Page 55 of She Was Made for Me

I freeze, then turn back to look at her, breathing hard. We stare at each other in the half light, neither of us daring to move.

Finally, Violet says in a quiet voice, “If youhadasked me out, what would we have done?”

The question catches me off-guard, and against my better judgment, I answer. “Something like this.” I shrug. “Like dinner the other night.”

A smile ghosts across her lips. “That was fun.”

“It wasn’t a date,” I snap, and any trace of a smile vanishes from her face.

“I know.”

“Neither is this.”

“Iknow.” She looks hurt by my tone and I hate myself for it.

“Look, Vi, it’s not that I don’t want…” I screw up my face, rubbing my forehead in agitation, then let the air out of my lungs slowly. “When we started this project, your dad asked me to look out for you.”

She cocks her head. “He did?”

“He specifically asked me to make sure you’re okay. To take care of you.”

“So that’s why you’ve been pushing me away. Making sure I don’t work too much, that I eat.”

I frown, shaking my head. “That’s not—”

“Stop.” She lifts a hand, her brows crashing together in frustration. “I’m a big girl. I don’t need a babysitter.”

Hard to disagree with her there. I’d even said as much to Rich at the time.

But what I can’t tell her is that Iwantto look out for her. Iwantto make sure she takes care of herself. Hell,Iwant to take care of her.

So instead I say nothing, and she folds her arms across her chest, staring at me, getting increasingly angry.

“You know what?” she says bitterly. “Maybe Ishouldgo out with Owen. At least he’s man enough to tell me how he feels.”

My blood simmers at the mention of him. At the suggestion that he’d be better for her than me. I grind my molars hard, feeling everything boil up inside me until I can’t hold it in anymore.

“You want to know how I feel, Violet?”

She gives an impatient, exasperated shrug.

“I feel jealous and possessive.” The words spill from me without hesitation. “I feel conflicted. Constantly horny. Ashamed and guilty. I feel… I feel fucking crazy.”

“Crazy?” Her brow knits in confusion, and I realize in that moment that she’s feeling a lot of the things I am, too.

“Yeah,” I murmur. She looks just as lost as I feel, and I begin to soften. “I’m crazy aboutyou.”

She stills, her eyes wide as they move over my face in the darkness. “You’re crazy about me?”

I give a defeated sigh. “What do you think?”

She swallows, her gaze falling to my mouth. “I think you should kiss me.”

Oh, God. I’d give anything to do that. Literally anything. Except my friendship with Rich.

“I can’t.”

My heart jumps when she steps closer. “You mean youwon’t.”

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