Page 47 of To Hate Adam Connor

“Why would you do that?” she screamed, her chest heaving. Apparently it was time to attack me again.

“I save you and that’s how you say thank you?” I asked, blocking the door so she wouldn’t try something.

A security guard came running toward us. “Is everything okay here?”

Lucy turned her murderous eye on the guy and growled, “Yes!”

The guy ignored her and turned to me. “Everything good, Mr. Connor?”

She stepped in front of him and waved her hands. “Hello? Why are you even asking him? Maybe I’m the one having a problem with him?”

Ignoring Lucy yet again, he waited for an answer. I rubbed my neck and nodded. What was I even supposed to say? As soon as he left, Lucy whirled on me.

I raised my hand to stop her before she could start all over again. “Shut it.” I was seconds away from getting in her face and yelling right back at her, but I made the mistake of noticing her shaky hands and all the fight I had left in me drained away.

“Look.” I closed my eyes and tried to find the right words to say to her. “Look, it seems like neither one of us is having the best night here. I’m just trying to make sure you’re all right, nothing more. Then I’m leaving, and you can go kill whoever you want to, okay?” I took a deep breath to give her some time. “If you don’t want my help, that’s fine. Just calm down a little so we can both go on our way.”

Surprisingly, she nodded and turned her back to me. I won’t lie, it was tempting to wait a few more minutes in silence and then just leave when she was feeling more like herself, but when she hugged her elbows to hide the fact that her body was starting to shake uncontrollably, I knew I couldn’t leave her there.

Shit!

I thought about putting my hands on her shoulders and…consoling her? Warming her up? Just something to ease her, but I didn’t think she’d appreciate that, so instead I faced her and tilted her chin up with my fingertips.

“Lucy?”

She opened her eyes and what I saw broke my heart: a single tear that followed an almost straight line down to her chin. Instinctively, I wiped it away. I didn’t know shit about this woman, about who she really was inside, but from what I’d seen so far, I knew something was seriously wrong.

“I’m not crying,” she announced.

“Of course not,” I said softly.

“I’m not.” She wiped at her cheeks with the back of her hand and looked up at me. “These are just angry tears.”

“Of course,” I repeated. “I wouldn’t expect anything else from someone like you.”

Her face flushed and her posture stiffened even more. “And what is that supposed to mean? Someone like me?”

Of course she’d twist my words. How else could she manage to start another fight? If I didn’t know any better, I’d say she fed on making me miserable.

I shook my head. “I’m not doing this with you. Good night and have fun, Lucy.” I turned around to leave, but she put her hand on my arm and stopped me.

“Just wait a minute. What—”

“I meant someone as stubborn, strong, and willful as you, Lucy,” I explained, cutting her off. “I’m not looking to start a fight with you. Not tonight.”

She took her hand off my arm. “Oh.”

“Yeah.”

“Well then, I’m sorry.”

“How unexpected of you. Was that the very first time those words have ever left your mouth?”

“Don’t push it.”

My gaze dropped to my arm, specifically to her hand that was keeping me from moving. “I’d like to leave now, if that’s okay with you?”

She followed my gaze then seemed surprised to find her hand on me. Taking a few steps back, she said, “Of course. I didn’t mean to touch you. Hopefully you won’t call the authorities on me.”

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