Page 46 of Slashes in the Snow
“We’ll see.” I take off.
Once back at the house, Kira all but jumps off the bike while it’s still moving and slams the front door in my face.
I’m still ragey, but Kira has a surprisingly calming effect.
“So, we’re not gonna talk, and we’re not gonna fuck, so what are we going to do?” I ask as she storms through the house.
“We’re gonna say goodbye.”
I stop dead in my tracks. “’Scuse me?”
“Did you not hear me? Want me to spell it out? G-O-O-D-B-Y-E.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?” My voice cracks a little as panic takes over.
“I’m going to say this once, and I’m going to be crystal clear. I’m no one’s fucking property. No one is going to control me, or tell me how to live my life, or dictate who I can be friends with.” She points and yells. “I spent my entire childhood watching my father make my mom’s life a living hell, and I won’t go through that.” Angry tears start to well in her eyes. “I won’t make the same mistakes,” she screams, and huge crystal droplets run down her pink cheeks. “Now get out.”
“I’m not leaving,” I argue.
“Fine, stand there.” She stomps off toward the stairs.
“Where are you going?” I demand, quickly unraveling.
“To pack. I have a plane to catch in the morning.” That statement does it. I shatter into twenty different pieces. “Kira, don’t go!” I howl, nearly ripping my hair out. The thought of her leaving, leavingme, I can’t bear it. “Don’t leave.” The disparity in my voice shows all my cards. All my feelings. Shows my weakness for her.
She stops dead in her tracks and turns to face me. We are only feet apart, but it feels like an ocean is between us. “Please don’t go.” I step forward, my heart on my sleeve. “Stay with me.”
She shakes her head in resistance. “I need you, Kira. I don’t know when it happened or how it happened, but I need you. And the thought of you getting on that plane tomorrow is slowly destroying me. It has been all week,” I finally confess.
“Why didn’t you say anything?” She sounds small, and saddened, and full of hurt.
I shrug. “I don’t like admitting I need anything or anyone.”
“Is that why you went after Sebastian? You felt threatened?”
“Partially. And partially because he really was standing way too close. I’m the only one who should ever be that close to you.”
“He was apologizing.”
“I don’t care what he was doing. He was too close.”
Kira rolls her eyes. They’re still wet with tears. “I’m not an object, Ky. You can’t treat me like a possession. That will never work.”
“I just want to protect you. Isn’t that what you came to me for? To protect you?”
Kira doesn’t appreciate that line of defense, but I’ll use everything in my arsenal to get her to stay.
I take a step closer. She doesn’t back away, and I interpret that as a good sign. “I will never hurt you like your father. I would never try and control you or stop you from living your life.” Those tactics would never work with Kira; it’s abundantly clear. Besides, I don’t want a robot. I want what Kira has to give. A pure soul, compassionate eyes, an emotion-fueled touch.
“You proved otherwise ten minutes ago.”
“I just protect what’s mine.”
“I’m not yours. You’ve never said that until right now.”
“You’re right, because I was a coward. I wanted to claim you as mine the second you walked into my bar.”
She has a hard time believing that. It’s written all over her gorgeous face. We didn’t exactly get off to the best start.
