Page 58 of Up in Flames

“How many times do I have to tell you? I amyours!Why are you so jealous of Joey?”

“Becauseheblatantlywantsyou!”he bellows, his voice the loudest I’ve ever heard, and my ears rattle with the intense volume.

My head jolts back, and I open my eyes wide, letting out a shocked laugh.

“Wait! What? You think Joey is a guy?”

He glares, his eyes glint with anger, and his fists are balled at his sides like he wants to hit something so bad, but he’s restraining himself. “Obviously. He always writes that he loves you and is jealous you’re withme,” he yells even louder this time.

My chest heaves as I groan, throwing my hands in the air in annoyance, and roll my eyes as I turn from him pacing the floor. “Oh my God, you’re impossible!”

“I’m impossible?”He slams his fist into the nearest wall, the noise echoing through the small space mirroring that of the thunder outside. It catches me off guard as I jump back from the shock and turn to glare at his audacity.

“What? Soyouthink I’m cheating on you?” I scream back at him.

“Are you?” His body is rigid as he stares me down.

“I can’t believeyou’re asking me that!”I yell because I can’t help throwing all my pent-up rage at him.

Something in him clicks.

His eyes turn dark.

His chest puffs out.

He picks up a vase from the table, and his muscles ripple as he uses all his force to hurtle it against the wall. The sound as it hits the drywall, shattering into a million pieces, makes me jump almost through the roof. Flowers and water cascade down the wall and fall to the floor as I jump back even further, disturbed by his aggression.

“For fuck’s sake, Makaylie. Stop. Avoiding. The. Question!”

The intensity in the room sparks like the voltage of an electrical storm. I can feel the charge seeping into my pores as the friction bolts into my lungs. It’s so astonishingly overwhelming my entire body is tense with an all-consuming rage. My anger bubbles over the top, and I rush forward, pushing into Cain’s chest hard, even though he doesn’t budge.

“No!I amnotfuckingcheating on you, you asshole!”I yell. “Whenthe fuckwould I have time to cheat on you?”

His face contorts as he grabs my wrists, stopping me from trying to push him, and holds me tight while breathing harshly through his nostrils as they flare in and out. “Good! As itshould be,”he yells back in my face.

“Why are you stillyellingat me?” I scream back and struggle to push against his chest with all my might. He stumbles backward but steadies himself, gripping me tighter and pulling my hands up so my body falls against his. I gasp when I feel his hard cock press against my pussy, and I grit my teeth, angry that this shit is turning him on.

“Because I care about you. So much, Makaylie…” He pauses. “Too fucking much. It scares the shit out of me.You. Scare. Me!”

My stomach sinks as my heart leaps into my throat. I stop fighting against him and take a deep breath, attempting to soak in Cain’s words. Blinking a few times as we both pant heavily, I swallow hard. His tight grip on my wrists softens, and he leans in, resting his forehead against mine.

“I scare you?” I ask quietly, and he nods, his eyes sparkling as he stares into mine. Cain lets one wrist go as his hand moves up to caress my cheek in his usual way.

“You scare… and… electrify me, Makaylie.”

I weakly smile and sniff slightly as I move closer, needing to touch him. “I care about you too. And trust me when I say you scare me, Cain, in so many ways.”

“I know. I want to open up to you, tell you everything… everything there is to know about me, but that’s what has me scared.”

Nodding, I press my lips to his. “You will tell me when you can…” I take in a deep breath and release it. “For now, I trust you. So please, trustme.” He exhales with a nod. “And Joey is a girl, you imbecile! If you listened to me, you would have realized that before you went off on this tangent.” I slap him on the chest as he backs up, looking down at me like I’ve said the most incredibly shocking thing in the world.

“Wait! What? Joey is a chick? As in boobs and pussy?”

I roll my eyes. “Yes, and don’t be so crass. She’s my best friend, and she’s jealous that I’m with you because she thinksyouare hot, andshewants to be withyou,not becauseshewantsme!”

He lunges forward and plants kisses all over my face.

I laugh as he talks through the kisses. “Thank God…” Kiss. Kiss. “Because I was getting ready to kick his damn ass.”

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