Page 79 of That Girl is Trouble

My attention pulls back to the door, to the red glow.

I’ve barely set foot inside since the day I watched him die. That room is a reminder. He’s gone, and I’m still here. He doesn’t get to experience love or excitement or passion, and I do. But not with him. With someone else.

So now? After last night? Going inside that room feels impossible.

“You good?” Axe asks again, his hand still on my chest.

I nod as I step away, the ghost of my dead boyfriend suddenly standing awkwardly between us.

At my withdrawal, another deep frown paints itself across his face. “Talking about it might help.”

“I don’t want to talk about him.”

Axe sighs deeply. “All right, then maybe we should talk about last night.”

I shake my head. “You don’t have to worry. I handled it, okay?”

He narrows his eyes. “What exactly did you handle, Kitty?”

“Well, you know… last night, we…”

His brow furrows in confusion. Seriously? Do men really just… not think of this stuff?

I lower my voice. “As we briefly discussed yesterday, there are consequences when you fuck someone without a condom. But I took that pill, so we’re good. You don’t have to worry.”

His eyes drop to my stomach and stay there a beat, his lips parting in surprise. “I… right.”

“Did you skip health class or something?” I snort, but the expression on his face is anything but amused. I let out a dramatic sigh. “Okay. Let me explain how babies are made. That might help with your confusion.”

“Attitude, Kat,” he says, irritation biting at his tone. He rubs his hand over the back of his neck. “Not like I didn’t think about it, obviously. I just put it out of my mind after I left last night. Guess I forgot.”

I cross my arms over my chest and scoff. “Right. Guess that tracks. Because I’m just some stripper who likes to walk around and shake my ass like some dirty little slut,” I snap. “Easy to fuck. Easy to forget.”

Axe steps into me, the distance between us disappearing in an instant. The softness lining his features all but disappears, and I’m left with sharp lines and cold, hard eyes. The pure fury almost makes me want to jump away from him. Almost.

“I didn’t forget anything,” he snarls, shoving a finger into my chest. “You kicked me out of your fucking bed, Kat. I didn’t forget that.”

“You kicked me out of your fucking life. Twice!” I don’t mean to yell, but the torrent of anger pouring through my body is like molten heat in my veins.

“You were seventeen,” he says in a low hiss. “What the fuck did you want me to do? How did you want that to play out?”

I press my lips together. Because I don’t really know what I expected back then. I had fantasies, and I had thoughts of him and me and us. But what would have happened once I finally got what I wanted? I didn’t think about it much. Didn’t think about anything, really. I was trying to not think.

“That last night…” That’s all I get out. Because his words are all I can think about. To me, you’re worth nothing. I’m done with you, Kat.

His features change—soft, warm, his brows pulling together, mouth tipping down. “You know I didn’t mean it. Was all just… bullshit.”

“So? You still said it.” I tilt up my chin and meet his gaze.

Axe saying shit he didn’t mean had become his MO. His hands did things he said he shouldn’t. His eyes begged me to stay, but he kept telling me to leave. Pull me in and ice me out, give me what I want and then rip it away. Touch when he wanted but not when I wanted. Back then, Axe was my own personal tormentor. It was a confusing mess of pain and pleasure, a perfect kind of torture that I couldn’t help but chase. It’s why I kept going back. And it’s also why I don’t trust this. Why I don’t trust him. This always ends. I’m done with you, Kat.

I glare at him. “How many women did you have to fuck to get me out of your head, Axe? Ballpark.”

He grits his teeth. “Lost count.”

I pull away, but he grabs my arm.

“How many pairs of hands sliding over your ass did it take to get me out of yours?”

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