Page 87 of The Devil's Tattoo
When I’d composed myself enough, I pulled away from him. I couldn’t let him touch me any more than he had. I’d said I didn’t want to hear him explain, but after the way he stood up to Jason, I knew I had to let him. I leaned against the wall behind me and closed my eyes, aware that he didn’t move from my side. I pressed the back of my hand against the cool brickwork and hoped I hadn’t done anything more than bruise it. Even though it had felt good to take control and thump Jason, I needed that hand to playguitar.
It wasn’t long before the police arrived and relieved Dee and the security guard of their duty. They handcuffed a furious Jason and read him his rights before stuffing him in the back oftheirvan.
“Are you okay, miss?” one of the police officers asked, the tone of his voice changingdrastically.
I nodded, wipingmyeyes.
“He’s going to spend the night in the lockup anyway, but I have to ask if you want to presscharges.”
I nodded again, unable to get thewordsout.
“You’ll have to come down to the station in the morning and give your statements,” the cop said, handing Will a card. “Then we can take it fromthere.”
“Thanks,” Dee said, shaking theofficer’shand.
The cop turned to me. “Miss, are you hurt? Do you need to go to the hospital? We can call an ambulance if youneedit.”
“No, I’m fine,” I repliedshakily.
“Someone better take the young lady home,” the cop said. “She looks pretty shaken up. And someone should stay with her in case she has a concussion.” He glanced between Dee and Will, and they bothnodded.
As the cops drove off, leaving us alone in the street, I suddenly feltexhausted.
“Zoe?” Dee asked, squeezingmyhand.
I drew in a deep breath and let it out in a long sigh. Closing my eyes again, I said, “I need to talktoWill.”
“Are you sure?” I knew he was giving an epic death stare at the guy who’d stomped on my heart the night before, but I had todothis.
“Yeah.”
I heard my best friend sigh, then the shuffle of his boots as he walked away. Then Will and I werealone.
There were a million questions I wanted to ask him, but after what had just happened, I couldn’t think of what any of them were. Will’s actions had erased most of the doubts. He’d defended me from my past just like that, and he’d said… Before I could believe that, he had to answer the one question Iremembered.
“Did you mean it?” I asked, glancing up into his stormy gray eyes. “Did you mean to kissherback?”
“No,” he said like he was pleadingwithme.
“Whydidyou?”
“I don’t know. I realized what I was doing a second too late. I told her I was in love with you, but she came back againtonightand…”
“Stop,” Iwhispered.
It looked like we both had twisted relationships that had tried to crawl in and ruin everything. He hadn’t been truthful, but neither had I. I had to let him explain, but right now, I just wanted togohome.
To Will’s surprise, I stepped into him and rested my head against his shoulder. “Takemehome.”
* * *
We weresilent all the way back to my place in StKilda.
When the taxi dropped us off, I led Will up to my little apartment and pulled him into the darkness. I was so aware of his proximity in the gloom that my amped-up emotions latched onto the fact he was there beside me. I’d always been attracted to him, but this was something else, and I began to understand the way he’d needed me the day before in the back of the venue. I was overwhelmed, but all I could think about was his lipsonmine.
My hand fisted into his shirt, and I pulled him against me, sucking his bottom lip into my mouth. Instantly, his body responded, and he caught my kiss with one of his own. Moaning into his mouth, I felt my insides clench inanticipation.
“Zoe,” he saidbreathlessly.
