Page 25 of Rush
He walks away and I watch him go. My heart's pounding and my skin feels too hot.
That was something. That was definitely something.
Gráinne appears beside me. "You're playing with fire."
"I know."
"You sure you want to get burned?"
"Honestly? Yeah, I think I do."
She shakes her head but she's smiling. "Just be careful."
"Careful is boring."
An hour later, I head outside to get some air. The clubhouse is too loud and too warm.
I'm leaning against the building when I hear footsteps behind me.
"You following me now?" I ask without turning around.
"Just making sure you're safe." Rush's voice is low and rough.
"I'm outside the clubhouse. How unsafe could I be?"
"You'd be surprised."
I turn to face him. He's closer than I expected, close enough that I have to tilt my head back to look at him.
"You're hovering again," I say.
"I know."
"You going to tell me why?"
"No."
"Of course not. That would require actual communication."
His mouth curves slightly. "You're mouthy."
"You're evasive."
"Fair."
We stand there in the cold night air and the tension between us is thick enough to cut.
"What do you want from me, Rush?"
The question seems to catch him off guard. "What?"
"You keep pushing me away, but you won't stay away. So what do you want?"
He's quiet for a long time, then he says, "I don't know."
"That's honest at least."
"I'm trying to do the right thing."
