Page 75 of Phishing for Love
“Let me go,” I repeat, stubbornness setting in.
“Not until I’m sure you aren’t going to accidentally kill yourself.”
“At least you’ll be rid of me then.”
“What a stupid thing to say, Tess.”
My throat tightens. “It’s in keeping with my stupid actions of late.”
“Hey, come on,” he says in a voice so gentle it has tears burning my eyes.
“I need to sit down,” I whisper.
“Okay.”
Aaron removes his arm but stays close to my side as we cross the street, as if I can’t be trusted to navigate it on my own. Maybe I can’t. I’m still reeling, and my focus is off.
He bypasses the nearest bench, which directly faces the street and is way too exposed. Instead, he guides me to a more private bench set back in the trees. I collapse onto it. I’mdesperately hoping Aaron will leave now, but he takes a seat right next to me.
And then, like an impending tidal wave, I feel the tears coming. I tilt my head back and blink furiously, but I’m helpless to stop them.
As I cry soundlessly, Aaron doesn’t say a word. He is simply a large, silent presence at my side, not touching me, but not moving away either. Finally, the tears stop. I fish out a tissue and blow my nose. I sense his eyes on me, assessing me, but I stubbornly refuse to look at him.
“Are you okay?” he asks, his voice unbearably kind.
“I’m fine. Dandy. Nothing like being yelled at by my boss to brighten up my day.”
He shifts slightly, like he’s uncomfortable. Well, he should be, the traitor. “I’m sorry about what happened with Calvin.”
The noise that comes out of me is somewhere between a laugh and a sob. “That’s what you’re sorry for?”
“Calvin’s obviously having a bad day and taking it out on you.”
“I wonder why he’s having a bad day.” I turn to face him, not caring that my eyes are no doubt swollen, my nose red. “Any guesses?”
His brows knit in confusion. “Why would I have any idea?”
My hands clench in my lap. I’m angry with myself for breaking down in front of him. And I’m angry that he doesn’t have the guts to own up to what he did, instead of hiding behind fake ignorance. “You know what, you’re a jerk!”
His eyes flare in surprise. “Why am I the jerk? I didn’t yell at you.”
“You’re a jerk because you should have spoken to me directly, instead of running to Calvin.”
I ignore the inconvenient truth that he did try to speak to me on numerous occasions. I’m too busy riding my waveof righteous indignation to give that the attention it probably deserves.
Aaron looks genuinely stunned. “What are you talking about?”
“You know exactly what I’m talking about!”
In a patient tone, he replies, “No, I don’t.”
I hate that my voice shakes when I say, “You went running to Calvin to complain to him about me not taking your training sessions seriously.”
He’s silent, which I take for guilt. I angle my gaze away from his handsome, lying face. That peculiar sense of betrayal still twists my stomach into an uncomfortable knot.
“Look at me.” I stare into the middle distance. Fascinating, all these green trees. “Tess,” he coaxes, “come on.”
Reluctantly, I meet his eyes, my spine still stiff with resentment.
