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It didn’t make sense.

I moved off the table and went for the door, leaving his question unanswered.

I opened the door and accepted the food. God, those chips smelt amazing. I was very satisfied with my decision to get chips.

I smiled to the guy and made polite chitchat and then closed the door. Turning around, I was slightly scared when I saw the expression on Brad’s face. I gulped. Okay, it looked like he wasn’t going to stop till I answered him.

So much for hoping he would forget about it. I walked to the table,putting my food down.

“Hannah, is that what you really think?” Brad was still standing but now crossing his arms.

I pulled out a chair and sat down. I was not answering his question. I could feel his eyes on me. They were glaring holes into the side of my face.

“Hannah, answer the fucking question!”

I turned to face him, not surprised to see him looking at me with such anger and frustration.

“Yes,” I gave him his answer. “You are putting up with me. I just don’t get why. Dad doesn’t expect you to be here looking after me. Dad doesn’t expect you to put me before your girlfriend. I’m just some nobody, Brad.” And that summed up how I saw him seeing me. “And you should really learn that girlfriends come before obligations.”

“You think I think of you as an obligation?” He looked at me like I couldn’t be serious. But I was serious. Deadly serious.

“How else would you explain how you treat me?” He and I had some relationship. I couldn’t explain what we had. He always made time for me. He would drop what he was doing to help me. He always has. “Cause I can’t think of one other reason why you would stop what you were doing tonight to hunt me down.” And that was the honest truth.

He shook his head, like the answer was obvious. Like there was another reason but he wasn’t about to tell me it.

He looked frustrated and furious again. He looked me back in the eye. “That’s what you think, then?”

I nodded my head. Yep, that pretty much summed up what I thought he thought of me. I put a chip in my mouth and I was expecting him to storm out. I didn’t see what over, though. I had just stated facts.

“You got a better explanation for the way you treat me?” I asked, because he wasn’t exactly barking facts at me like I was wrong. “Or did I hit it on the head?”

He blew out a heated breath and looked so frustrated that if he was made out of bolts and screws they would all be blowing off. He looked up from glaring at the carpet. “You’ve just told Andrea that we’re spending the night together!”

He made it sound like I had signed his death warrant or something.

“Why is that a bad thing?” My eyebrows knitted together. He and I always spent time together. If Andrea knew it was me he was blowing her off for then she would be more likely to welcome him with open arms tomorrow.

“I CAN’T KEEP MY HANDS OFF YOU!” he yelled at me, running both hands through his hair. “I CAN’T STOP TOUCHING YOU!” He shook his head again, it was like I was a drug he wanted a hit off but at the same didn’t want the danger of an overdose.

I sighed. He had always touched me. Maybe he was acting like this because he knew I liked him. Yep, that would have to be it. I chewed a chip and saw only one option. “I started it. I’m sorry.”

“Stop saying sorry for shit that I’ve done! I’m the one kissing you, pinning you against a gate and fucking marking your neck! You aren’t doing shit! It’s all me!”

I clamped my mouth shut. Okay then. I was waiting for regret to capture his face. But instead he just looked pissed off. Not with me, but with himself. He thought he couldn’t keep his hands off me? I was the one forcing him to touch me.

“It is my fault, Brad.” I got up and walked toward him. “I started it. So stop hating yourself.” I placed my hand on his chest, right next to his holster strap. “How about we go back to that rule about not being alone together?”

Which meant he would be leaving. I smiled dimly at that. I didn’t want him to leave but I knew he couldn’t live with himself if he stayed. I took my hand off him.

“You should go. Go make up with Andrea.” Yep that was the only reasonable solution. “Tell her it was my fault. I don’t mind.”

He just stared down at me. I was making sense, right? I cupped his face. He looked so torn. “Just go, Brad.” I didn’t want him hating himself. “You’ll still be the reason I turn guys away. That won’t change. But you should go. Make up with your girlfriend. Don’t lose someone over me.”

He deserved a girl and he deserved happiness. I wasn’t exactly a walking ray of sunshine since I’d found out I had cancer. The fact that I had cancer rolled through me again, making me sick to my stomach. Suddenly, I wasn’t hungry anymore. Pity, those chips did smell good.

I pulled my hand from his face and he grabbed it. I frowned, not understanding. Then he placed it over his heart.

“She’s not my girlfriend.”

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