House Rules(78)

“Fuck this.” I threw on my clothes, minus the shirt she still wore, and walked out the door, slamming it behind me. I’d done everything I could to help. After all the progress we’d made—me making an effort to try to build a relationship with her—she was intent on keeping me at arms length. She might have said she loved me, but in the moment I was having a hard time believing it. It pissed me off that I’d believed it so readily in the first place.

Jumping into my car, I peeled out of the neighborhood. I’d deal with Tess and her bullshit tomorrow, knowing that if I stayed any longer, I’d say something I’d regret.





CHAPTER 26





Theresa




I slammed the door harder than necessary. Damn Miller and his demands. Didn’t he understand anything of what I’d spent the last few months explaining? Or were my feelings not as important?

I’d had hours to calm down but that time had done nothing but give me the opportunity to wind myself up further. I thought heading into class would take my focus off Miller but I’d spent the entire lecture arguing with him in my head.

I went into the kitchen to grab a beer. I should leave them alone. I had so much homework to do and half of what the professor had explained this afternoon had floated straight over my head.

As I drank beer number one I thought about what an arrogant SOB Miller was. Halfway through beer number two I began to realize that I might have overreacted somewhat. By the time I’d drained the dregs of my third bottle I was reaching for the phone to call him, the dot over the phone symbol flashing an ugly number thirteen, reminding me of just how much of a bitch I’d been. I’d seen the calls flashing through while I was in class and had silenced them. That wasn’t unusual. But the calls I’d ignored afterward . . . that had been me acting in anger. And now I felt terrible.

In my heart, I knew Miller was only trying to help. He’d never hurt me the way my parents had. Miller wanted to give me the chance to pursue my dream without any more obstacles. Then there was still the part of me that was hurt that the only reason he wanted me to move in was for my own safety.

After months of getting to know Miller, I knew he wasn’t always the greatest at getting his point across when his feelings were in the way. I should have talked to him.

I swiped to unlock my screen, bringing Miller’s details up. As I went to touch his name I heard the click of my front door. A chill ran up my spine. “Miller,” I called. “Is that you?” I turned to place my bottle by the sink but as I spun back around I felt a pain radiate from the back of my head, knocking me to the floor, my phone slipping out of my hand.

The linoleum felt cold beneath my cheek and my hands shook as I tried to lift them to touch the back of my head, a gasp escaping my lips when I felt something warm and sticky coating my hair. Bringing my fingertips to my face, I saw the bright red liquid just as my body buckled with the blunt force against my ribs. I curled tighter, struggling for breath, my vision blurred as I tried to lift my head to see who or what was in my apartment.

A pair of black boots came into view, one lace untied. I twisted my head to look up but could only see an outline, the bright light coming from my kitchen lights making me wince, forcing me to close my eyes. My heart thundered in my chest and I opened my mouth to speak when I heard it.

“Evening, Tess.”





CHAPTER 27





Miller


Straight after our fight I wanted to settle things. I was a brooder typically, but for some reason I hated that there was this issue between us. I was so used to just picking up the phone and talking to Tess, or shooting her a text whenever I felt like it that to not be able to do that left me feeling . . . weird. But I knew we both needed time apart or we’d end up saying things we didn’t mean. Ashton had been right: each day I learned more about being in a relationship.

After I’d cooled down, I tried calling her.

No answer.

I tried again but she sent it straight to voicemail. I knew she had a class so I wasn’t too concerned. She often declined my calls if she was in a lecture.

But by the time I knew her class would have ended, she still wasn’t answering. She was avoiding me which only stirred the anger I’d tried to bury. The woman made me fucking crazy. I was starting to wonder why in the holy hell Ashton would want Elena to stand up to him. Life would be so much easier if Tess would just do what I told her to. If she moved in with me like I wanted then I wouldn’t have to worry about Ray finding her, and I wouldn’t have to wonder where she was when we fought. She’d be with me every moment. And seeing as the guys couldn’t find any trace of Ray, staying in her apartment wasn’t going to be an option much longer, whether she liked it or not.