Page 152 of Between Passion and Revenge: Part One

“Storm, will you tell me what’s wrong?” Shae asks softly, shifting to look behind her to catch my gaze. She frowns when she sees my face.

“Hey,” I say, keeping my tone soft. Soft. It’s crazy how soft I can be for her. “Everything is fine, Sweetness.”

I kiss her gently, a slight press of my lips to hers. She tastes like honey and heaven.

When I pull back from the kiss, I reposition her to face the screen.

“Keep watching your movie,” I murmur, bringing my lips close enough to ghost a kiss over the delicate curve of her ear.

She hums, and I tighten my arms around her again.

A few minutes pass before she says, “Would you tell me what’s going on? If you were stressed or worried about something?”

My initial gut reaction? No.No, I wouldn’t bring any of the dark shit that’s swirling around me around her.

But instead, I say, “You and I are locked in, baby.”

She’s silent again, still facing the screen, but her body stiffens more and more with each second.

Beep.

My cell phone lights up from where it rests face-down on the glass coffee table.

We both ignore the sound, and I pull Shae closer, sliding my hand under the big shirt she threw on as soon as she got to my apartment.

“Why are you stressing?” I ask her. It’s weird as fuck that I’m so tuned in to her—that I want to make sure everything in her life is comfortable and safe.

She opens her mouth to reply, but anotherbeephas her frowning and leaning over to grab my phone.

“You should check that,” she says, her voice clipped. She hands it to me without looking at the screen.

I take the device from her, frustrated—not at her, but at the fact that people keep fucking bothering me.

That frustration morphs into a sickly annoyance.

It’s Bambi.

I guess I should have expected her to reach out, especially after the fuckery our parents tried to pull at the brunch this morning. But instead of the patience I usually have with her, I’m fucking angry.

I understand now why you’re keeping your distance. But I miss you, and you blowing me off hurts.

I’m not a robot. I have feelings and you are—were—my best friend. And I hate pretending that everything that happened between us was all a lie.

Jesus fucking Christ.

I slide the messages away, focusing on Shae’s flesh beneath my palm to keep from raging out. Bambi and I have been friends forever, yes, but the truth is I should have set better boundaries with her.

I guess I just felt so guilty after what she suffered with Rainn that I couldn’t help but allow her to attach to me. Before Shae, I guess I saw her attention as harmless. But now?

I focus back on Shae. “What do you need, baby?”

She’s stiff and cold in my arms, as if she’s barely containing hostility.

“I’m Gucci,” she bites out.

“Shae.”

She remains frozen for several seconds before her shoulders drop and she sits up.

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