Swish

.24

"Why should I?  After what happened earlier?  I know you told Maddie what's going on with my dad, and you knew that he was going to report my car stolen, and you didn't tell me?  This- whatever this is between us, I don't know, I can't do it.  Not after that."

I yanked my elbow from his grip, desperately wishing the tingles his touch left in its wake would disappear, but just before I made it to the door, suddenly he was standing in front of it, blocking me from leaving. 

"Just hear me out, please?  I didn't tell Maddie anything, she was listening in on my call with your father.  And he didn't tell me anything about reporting your car stolen, just that you wouldn't have your car for a while, so I thought he'd already told you not to drive it or something, I swear!"

The deep baritone of his voice did nothing to stop the quell of butterflies that rose in my gut as hope grew inside of me, the hope that maybe what he was saying was the truth.  But I'd been hurt far too many times to trust the first thing out of someone's mouth. 

"And why should I believe you?  I barely know you.  Why don't we just cut our losses and go our separate ways?  Maddie clearly wants to be with you, why don't you-"

"I don't want to be with Maddie!  I don't even want to say her name, let alone think about her.  You're the only one I can't get off my mind."

My lips parted as a breath got lodged in my throat.

"And I don't care about how long we've known each other.  What I do care about is you, and I'm not afraid to tell you that.  Are you?  Is that why you're running?"

"I am not running," I argued defiantly, jutting my chin out at his accusation as he stepped ever closer, our breaths mingling as he dipped his head down low to my level. 

"That's not what it looks like to me.  What are you so scared of?"

His nose brushed mine, and I could barely suck in a breath deep enough to inflate my lungs.  He was so close, too close.  His fingers reached down and tangled with my own, so gently that it was as if his were only feathers brushing lightly along my skin.

"That you're lying," I ground out breathlessly.  "Just like everyone else always does.  Why would you want- why are you even here with me?  What's the point?"

"What's the point?  Did you seriously just ask me that?  The point, V, is that I like you.  Maybe a little too much, already, but that's the damn truth and I'll stand by it.  But what's your truth?  What's got you so scared?"

My chest rose and fell rapidly, trying and failing to pull in the deep breaths that would clear the smoke from my vision and the static from my head but all I got was a swarm of angry locusts in my stomach and a case of vertigo that could knock an elephant off its feet. 

I swayed and Eli reached out, hands encircling my waist, his large hands fitting perfectly, almost like they were always meant to hold me there.

"I- I'm not scared," I tried, but the truth got lodged in my throat, much like the air I was trying to move past my lips but never made the trip. 

"Then why are you so freaked right now?  You can talk to me."

Soothing circles were painted delicately across my skin with his hands, his fingers artful brushstrokes while the panic subdued from his touch. 

"What if we don't talk, and do something else instead?"

His features darkened, pupils expanding to fill out almost his entire iris and the gentle soothe of his hands were replaced by something with a more lustful intent, his hands gripping the sides of my hips possessively whereas before they'd been comforting.