Page 32 of Cactus Heart
But if anyone aside from myself ever saw these, I’d be banned from the town.Small town darling turned deviant slut.
A text buzzed on my phone and I pulled it from my pocket.
Mateo: I’m sorry I was weird yesterday
He was joking, right? My jaw stiffened, my fingers moving rapidly as I shot a message back.
Weird??? That’s what you’re going with? Don’t act like what you said was less than what it was
Mateo: I shouldn’t have said anything.
Now, I was seeing red.
Well, too late for that.
You did say something and now I’ve been sitting here wondering what it would be like
Mateo: You know we can’t get involved
Mateo: I’m sorry, Avery.
Tell me you don’t want me then
Silence. I stared at my phone, waiting for him to text back. I could see that he’d read the message, for god’s sake.
I know where you live. So either answer me here, or I’ll show up on your doorstep after you get off work
You can’t hide from me, hotshot.
Mateo: Dammit, Avery.
Well?
Mateo: Got to go
You’re a coward
He left me on read. I threw my hands up and damn near chucked my phone across the studio.
I was cursed. That was the only answer. Cursed to live and die alone and to become an eccentric artist. I dropped my phone back into my pocket and picked up my paintbrush again, now truly good and pissed.
This was exactly why we couldn’t date, though. Things were bound to get messy. Even now, it’d be awkward for a few days while I worked through being angry at him.
My phone beeped again. I kept painting, trying to ignore it. Shoving away the constant temptation to check it.
I lost that battle.
I pulled it out and stared at the screen.
Mateo: I could never tell you I don’t want you, Avery
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Levi
My body hated me for getting up this early.
After a couple weeks off my routine, my brain was starting to revolt. I squinted, wondering if I should have made myself a cup of coffee as I walked down the sidewalk toward the park. Not that caffeine could fix whatever was wrong with me.
