Page 54 of Don't Let Me Fall (Don't Let Me 1)

“Yeah. Really,” he returns, more somber than I’ve ever seen.

“Like who? You?”

“Maybe.”

“Says the guy dating my friend.”

“We’re not dating.”

“Oh, so the late nights, you driving her to and from work, texting and calling at every freaking hour. What would you call it? Huh?”

Only silence greets me, and it pisses me off more. Because I know I’ve backed him into a corner. I know I have a point. A freaking good one. And he deserves to be backed into a corner. This game? This back and forth we’ve created? It isn’t fair to me. It isn’t fair to Mia. And it sure as hell isn’t fair to Logan.

“You know what?” I breathe out. “It doesn’t even matter. Because even though my relationship with Logan might not be perfect, at least he’s loyal. At least he isn’t picking up random girls on the side of the road––”

Colt’s hand slams against the steering wheel, proving I’ve struck a nerve, but when he opens his mouth to reply, I cut him off again.

“No. You don’t get to talk right now.”

“I’m sorry? I don’t get to talk?” He scoffs.

“No. No, you don’t get to talk,” I argue.

“Why not, Sunshine?”

“Because every time you do, every time we have an actual conversation, you make me question things, and I’m tired of questioning things.” I shake my head and run my fingers through my wet, stringy hair, tugging on the roots while praying for the strength to get through this conversation. “I’m not a quitter, Colt. I’m not like you and hockey. I’m not going to simply give up on something.”

He jerks away as if I’ve slapped him, but I don’t stop. I can’t stop. The words tumble out of me, one after the other. “My relationship doesn’t have to be perfect for me to want to save it.”

“And if he isn’t willing to save it with you?” Colt challenges. He leans closer, his breath mingling with my own until I feel like I can’t breathe without breathing him in instead of oxygen. And I definitely need some freaking air if I have any hope of clearing my head of what Colt’s doing to it.

His gaze is hot with irritation and passion as he stares at me, making me feel like I’m burning alive, even though I’m soaking wet and shivering from the wind and rain outside.

“If he torched whatever shitty relationship you’re still clinging to, expecting you to save it all by yourself, what then? Huh, Ash? What then?”

“It isn’t torched––”

“Trust me, Sunshine.” He laughs. “It’s fucking charred beyond repair.”

Like a knife is in my chest, I breathe shallowly, refusing to rub at the ache or acknowledge how freaking close he hit the nail on the head. I simply look at him. Stare at him. His stubbled jaw. The slight divot between his brows from frowning. The dark glint in his gaze I’ve been dreaming about since the moment we first met.

What’s he thinking?

Why did he come to pick me up?

And why does he make me feel this way?

It isn’t fair.

His attention drops to my mouth. He’s so close. So freaking close, I can almost taste him. If he leaned in a little closer––

A loud, jarring sound has me flinching as his phone lights up in the cupholder, breaking whatever weird spell had been cast over his truck and bringing me back to reality.

Unlike Logan, Colt’s notifications are set to show a preview of the message instead of keeping it private. It shouldn’t surprise me, but it does.

It’s Mia.

Mia: Don’t worry, boyfriend. I’m not going anywhere without you.

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