Page 42 of Heatwaves

“Or maybe you’re just trying to distract me from the conversation you don’t want to have?”

Just like that, the tension is back. Spinning on my heel, I head for my bedroom. It’s probably time to get dressed, and it’s not because I’m running from him or the conversation I don’t want to have.

Nope. Not at all.

“Lila,” Wyatt calls after me, exasperation clear in his voice.

I ignore him, but I can hear him following me. I know he wants to talk about the guys. Iknow he wants me to deal with what I’m feeling, but I don’t want to.

I don’t think I can.

Moving into my closet, I fling clothes aside as I try to find something to wear, but I’m just too agitated.

Wyatt knows I don’t want to talk about this. Why can’t he just fucking let it go?

I startle when Wyatt’s hands land on my shoulders, squeezing them before pulling me against him.

“I’m not trying to upset you, Lil,” he murmurs into my hair as he clings to me.

I shouldn’t allow him to hold me like this, but my body naturally relaxes into him. I’ve allowed myself to get too comfortable with him. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. He was always meant to be a friend with benefits, but somewhere along the way, he became something more.

He became someone I rely on—something I promised myself I wouldn’t do again. Relying on other people always ends up with me being hurt.

Yet, here I am.

I bite my lip, refraining from telling him that it’s okay because it’s not. When I tell him I don’t want to talk about it, he should respect that.

I hate the idea of hurting him, but isn’t that what he’s doing to me by trying to force the topic?

Frustrated with both him and myself, I pull out of his arms and grab a summer dress. I pull it over my head, not bothering with undergarments before I turn to face him.

“This is something I don’t want to talk about, Wyatt. If you can’t respect that, then you need to go.”

Wyatt opens his mouth to respond before snapping it shut, nodding.

Sighing with relief, I wrap my arms around him and lay my head on his chest. I love listening to the sound of his heart beating in his chest—almost as much as I love being in his arms.

I’m so fucked.

“So, what do you have planned for the day?” I ask him as I pull back.

A soft smile paints his lips as he stares down at me, and I swallow hard.

Nope. Not dealing with that.

Tearing my eyes away from him, I ignore the emotions in his eyes as I step past him. I can’t deal with that on top of the others showing back up.

I’ve hit my wall of the amount of emotions I can deal with for the day. Hell, for the week or maybe the month.

Can’t I go back to how it was before? When everyone who didn’t know me thought I was an ice princess?

Emotions suck.

“I need to go see my parents and go catch up on some work. Nothing exciting. What about you?” He follows me out of the closet and sits on the edge of the bed to pull on his socks and a shirt.

I shrug, still refusing to meet his gaze. “I think I’ll go for a swim. It’s been a while since I just swam.”

Wyatt hums his agreement. Silence fills the room, and I can’t seem to stop from glancing up at him. Unsurprisingly, his eyes are on me.

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