin to spread across my face. “Guess you’ll have to wait and find out.”

Renz growls, baring his teeth at me in a ridiculously animalistic display. He is power. Hard, angry, unrelenting power. I want to sink into the couch. I want to lean into him. I want to run and hide from the malevolence in his gaze. I do none of those things.

Reaching forward, I boop him on the nose, and snap my jaw playfully in his direction.

It has its intended effect as Renz slams his open palm down on the couch while making an exasperated noise, then turns away from me as though I’ve been dismissed. It’s what I wanted; space. A reprieve from his all too knowing gaze. Regardless, it causes a pang in my chest.

“You said you took photographs?” Eli asks, bringing us back to the prior conversation. I nod in response, still looking at Renz’s heaving back as he places his fists on the fireplace mantle and composes himself.

Maybe the space hurts him too.

No, Violet, don’t let yourself think like that.

Clearing my throat, I cross my legs Indian style and face Eli. “Yeah, I took pictures of his truck and his face, but I haven’t had time to see if I actually got anything.”

“Can I see those?” Zac murmurs. Wordlessly, I pull my phone from the built-in pocket on the side of my leggings. I quickly open it to the photos and toss him my phone, too distracted to go through them myself as something Renz had said reverberates through my mind.

“What did you meanhe saw me? The driver, I mean. Why is that a big deal?”

Renz barks out a humorless laugh, still gazing down at the fire. “The fact that you even have to ask that question is answer enough. You don’t belong in this world, Violet.” I hear the underlying words he leaves unspoken. I don’t belong withthem.“You’re not tough enough for the shit we have to deal with and clearly, you’re not intelligent enough to keep stupid questions to yourself.”

My hands ball into fists on my lap and begin to shake from the effort it takes to contain my rage. I know what he’s doing. Renz may claim that I’m unintelligent but as previously stated, he’s a coward and what he’s doing right now is nothing more than another attempt to push me away.

“Jesus fucking Christ, Renz. Shut your disrespectful ass up and stop deflecting,” Zac barks, surprising all of us. If anyone was going to defend my honor, I thought it would be Eli. And while it’s a gallant thing to do, it’s unnecessary.

Shoving off Eli’s arm that’s still wrapped around me, I stand up and round on the pretentious prick. “No, Renz, if you have something to say, by all means, go ahead, but at least have the decency to say it to my face.”

Planting my hands on my hips, I stare up at him, showing him just how unaffected I am by his words. He doesn’t need to know it’s all a farce. As far as I’m concerned, he’ll need to get on his knees and grovel before this is all said and done.

Unless he doesn’t want you.

Nope. Not going there.

Renz turns slowly to face me, his breaths sawing in and out with the effort to contain his fury. I don’t know how exactly I’m getting under his skin so easily, but I would be lying if I said I didn’t gain some sick satisfaction out of seeing him suffer. Another part of me, one that unfortunately isn’t as deep down as I wish it was, wants to hold and soothe him, ensuring he’s never mad or sad again.

What can I say? I’m a conundrum.

Forcing that second half of myself to the dark recesses of my head, I focus on the spiteful bitch who wants to see him burn in hell and die a thousand deaths.

Okay, maybe that’s too far.

Yeah, way too far.

I’d settle for having some mythical power cause coffee to spill on his pristine button-downs every day for the rest of his life and for him to forever drown in parking tickets. Maybe throw in a papercut or twenty.Yes, that will do nicely.

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