Page 31 of A Vicious Rumor

"This. The hot-cold stuff. I watched men do it to my mother my entire life. I'm not going to let it happen to me."

Tyson was silent for a minute, before he finally spoke. "I'm not trying to be hot and cold with you. There's just a lot going on in my life." He stayed quiet for another minute, before adding, "but, I want you to be a part of it."

10

TYSON

"But, I want you to be a part of it." The words were out of my mouth before I had a chance to stop them. In a lot of ways, I actually really hated how vulnerable I felt around Lily. She made me say things, do things, feel things, that put me on edge.

Everyone I'd ever cared about had walked out of my life. I'd never been good enough for them. It had taught me pretty quickly not to get attached.

And yet, here I was, saying things like I wanted her to be a part of my life.

And wrapping my hand around the back of her neck.

And pulling her towards me.

And pressing my lips against hers.

And pulling her into my body when she didn't resist me.

Yeah, I was definitely breaking my rule as far as Lily White was concerned.

She pulled back and I stared into her bright blue eyes, ran my thumb across her flushed cheeks and tangled my fingers through her beautiful blonde hair. "What's wrong?" I asked her, desperately wanting to continue what we were doing.

"Nothing," she said softly. I started to move back in, but she put her hand against my chest. "And everything."

I stopped and sighed. Women really knew how to be confusing. "Tell me about it?"

She sat back, and I let her pull away. "Maybe later?"

"Okay then," I said, feeling entirely confused by the situation.

"I've got something to show you," she said.

"Here?" I asked her.

She shook her head. "No. It's at my house. I didn't know I'd be seeing you today."

"Right," I replied.

"Take me home?"

"Right."

We walked back through the trees to the Jeep. I couldn't decide whether or not I was upset about our kiss and the way she had pulled back. I couldn't really figure out much about things concerning Lily.

We drove back to her place in relative silence. "I'll just wait out here," I said to her when I pulled up the driveway.

She shook her head. "No. Come in, please?"

I closed my eyes and let my head fall back against the headrest. "Okay," I said, not sure why I agreed to do things for her when I wouldn't even lift a finger for anyone else.

I followed her up the front steps and through the front door.

"Hi, Mom," she said, and I winced. I'd already had a relatively awkward conversation with her mother this afternoon. I really wasn't looking to relive that.

"You two have a nice evening?" her mother asked. Lily's mother looked completely unrelated to her daughter. She had light brown hair, light brown eyes, and a tanner complexion. Where Lily was tall for her age, her mother stood no taller than 5'5" and while she'd lost some weight in the past, her daughter's slim frame was still far different from hers.

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