Page 65 of Those Summer Nights (Sweet Cravings 2)

He ignored me.

“What, you can just go around flirting with everyone, but if I do it, you get upset? You're such a hypocrite." I pulled my hand away from him again and walked past him.

"I'm not flirting with anyone else."

"You flirt with everyone, J.J.!" I yelled and turned around. "You keep leading me on and then pushing me away."

"That's not true." His blues eyes were smoldering.

"Being just friends was your idea. I told you I wanted more. So you don't get to be jealous if I talk to someone else!"

"You think I'm jealous that you had your hands all over Reggie? Who’s a fucking prick by the way. He was clearly hitting on your friend too. And you think I'm jealous that a hundred guys were watching you do a fucking strip show on stage? I’m not jealous. I’m protective of you. There’s a huge difference.”

Protective. Like an older brother. I felt like he’d punched me in the gut. I couldn’t do this anymore. “Goodnight, J.J.”

He stepped closer to me before I could turn away from him. “What do you think would have happened if I hadn’t pulled you away?”

“Nothing. There were hundreds of people around.”

“Don’t be so naïve, Mila. I just saved you from getting taken advantage of.” He threw my clothes that he had caught during my performance at me.

I let them fall into the sand. “Taken advantage of? I can take care of myself. I don’t need a knight in shining armor who doesn’t even like me. If you don’t like the way I act, tough luck. Deal with it. Either you want me or you don't. And obviously you don't. You don't need to take me home. Go back to the party."

He gripped my wrist. "That's not fair, Mila, and you know it."

"Life isn't fair, J.J. Look, I get it, okay. I know why you don't want to be with me." I could feel tears prickling my eyes. "I'm not like that girl you were dancing with. I get it. I'm not your type."

"I don't fucking like Jenn. I was dancing with her because you invited some other guy to this party. You should have come with me."

"You didn't invite me!"

"Because you were avoiding me."

"Because I like you, okay! I like you as more than a friend. I can't help it. And every time we hang out, I like you more and more. So do me a favor and stop talking to me. I can't do this anymore. I can't be your friend. Because it hurts like hell that you don't feel the same way."

"Damn it, Mila. You're leaving in less than two months."

"Right, there’s no point in starting something. You've already told me that. So let's just stop whatever this is now and save each other the trouble. Go be with Jenn or whatever you said her name was. Go have meaningless sex, because that's what you like, right? You just want an escape from whatever it is you're so worried about with your job? I'm not stopping you. I don't want any part of that."

"That's low. I made some mistakes, but you have no fucking right to judge me. You dated some asshole for over two years just so you wouldn't be alone in California. That's pathetic. And then you came crawling back home to escape from him when things went south. You're hiding from your problems too. More than I am. And you think a new relationship will fix whatever self-doubt you have going on? Well it won't."

I wiped my tears with the back of my hand. Shit. "Thanks for finally telling me how you really feel about me." I shook out of his grip. "Have a nice life, asshole." I turned around and started to walk away.

"Mila. I'm sorry. I didn't mean..."

I turned back around. “I didn't want a relationship with you to fix my problems. I wanted one because I like you. I didn't want to miss out on whatever time we had to be together. But everything that's happened between us all makes a lot more sense now. I'm glad you don't want to be with me." I swallowed hard. He was looking at me so intently. No one had ever looked at me like that before. Like he wanted to devour me and strangle me at the same time.

“Mila.”

I took another step back. “You don’t know me at all. I’m not pathetic. I know myself better now than I did before this summer started. I’m not hiding out here. I’m figuring out what I want out of life, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Maybe you should take some time to do the same.”

He closed the distance between us. "You clearly don't know me as well as you think you do." He grabbed both sides of my face and kissed me hard.

Fuck. I laced my fingers in his hair as his tongue collided with mine. I should have been pushing him away instead of drawing him closer. But I had been dreaming of kissing him again for what felt like forever. And he tasted even better than I remembered. I didn’t realize that anger could taste so sweet.

His hands slid down my back as he grabbed my ass and lifted my legs around him. I clung to him, hoping I could hold on to whatever momentary peace treaty this was forever. His words stung. But the thought of actually walking away from him stung a thousand times worse.

He knelt down and pushed my back against the sand. "I've wanted you ever since I first laid eyes on you." He spread my thighs and kissed one of the spots where I'd been stung.

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