Page 9 of Absinthe Dreams
"Not until you tell me what day you're talking about."
"Prom, you idiot." I roll my eyes at him before yanking my arm from his. "I was so excited to show you the dress I picked out. You know what you said to me?"
"Fuck," he growls, jaw clenching, and I know he remembers.
"You told me that prom was stupid, and no one cared about it. That I'd be better off if I skipped it. And when I said no, youdidn't talk to me for two weeks." I tilt my head back, meeting his gaze.
"What the fuck?" He gapes at me. "That isn't what happened, Chloe."
"Yes, it is!" I growl, stomping away from him. "You didn't get your way, and you couldn't stand it, so you just decided not to bother with me anymore."
He's silent for a long moment, processing. And then he mutters a curse. "That isn't what happened."
"Yeah, it is," I say sadly.
"It isn't. You were the one who stopped talking to me. I tried over and over again, but you were pissed and wouldn't give an inch. Everything I said to you was the wrong thing. It still is."
"Sounds like a you problem," I sniff, bending to clip the leash to Thanos's collar. He's just glancing between us like he's watching a ping-pong match and isn't sure which side he should be cheering for. But he's a smart dog. He chooses me, obviously.
"Fuck," Trystan growls. "You're so goddam infuriating. You know that?"
"Yeah, well, you suck."
His lips quirk into a panty-melting grin. "Is that the best you can do, princess? I'm disappointed. Your insults usually sting a little more than that."
"I don't insult you."
"Bullshit."
"Whatever." I roll my eyes at him, turned on, annoyed, and just frustrated in general. "Go back to Santa Maria."
"Hell, no. You go back to San Francisco."
"No."
"Why'd you quit your job?"
"Oh,nowyou want to know? I thought it was a mess I was running from?"
He tips his head back, staring up at the ceiling. I see the muscle in his jaw tick. He doesn't say a word, but his silence is loud. He's counting. Definitely to five. Probably to ten.
Something about that makes me smile.
"What happened, Chloe?" he finally growls, tipping his head down. When he meets my gaze, his expression is fierce, all stubborn determination and command.
And, like usual, I find myself desperate to do the exact opposite of what he's demanding. Not because I don't want him to know what happened, but simply because that look makes me weak. And one thing I can't afford to be around this man is weak.
"I stole a million dollars and skipped town."
He mutters a curse, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I'm not sure what concerns me more," he mutters. "The fact that you're lying to me, or the fact that it wouldn't surprise me a single goddamn bit to find out that you aren't."
"Worried you won't have anyone to boss around if I go to prison?"
He meets my gaze again, his expression severe. "We both know hell will freeze over before I let you go to prison."
My smile slips, my heart slamming against my ribcage. He means it. I know him well enough to know that much. And I don't even know what to say about that. This whole day has been too damn confusing.
"I'm going to walk Thanos," I mutter instead of addressing the elephant-sized issue. Better to ignore it than to try to figure out why he cares. That way lies madness…and I've had more than enough of that today.
