Page 85 of Redemption
Me, on the other hand—she could wear that outfit every day for the rest of our lives, and I still wouldn’t be tired of it.
Black leggings hug her toned legs from years of dance class. An oversized t-shirt hangs off one shoulder, hiding the rest of her body. My eyes zero in on the wording on the front, and I snort when I read it.
“Zero Plucks Given?” I raise a brow in question, and she shrugs, avoiding eye contact.
Great start.
I step over the threshold, stopping in front of her but leaving enough space so she doesn’t feel crowded.
Dipping my head so I’m closer to her level, I ask the question that I’ve been wanting to ask since she walked off campus, leaving me behind. “Can we talk?”
She looks over her shoulder again.
Even though we aren’t touching, I’m being reckless. We are standing close enough to each other that someone might have questions if they walk in—specifically her brother—but I don’t back away.
This is as close as I’ve been to her in months. Dr. Harrison himself could walk in right now, and I still don’t think I would back away. She’s in my system, running through my veins, making me an addict, and I’ve been experiencing withdrawals every day since she walked away.
Her eyes find mine when she turns back to me, and I nearly fall onto my knees and beg. Those blue irises are like a frozen tundra, with none of the usual heat and life in sight. She’s cool and aloof as she crosses her arms across her chest.
“I think we said all we had to say. No need in beating a dead horse.”
She’s an army all on her own, and I’m the enemy in the direct line of her wrath—only for MJ, her wrath means a cold shoulder. I would rather she yell because at least she shows signs of life when she yells.
This version scares me.
So, I step closer without thinking about the danger I’m putting myself in. We are inches away—close enough that she could reach out and strangle me if she wanted. A flame flickers in her gaze, and I can see her debating doing just that. But I take her hands in mine before she can. The size of mine dwarfs hers, and if Langston were to walk in right this minute, there would be no hiding how I feel about his sister.
My sanity is gone—thrown out the window the day I forced myself to watch as she walked away.
“I still have more to say.”
“Then I guess you should have said it when you had the chance.”
I smile, and it’s half-crazed—but I’ve been that way since the day I met her.
Half-crazed.
Half in love.
From everything I can tell about love, they’re one and the same.
I lean down—so close. So close to the girl that never leaves my mind, yet she can’t be further out of my reach.
“You’re the most frustrating woman I have ever met.”
A signature eye roll and my hands are in fists. My nerves are fried. Every part of my body is screaming at me to reach out and kiss her until she can’t remember her name, let alone the sass she clings to like a shield, but I stay still, hardly breathing and hoping she comes to me.
“Join the club—most people feel that way.”
“Maybe. But what I didn’t say is that you’re also the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met.”
Another eye roll. I’m afraid she’s going to strain those things one day from the amount of times she rolls them.
“Suck up.”
I flash her a smile, one that shows all my teeth. I can feel her ice melting, but I don’t want to push too hard because the second I do, she’ll pull away.
Footsteps resound in the other room. I’m pushing my luck, but I can’t bring myself to care.
