Page 72 of Take This Heart
I move to the fridge to get the half and half. I’m pouring it into my mug when I feel Milo behind me.
“So, we’re doing this, huh?” he says.
I glance over my shoulder and he’s closer than I thought. I swallow hard and turn back to my coffee.
“Doing what?”
“Acting like last night didn’t happen.”
“I’m not acting like it didn’t happen.” I lift my shoulder and turn, leaning against the counter as I take a sip of coffee.
“Why are you being distant?” His brows furrow in the center and I want to reach out and smooth it.
“I’m not.” My voice comes out sharper than I mean, so I soften it. “What’s on the agenda for today? I thought we had a clear day.”
He lets out a short laugh, and it’s not the easy one he had with my dad. “Tell me we’re not just rewinding to the beginning, please.”
“What do you mean?” I frown and straighten, which brings me closer to him.
I move around him to the other side of the kitchen and set my mug down, lifting myself onto the countertop. He leans back, his eyes drilling into mine, and then he stalks toward me. I gasp when his hands widen my legs as he steps between them.
“Are you really gonna go back to being frosty Goldie?” he whispers and I shiver when his warm, sweet breath hits my face.
“What? No.” I scowl and he scowls back.
He steps back and runs his hand through his hair before dropping it to his hip. “Last night was—” He shakes his head. “I thought we were past pretending we don’t care.”
“I’m not pretending anything.” I gesture between us. “So there’s chemistry between us sometimes. You’re able to shut it on and off just like that.” I snap my fingers. “And I’m still not even sure whether or not I should trust you, so it’s just as well that you run hot and cold.”
His mouth drops. “Irun hot and cold?” His jaw tightens and then he lets out a sardonic laugh. “Right. I knew you’d be like this today.” He shakes his head. “It’s why I didn’t have sex with you last night,” he hisses, low enough that only I can hear. “I was afraid you’d use it as ammunition today, and I was right…without us even actually having sex.”
I leap off of the counter and get in his face. “How nice that you were calling all the shots. You had it all figured out, didn’t you? It’s a good thing we didn’t have sex, isn’t it? Big, bad Goldie would’ve eaten you alive this morning.”
He leans forward until he’s an inch from my face. “You’re welcome for me eatingyoualive last night.”
I gasp, my head rearing back. “I didn’t realize I had to thank you for the orgasm.” I step back and take a bow. “Thank you. I’m glad we’ve cleared this all up.”
“Crystal clear, Whitman.” His voice is clipped, my name sounding like a curse.
“Excellent,” I mutter, but there’s no victory in it.
He turns and storms outside, the screen door banging behind him.
I stand there, my heart pounding like I just ran a sprint. Dad walks in and clears his throat, and when I glance over, he lifts his eyebrows.
“Everything okay?” he asks.
“Oh, you know…it’s me and Milo.”
“I thought you had worked things out. The two of you have seemed more peaceful lately.”
“I thought we were getting there too, but—” I scrunch my face and try not to cry. “How can you just trust him so easily?”
“Come here, honey.” Dad reaches out and hugs me. A tear drips down my cheek. “That man cares about you. I’ve seen the way you look at each other. It’s okay to let someone else in. He’s not his uncle. And he’s definitely not Wes.”
“How can I be sure?” My voice cracks.
He pulls back and wipes my tears with his thumbs. “He’s too selfless to be like either one of them. Listen, buttercup, we can never fully be sure when we give our hearts away. But if we didn’t take the risk, imagine how cold and empty ourlives would be.” He sighs wistfully. “Your mom was shut off when I met her. We didn’t get along at first.”
