Page 204 of Face Off
I shrug, “I’m not in the mood to be unreasonable.”
“That must be lovely for you. I’m losing my fucking mind!” The quiver in her voice as she shouts tells me she means it so I stay calm because if I know anything about the woman before me, its how to keep her calm.
“I noticed.”
“Stop!”
Her shout strikes the walls hard enough to make the glass on the bedside table vibrate. She wipes both hands beneath her eyes, smearing the remaining makeup across her cheeks, then flings one arm toward the door.
“You don’t get to walk in here with that calm voice and start managing me.”
“I’m not managing you.”
“You’re already watching my breathing.”
“I always watch your breathing.”
“That’s not better!”
“It wasn’t supposed to be.”
She stares at me while her chest rises too quickly beneath the white camisole. I move toward her on instinct, and Charm immediately steps back, striking the edge of the bed with her calves.
“Don’t calm me down.”
“I haven’t touched you.”
“You’re about to.”
I stop several feet away and force my hands to remain at my sides. Every part of me wants to cross the room, put my hands against her ribs, and breathe slowly until her body follows mine. Doing that now would turn comfort into another choice made for her.
“Then tell me what you need.”
“I need everyone to stop treating me like recovery made me a fucking bomb with a repaired timer!”
“Nobody thinks that.”
“You all acted like it!” Her hands fly through the air between us. “Bliss and Aura knew what Lance did. The guys knew enough to prepare everyone except me. All of you stood around deciding what I could handle, and not one person believed I deserved the truth.”
“They were protecting something that happened to me.”
“Whoopty-fucking-doo, Ryan.”
My eyebrows lift. “Yeah?”
“Yeah, I said it.” Her laugh comes out wild and wet. “Nobody had the right to keep this from me. Not Bliss, Aura, Cade, Briggs, Easton, and not even you.”
“You’re right.”
The fight rushes out of her face so quickly that confusion replaces it. “What?”
“You’re right.”
“That’s it?”
“No.” I take off my hat, drag one hand through my hair, and throw it onto the dresser before facing her again. “You’re right that it concerns you. Your father used your body, your illness, and our relationship to come after me. Finding out everyone knew while you didn’t was always going to hurt like hell.”
“But?”
