Page 105 of Sweet Ruin

“Yeah, maybe it’s just not worth it.” His face was stern, and his jaw clenched. He was deadly serious. I couldn’t handle this right now. I couldn’t deal with yet another heartbreak. So, I turned from him and ran down the driveway away from the house.

“Isobel!” Wes called to me, but I didn’t stop. And he didn’t chase after me. So, I kept on going. I ignored Luther’s place and continued down the road. I must have looked ridiculous wearing only my snow boots and an enormous hoodie in this weather, but I didn’t care. I was too upset to go back to Wes’s house, and Luther’s was the last place I wanted to be. So, I kept moving forward, trying my best to ignore the cold as I hurried away.

CHAPTERTHIRTY

I’d been walking for about ten minutes when I heard a car behind me. It started to slow, and some of the tension in my shoulders released as I realized Wes must have come after me. But when I turned, I didn’t see Wes’s car pulled up by the curb. Instead, it was the black truck that had been parked at Luther’s house, and Noah was jumping out of the driver’s seat.

I turned and kept walking. “I don’t want to talk to you,” I called over my shoulder.

“Okay, then don’t talk,” Noah replied. “Just get in the car. You’re going to freeze if you stay out here dressed like that.”

“I’m fine.”

Noah caught up with me and grabbed hold of my arm, spinning me around to face him. “You’re not fine. Stop being so damn stubborn.”

“I’m not stubborn.”

He ran a hand through his dark, messy hair. “We’ve been over this before. You are.” His frustration seemed to fade as he looked into my eyes. It was probably because he could see they were moist with the tears I’d been fighting back since I’d fled from Wes’s house.

“I’m sorry if I made things worse with Wes, but I couldn’t stand back and watch him accuse you of something you would never do,” he said. “Why are you out here? What happened with him?”

“Nothing happened.”

“I beg to differ. Cress and Anna went after you, but you weren’t at the twins’ house. They came rushing back to see if you’d returned to Luther’s, but you weren’t there either. Everyone is worried.”

“Well, ifeveryoneis worried, perhapseveryoneshould have come after me.” It wasn’t hard to tell I was only talking about Wes.

“Seriously, Isobel, what happened?”

“I told you nothing happened. Everything is just fine and dandy. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to get back to my walk.”

I tried to leave, but Noah didn’t let go of my arm.

“I’m not letting you walk away right now, Crash. You’re going to freeze.”

“Don’t call me that,” I said. “And don’t tell me what to do. I’m just clearing my head. I’ll come back when I’m ready.”

Noah folded his arms across his wide chest. “I didn’t want it to come to this, but you’ve left me no choice. If you don’t come with me, I’m going to have to insist you give me back my hoodie.”

I glanced down at the sweatshirt before looking up at Noah and scowling. If he thought his little threat could force me back to the house, he had another thing coming.

“Fine.” I whipped the sweatshirt over my head and tossed it at him. I didn’t want it anyway. It had already caused enough problems for me today. “Are you happy?”

I was left standing in nothing but my snow boots and my skimpy bikini, but I wasn’t getting in the car with Noah, and I wasn’t going back to either Luther’s or Wes’s. I probably wouldn’t last long outside without Noah’s sweatshirt, but I was fairly certain I’d seen a café not far down the road, so I’d just have to hang out there until my thoughts cleared. Until some of my anger dissipated. Sure, I’d be sitting there in nothing but a bikini, but at least it would be warmer than wandering out here in the snow.

Noah growled and gripped the sweatshirt tightly. He didn’t look happy, and he didn’t even seem to notice how revealing my bikini was. No, he was too busy glaring at me. “Well, I’m definitely not leaving you out here now,” he rumbled. “Will you please get in the car?”

“That’s not going to happen.”

“Get in the car, Isobel.”

“No.” I turned and continued down the road, trying my best not to think about the view Noah would have of my butt.

He came right after me though.

“I’m not taking no for an answer,” he said.

“I don’t care.”

---