Page 33 of Platinum Pressure

At the sound of his voice, I froze. My heart thumped against my chest so hard I thought it would pierce the skin. My hands shook violently to the point I could barely hold the phone in my hand. I wanted to disappear. I wanted to run. I wanted to cry.

I kept my back to him and shook my head.

“Look at me.”

I shook my head again. My voice would betray me. I couldn’t speak.

“Who are you on the phone with?”

I decided it was best to put some distance between us, so childishly, I walked around to the other side of the Sprinter and inhaled a sharp breath. The air fueled the frog and forced it to inch up my throat as another wave of tears burned the rims of my eyes.

It was the alcohol.

I could usually handle my emotions in a situation like this, but the alcohol had lowered my control and heightened my experience. I didn’t even have the strength to be embarrassed. All I felt was exhaustion and pain.

My eyes pressed shut so tight I could see stars fluttering in the darkness. If I squeezed hard enough, maybe the stream of tears would stop.

“Dow.” His voice startled me because it was too close for comfort. He was mere inches from me now. His scent infiltrated my nostrils. His body heat pierced through my clothes. If he came any closer, I would combust.

“St-stop. Please.” My voice cracked, and I covered my mouth with my hand. The fucking dam burst, and the tears poured from my face.

He took a step closer.

My body shook.

“Dow. Look at me.”

I shook my head. “N-no.”

“Look at me, baby. Are these tears because of me?” He touched my face with his hand. He lifted my head by my chin and gazed down into my eyes as they reluctantly opened against my will. He used his thumb to wipe away the stream of fallen tears.

I shrugged.

“I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings, baby. Emotions were heightened. I could have handled you with a lot more care. For that, I am deeply sorry.”

My lip quivered. The tears continued to pour from my eyes. I thought he’d wipe them away like before, but he leaned down and kissed my tear-stricken face.

“No.” I tried to push him away, but he was a brick wall. He didn’t budge.

“You don’t accept my apology?” he asked.

“Thank you for calling⁠—”

Platinum took the phone out of my hand and hung up.

“Why would you do that?” I asked. The sound of my voice sounded foreign to my ears.

“What were you calling a hotel for?”

“Why were you pouring shots into those women’s mouths?” I retorted.

He chuckled. “I get we both said some words, but you were about to stay in a hotel instead of riding back with us?”

“Yes. Everybody was having a great time. Didn’t want to force everybody to end their night because I didn’t want to be here anymore. It’s a long drive back to Cade’s Cove at this time of night, and the best option would be for me to just quietly get a hotel until the morning.”

“I apologized. That wasn’t enough to clear the air?”

I tossed my hands into the air and blew out a frustrated breath. “After you apologized, what did you do, huh? You fucking kissed my face, once again crossing the boundary I tried to set. I’m crying because you made me feel so conflicted, and immediately after saying sorry, you put your lips on me. You dug a deeper hole of confusion. You aren’t hearing me. You aren’t respecting me.”