Page 151 of Thorn Kiss
“I don’t want that chance.”
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
Dallas
Pain squeezed my chest. I could see the wild hurt on Madi’s face as June tore away from us. She reminded me of a bird in a cage, desperate to get free.
And I didn’t like feeling like the cage.
“June,” Madi said softly. “I don’t know what you want. I thought you liked me—us?—”
“Of course I like you. But that’s all this is. That’s all this was supposed to be. You’re leaving Monday, and then what? Dallas and I are going to keep seeing each other?”
“I’d hoped so.” My voice was barely above a whisper.
She shot me a look that might as well have been an arrow through my already bleeding heart. “You know what we agreed to. And this isn’t anything like we planned?—”
“Sometimes things don’t go to plan,” Madi argued. Her voice was tinged with hurt and anger. “God, I don’t get it. Why won’t you let yourself be loved? Why won’t you let this happen?”
“Because I don’t deserve it,” she shot. “I don’t. I never will. I never wanted this. I never wanted to feel anything. I just wanted to have sex—that’s all both of you were to me.”
“Were,” Madi echoed.
My throat felt dry. My body felt hot. “June, this has always been more than just sex. I know we’ve moved fast?—”
“We haven’t moved on anything,” she snapped. She ran her fingers through her hair, her brows pulling together. “What did you really think was going to happen? That Madi would move here? To Whynot, of all places? To a town in the middle of nowhere?”
“I’d hoped,” I admitted. “I’d started to hope.”
Madi’s head whipped around and she looked up at me, her eyes wide. “You did?” she whispered.
I swallowed and nodded. “Yeah. I know it’s selfish, but I want you to stay. I’d never hold you here, though.”
“And you shouldn’t,” June exhaled. “If you got that job, you should take it. You’ll meet someone else in San Francisco.”
“I don’t want someone else. I want you. Both of you.”
“Well, I don’t.”
Fuck, this was killing me. Madi stared at June for a few seconds longer then shook her head, turning and going out the door. Watching her go hurt more than a gunshot.
I was so frustrated. “Why are you like this?” I snapped.
June’s fury turned on me. “Like what?”
“Like this. Why won’t you let this happen? You know that Madi means the world to you?—”
“Toyou,” she corrected. “If you want her so bad, then why don’t you go with her? Why don’t you move to San Francisco?”
I fell silent and took in a careful breath. “June, she just stood here before us saying she could move here. You’re pushing her away like you always do to anyone. You’re pushing me away.”
“Then why haven’t you gone?” She crossed her arms. For a second, her expression broke, the sadness splitting through her words before being pulled back again. “Go.”
I pressed my lips together, trying to read her. Trying to figure out a way to break through, but dammit. I couldn’t force her to.“Okay. As I have said, when you’re ready to actually talk about this, I’ll be here.”
“Fuck off, Dallas. I hate you.”
An empty smile traced my lips, and despite the fact that more than anything I wanted to kiss her, hold her, promise her that the three of us would be okay—I walked out of the shop.
