Page 106 of Sugar & Ink
“No!” she snapped and pressed the knife harder.
Josie’s eyes squeezed shut for half a second and I forced myself to breathe.
In.
Out.
No sudden moves.
No anger.
Brandi looked at Josie like she was something stuck to the bottom of her boot. “I was trying to warn her. I painted it nice and big so she’d understand, but she’s too stupid to get it.”
Josie’s face crumpled.
Just for a second.
I saw it, then she pulled herself back together. My brave fucking girl.
“Warn her about what?” I asked.
Brandi’s attention came back to me.
Good.
I needed to keep her eyes on me and keep her talking.
“About you. About us.” Her voice softened in a way that made my skin crawl. “She’s not right for you, Rome. Look at her.”
I didn’t look at Josie.
I couldn’t.
Not because Brandi was right, but because if I looked at Josie too long, I’d lose my control.
“She’s in the way,” Brandi whispered.
“Of what?”
“Us.”
I nodded slowly, like that made sense. Like she wasn’t holding a knife to the woman I loved. “Okay.”
Brandi blinked.
Josie’s eyes opened, and she looked at me, confused. I held her gaze for half a second and tried to tell her without words. Trust me.
Then I looked back at Brandi. “Okay,” I repeated.
Brandi’s grip loosened just a fraction. “What?”
“You heard me.”
I took one slow step inside.
She tensed and I stopped immediately.
“Easy,” I said. “I’m not coming closer if you don’t want me to.”
