Page 56 of Sheltered By Love

He stops himself from saying the words. But we both know what he’s thinking.

And I’m sick and tired of hearing it.

I raise my voice a notch higher than the hail outside. “You aren’t exactly doing me a favor by letting me live here. I pay rent. The plumbing sucks, the back door sticks in the rain, there’s a leak in the spare room and there’s no dishwasher.”

He folds his arms across his chest. “Anything else?”

That he’s goading me, makes me even angrier. “Why are you treating me like I’m your enemy? You don’t even know me.”

His arms drop to his sides. “Why don’t you tell me why you really moved here? Then maybe I’ll stop thinking you have something to hide.”

I’m so pissed off my hands are shaking and I’m one wrong word from slapping him. “Screw you, Zane. You don’t deserve to know why I’m here.”

I spin on my heel, not knowing where I’m going, but knowing that if I stay, I’ll wind up giving him more ammunition to fire at me.

I’m so frustrated, so irritated, and so utterly disgusted by his behavior, and how easily he can wind me up, I slam the door as I stalk into the living room.

I left no lights on and with the storm outside, I’m in near dark as I sink to my knees in front of the fireplace and start the fire just so I have something to do with my hands.

It’s just like the night I ran to him. Ran out of sheer terror, and with a futile hope that maybe he would understand.

A fat tear slips down my cheek and I swipe it away, angry at myself, angry at him, and growing angrier as I try and fail to get the lighter to start.

“Come on you bastard!” I yell at it.

But the flint refuses to catch, so if I want to curl up in here tonight with a book, my only option is to return to the kitchen where Zane is to search for my matches.

Zane

Just when I think I have her figured out. She does something unexpected.

She surprises me.

With the rain overhead, I don’t hear her return until she’s almost at the kitchen door.

I’m not ready for another round with a woman I don’t understand, so I take the coward’s way out and pull out my cell phone and check the weather report instead.

She doesn’t say a word, but I hear her opening and closing drawers looking for something.

I risk a look and catch a glimpse of her tear-stained face just before she hurries from the room again.

Dammit. I didn’t mean to make her cry. I just wanted answers and she wasn’t giving me any.

Garrett’s going to rip me a new one. Given the knot in my gut, I probably deserve it.

I stand staring at my phone, half reading the warnings to stay indoors.

Even if I’m bunked down inside the boat club, it’s going to be a rough six hours.

If my conscience is anything to go by, I should probably go make peace with her before Jax arrives.

Even as I think it, I know I won’t.

I’ve never been good with this sort of thing. I go in there, and we’ll probably end up arguing again.

Better to leave her be, and hope she’s cooled off by morning.

Felicity

---