Against All Odds - Angel's Story(55)

I quickly turn away from him, picking up the knife, trying to focus on the fruit I’d been cutting a few moments ago. The tears in my eyes cloud my vision.

“Please, sweet-cheeks. Don’t turn away from me,” he begs. I just ignore him and keep chopping. If I look at him, he’s going to know what he said has upset me.

“Ouch,” I say when the knife cuts into my finger. Shit. Cutting fruit with tears in my eyes wasn’t a very smart move.

“Jesus. Give me a look at that,” he says as he reaches for my hand.

“It’s fine.” Before I get a chance to say anything else, he has my finger in his mouth. I exhale, but I keep my head facing forward, looking down at the chopping board. I shouldn’t like the feel of his lips on my skin after what he just said, but I do.

“Look at me,” he demands, gently sliding my finger out of his mouth.

“No.” Using his other hand, he places his finger under my chin, turning my face towards him.

His face drops when he notices the tears in my eyes. “Jesus. Come here,” he says pulling me into his arms. “I’m sorry if what I said upset you.”

I shouldn’t let him hold me like this anymore. It’s only going to make things harder, complicate things. Yet, I love being in his arms, so I lean the side of my face against his chest and close my eyes, letting the tears freely fall.

“Don’t be sorry,” I whisper against his chest. “You can’t help it if you don’t feel the same way about me, as I do you.” He pulls my head away, cupping my face in his hands so he can look at me.

“Is that what you think? That I don’t have feelings for you?”

“Well you just said that, so yes.”

“No I said I can’t be with you. That doesn’t mean I don’t want to.”

“Well if you want to, why can’t you?”

“Because…because you deserve better than a guy like me.”

“Oh, someone like Riley?”

“No,” he growls. “I don’t know what you ever saw in that fucker.”

“He was the only guy, apart from you, who showed me an ounce of attention. Nobody else wanted to date me.”

“Everybody wanted to date you, Angel.” Yeah right. I find that hard to believe since not one person, other than Riley, showed any interest.

“I don’t think so.”

“It’s the truth.”

“Why didn’t anybody else ever ask me out then?” I ask, challenging him.

“Because any guy who showed any interest in you, was warned to stay away.”

“By who?” I asked, shocked.

“By fucking me. That’s who.”

“What? You warned guys to stay away from me?” I practically scream, pushing myself off of him. I’m pissed he would do such a thing, especially since that’s the very reason I moved here in the first place. “I think you better leave,” I say, as I try to walk around him, but he grabs hold of my arm.

“Angel please. Let me explain.”

“I’ve heard enough, Chase,” I say shrugging my arm out of his hold. “Just go.”

As I walk towards my bedroom, tears threaten to fall again, but I’m so fucking angry right now. I refuse to shed another tear over him.

How could he do something like that to me? Because he’s an arsehole, that’s how.

••••



Chase



Fucking hell. This whole conversation is going from bad to worse. If she thinks I’m going to go, leaving things this way between us, she’s wrong. I’ve just got her back, and there’s no fucking way I’m going to lose her again.

She storms down the hall towards her room. I’m right on her heels though. I’m not letting her get away. “Angel,” I call out as she walks into her bedroom.

“Fuck off, Chase,” she says, spinning around to close the door. Nope, not happening. A small smile tugs at my lips.

Angry Angel is fucking hot.

My foot comes out, stopping her from slamming the door in my face. She looks down to see what’s blocking the door and then back up at me. Her eyes narrow as she says, “Move your fucking foot, Chase.”

“Nope.”

“Fine. Arsehole,” she says, letting go of the door and spinning around. I follow her into the room. She makes her way towards the bathroom, but I’m not letting her hide in there either. Reaching out, I grab hold of her arm, spinning her around and pinning her with my body against the wall. “Get off me,” she snaps trying to push me away. I love my sweet Angel, but angry Angel is turning me the fuck on.

“Not until you let me explain.”

“I don’t want to hear anything you have to say.”