Page 175 of Keeping Kasey
I stop at the sound of his tone—calm and professional—but don’t turn to face him. I drop my head back and stare at the sky like something up there can explain how my life got so screwed up.
But the starless sky just stares back, as dark, empty, and aimless as I am.
“You are the last person I want to talk to,” I say.
He stops, still several feet from me, by the sound of it.
“I know.”
“Then why are you here? Why amIhere?”
“I don’t know.”
The three words are said simply—like he truly doesn’t have an explanation for bringing me with him tonight.
“I’ll take you back to the hotel.”
“I’d rather walk in thefreezing rainthan spend another second with you,” I seethe.
“I’ll get Elise to take you back,” he offers, and it’s the complete indifference in his voice that does it—that finally breaks me.
“You’re a bastard!” I cry as I whip around. My hair sticks to my face from the sleet, and I close the distance between us to shove him as hard as I can.
He doesn’t say anything, so I shove him again.
“You have nothing to say to that? I thought you were man enough to fight back!” I shout, desperate for his anger to match mine.
But there’s only one emotion on his face now, and it’s the worst possible one he could’ve shown.
Pity.
The sight is humiliating, fueling me with enough anger for the both of us.
I shove him again, harder this time. “Fight back, you coward!”
He shakes his head.
“Fight back!” I slam my fist against his chest over and over again. “Fight back!Fight back!”
“I won’t fight you,” he says in a low, even tone.
I beat against his chest, his stomach, his arms—anywhere I can hit him,hurthim.
“Fight back!” I shout over and over again until my throat is raw.
“I’m not going to fight you, Kasey,” he says, but when I look into his eyes, I catch the briefest flame.
“Why not?”
I swing to hit him again, but right before I make contact, Logan catches my wrists, imprisoning them in one hand.
“Because I deserve it!”
The mask cracks.
The walls crumble.
Every defense Logan has set up between us comes crashing down all at once.
