My hands found his wrists, my fingers gripping the sleeves of his shirt. “I can’t,” I gasped. “I can’t take it.” I shook my head, closing my eyes. “It’s too much.”
“Look at me, Margo,” he urged, his voice tight. “You’re safe.”
My heart thundered in my ears and my knees began to shake.
Why was he out here? He shouldn’t see me like this.
I didn’t need him to see me like this.
“Go. Please, go,” I begged as I tried to step out of his hold.
“Hell no—fuck no,” he growled, turning us and walking me backward. Not even a second later, my back hit the blue siding of Carrie’s house, his body pinning me to it. I kept my eyes on his chest, focusing on the rough pattern of his shirt, the indention between his muscles. “Look at me, Temper.”
My ears began to ring, my heart pounding, drops of sweat manifesting at my temples.
“Don’t call me that,” I rasped, trying to gulp in air. “You don’t know me—”
“Cut the shit,” he growled, shaking me gently. “Look at me.”
My eyes snapped up to his, unable to deny him, the panic lacing his voice. His thumbs stroked my neck. “Take a deep breath and hold for three,” he commanded. “Inhale. Hold.”
His eyes scanned my face as I held my breath, his strokes moving in time as he counted. “One. Two. Three. Release.”
My chest deflated and I could feel my heart rate starting to slow.
“Again. Inhale and hold for five this time.”
I did as he instructed, unable to look away. My world was drenched in green and gold, had been for weeks. And I thought I would be able to get rid of him. This was supposed to be easy. After the second round, he made me inhale and hold one more time. As I released, his thumbs shifted upward, going to my cheeks as he dipped his head.
“You’re okay,” he whispered. “Everything’s okay.”
No, nothing about this was okay.
Nothing concerning him would ever be okay.
“Get your hands off me,” I pushed out on a broken whisper, the pain replacing panic as my soul cracked in two.
He jerked slightly. “Margo—”
“Get away from me, Hayes.”
Like the good person—man—he was, he dropped his hands immediately. It took a few seconds for him to step away, and when he finally did, the cool air hit me like a truck.
“We need to talk,” he stated.
I shook my head. “No,” I clipped, wrapping my arms around myself.
“Margo, please—”
“You left,” I hissed, cutting him off.
He stiffened, his jaw jumping as his gaze went cold once more.
Swallowing the lump in my throat, I did my best to push out the rest. “You left me.” My voice cracked. “I thought—I thought that you and I—” I dropped my head, wiping the tear before hecould see it. “You told me things,” I continued, voice thick with hurt. “You made me feel wanted, Hayes.”
“Margo—”
My head shot up, and I was off the wall. I pointed at him, seething. “No, you don’t get to make love to me and then treat me like shit. I’ve been treated that way my entire life, and I will not let you do that to me. Not you. You don’t get to make me feel good, leave me, and then come back to rip me apart, Hayes. Whatever you have to say, I don’t want to hear it.”