Page 55 of From Drummer to Gamer

“You okay?” he repeated, snapping me out of my daze.

I jumped, pushing him away as I created much-needed distance between us.

Yet I wasn’t sure it was enough though, because I could still feel the burn of his eyes washing over my skin like a heated touch of the burning sun.

“You need to watch where you’re going, Sierra,” he lectured, his voice tinged with booming authority that flared rage in my blood.

“You watch where you’re going,” I countered through my teeth. “I was making my way down the hallway, and you were the one who stepped in out of nowhere.”

He frowned, nodding to my left. “I was heading to the kitchen. You walked in looking that way.” He pointed toward the living room, where his lone laptop sat by the tea table with the light still on.

“If you knew, you should’ve stepped aside. This hallway is big enough.” I widened my arms to prove the point.

“But it was already too late,” he muttered.

I knew if I stayed any longer, I would only end up digging a hole for myself. And I didn’t want that, certainly not after last night. “I’m going to my room,” I mumbled, darting around him.

“Sierra,” he called out, frustration leaking in his voice, but I was already halfway to my room.

I released the breath that I was holding as I slammed the door shut, my back sagging over it.

That was a close call.

The new plan? Avoid Matty at all costs.

Remember he didn’ttrustyou.

You are just another job for him.

As much as it hurt to drill it deep inside my head, it was the truth. And I needed to get over it.

You got this, Sierra.

A steady knock rumbled through the door, its vibrations trickling down my spine and almost startling me out of my bones.

Just from the strong, resonant sound, I could tell who it was.

Please, go away.

Seconds passed, and another knock, louder than the last, almost boomed a hole through the door.

Being left with no choice, I gently tugged the door open, meeting the eyes of the man who wasn’t really my favorite at the moment.

“What?” I muttered.

An uncomfortable silence passed between us. The entire time he stared at me with utmost dedication that rushed the blood to the surface of my skin.

“What?” I repeated again. Only this time, I sounded more meek than the previous brave tone I mustered.

“It wasn’t true,” he said, his eyes never leaving mine. “What I said it’s not true.”

I shook my head. “What you said? What did you say?”

“Last night…” His fingers curled into a fist, the slopes of his white-knuckled grip rising. “Last night,” he said softly. “I said I didn’t trust you, but I thought about it, and it’s not true.”

I faltered, my heart skipping a beat before thundering inside the cage that held it.

“So you trust me?” I cracked, swallowing the hard lump lodged in my throat.

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