Page 145 of Defend Me

I bit down on his lip. When he didn’t pull back, I increased the pressure. The taste of copper on my tongue almost made me relent, but I hated that he still didn’t try to stop me.

“Let me go,” I demanded.

He dropped his lips to my neck and I felt them move, but I couldn’t hear through the music in my ears. I shook my head, trying to dislodge my earbuds. Right now, I regretted all the time I’d spent researching ones that wouldn’t fall out.

“Brooks,” I gritted out.

He tugged on my ear lobe with his teeth, then returned to my lips. Again, he said something that I couldn’t hear.

“My music,” I said. “I don’t know what you’re saying.”

He flipped me onto my back again and I was met with an infuriating smirk. I watched his lips move, but I was shit at reading them. It was all just a jumble that was indecipherable

When he released my wrists, I slammed my hands into his chest. He grabbed onto them and held them against him. Something in his eyes softened as he stared down at me. The only thing I could think about was how much I regretted not taking out my earbuds before I struck him.

“I can’t hear you.”

He shook his head, still smiling. And he kept talking. I didn’t know what to be more upset about right now, his lying tendencies or this fucking stunt.

“Go away. Fuck off. Are you understanding me yet?”

He took one of the buds out and put it in his own ear. When his smile widened, I averted my gaze. After that stressful experience, my frustration had mounted. I wanted to know what the fuck was going on and I hated that I knew he’d fight me on it. Or he’d just lie.

“Hey, talk to me. What’s wrong?”

“I don’t want to talk right now,” I said.

“But I do.”

“It’s not like I can trust anything that comes out of your mouth anyway.”

His eyes closed and I hated that I wanted to find a way to make him smile like he had been a minute ago.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that.”

“Why would you say that?” he asked.

I just shook my head. He inhaled deeply, then jumped to his feet.

“Was she in here?” he asked, his voice pitching upward.

“Holly? Yeah, she left you a note.”

He swallowed hard and blinked a few times.

“Can we… go out there?”

I wanted to say no, but something was clearly wrong, so I nodded and got off the bed. He picked me up and I had no choice but to wrap my legs around him for fear of falling.

“Brooks,” I scolded.

“You’re mad. We’re going to talk. And I just need you close right now.”

“Why?”

“I just do.”

When he sat on the couch, he held me tightly in his lap and tucked his face into my neck. It seemed like he was smelling me, which was a little weird.

---