just like this, risking any surprises. I know it can’t be Sean—it’s too early for him—but my aching body shudders nevertheless.
“Duke?” I say with disbelief before tugging more vigorously on my sleeves. I can’t face him, not after last night with Sean. I’m sure he’ll see through me. He’ll know. My eyes dart between the bathrooms at the end of the hallway and the door of my room a few feet from me.
“You won’t escape me this time,” he says with determination, his dark brown eyes burning into my face.
I freeze and cross my arms tightly over my chest, ignoring the raging pain this simple move causes me. He frowns more deeply and cocks his head on one side. “I don’t see what more we have to say.” My voice shakes and I feel myself blushing from shame. It’s like I’m back to the first time I met him when I was hiding my secrets.
“What happened?” he takes a step closer to me but I recoil against the wall before I can catch myself. The color drains from his face and his full, well-defined lips stretch into a straight line.
“Nothing. Just leave, please,” I say in a plea, unable to put on a front with him. He knows who Sean really is and maybe that’s why I can’t act like everything is fine, like I do with Kate, but I can’t take the look in his eyes.
He doesn’t try to touch me, but his eyes roam over me from top to bottom, searching for something, some answer I don’t want to give. “Skye, tell me.” His deep voice shakes too and I break down.
The first sob shakes me so violently I whimper. This time he doesn’t hesitate. He puts his big hands on my shoulders but I wince. It’s exactly where Sean put his hands yesterday, and even if Duke’s touch is feather-like in comparison, my bruises are too fresh.
“God, no. Don’t tell me he ...” he says in a growl, not finishing his sentence. “I need to know, Skye. Talk to me.”
I dry my face and bring my eyes up to his soft ones. I could lose myself in them, lose the edge that tackles me, but my emotions are too all over the place to really let him soften me. Not again. “Why? So you can run away and be a jerk again? You think I don’t have enough going on?” My voice is hard, harsher than I thought it could be considering I feel so lost and broken.
“It’s important, Skye. Did Sean come here?” He tugs on his hair so hard that it must be painful.
I take a deep breath, in the hope I can find some kind of calm or distance from all of this. Why is Duke here asking me questions I don’t want to answer? It’s not like we’re anything to each other.
“I really don’t want to talk to you, Duke,” I reply in a cold voice, not shaking this time. Now that the surprise at his presence here is wearing off, I put my game face back on.
“Don’t shut me out. Tell me if he came here and did something to you,” he presses me, his hands in his pockets. His eyes are so expressive that I know he already knows the answer but wants to hear it from me. He’s angry even if he’s trying to hide it.
“Go to hell,” I say under my breath, but my words ring between us in the silent hallway.
He takes a step away like I slapped him. He shakes his head and looks briefly at the ceiling where the florescent lights are buzzing. “And I thought that you didn’t want to be the same girl that you used to be with him. Guess I was wrong.”
I know what he’s doing and it’s working. Rage is pushing away the pain I feel—both the physical and mental pain—and I lock my eyes back with his. Despite the fact I know he’s trying to manipulate me, I can’t help myself, I want to prove him wrong. I’m not the same Skye, not entirely at least. “Sean came in the laundry room yesterday evening when I was alone there.”
Duke nods and swallows soundly. He’s not feeling that good about all this and somehow, even if it’s really fucked up, it warms me. He clears his
“Duke?” I say with disbelief before tugging more vigorously on my sleeves. I can’t face him, not after last night with Sean. I’m sure he’ll see through me. He’ll know. My eyes dart between the bathrooms at the end of the hallway and the door of my room a few feet from me.
“You won’t escape me this time,” he says with determination, his dark brown eyes burning into my face.
I freeze and cross my arms tightly over my chest, ignoring the raging pain this simple move causes me. He frowns more deeply and cocks his head on one side. “I don’t see what more we have to say.” My voice shakes and I feel myself blushing from shame. It’s like I’m back to the first time I met him when I was hiding my secrets.
“What happened?” he takes a step closer to me but I recoil against the wall before I can catch myself. The color drains from his face and his full, well-defined lips stretch into a straight line.
“Nothing. Just leave, please,” I say in a plea, unable to put on a front with him. He knows who Sean really is and maybe that’s why I can’t act like everything is fine, like I do with Kate, but I can’t take the look in his eyes.
He doesn’t try to touch me, but his eyes roam over me from top to bottom, searching for something, some answer I don’t want to give. “Skye, tell me.” His deep voice shakes too and I break down.
The first sob shakes me so violently I whimper. This time he doesn’t hesitate. He puts his big hands on my shoulders but I wince. It’s exactly where Sean put his hands yesterday, and even if Duke’s touch is feather-like in comparison, my bruises are too fresh.
“God, no. Don’t tell me he ...” he says in a growl, not finishing his sentence. “I need to know, Skye. Talk to me.”
I dry my face and bring my eyes up to his soft ones. I could lose myself in them, lose the edge that tackles me, but my emotions are too all over the place to really let him soften me. Not again. “Why? So you can run away and be a jerk again? You think I don’t have enough going on?” My voice is hard, harsher than I thought it could be considering I feel so lost and broken.
“It’s important, Skye. Did Sean come here?” He tugs on his hair so hard that it must be painful.
I take a deep breath, in the hope I can find some kind of calm or distance from all of this. Why is Duke here asking me questions I don’t want to answer? It’s not like we’re anything to each other.
“I really don’t want to talk to you, Duke,” I reply in a cold voice, not shaking this time. Now that the surprise at his presence here is wearing off, I put my game face back on.
“Don’t shut me out. Tell me if he came here and did something to you,” he presses me, his hands in his pockets. His eyes are so expressive that I know he already knows the answer but wants to hear it from me. He’s angry even if he’s trying to hide it.
“Go to hell,” I say under my breath, but my words ring between us in the silent hallway.
He takes a step away like I slapped him. He shakes his head and looks briefly at the ceiling where the florescent lights are buzzing. “And I thought that you didn’t want to be the same girl that you used to be with him. Guess I was wrong.”
I know what he’s doing and it’s working. Rage is pushing away the pain I feel—both the physical and mental pain—and I lock my eyes back with his. Despite the fact I know he’s trying to manipulate me, I can’t help myself, I want to prove him wrong. I’m not the same Skye, not entirely at least. “Sean came in the laundry room yesterday evening when I was alone there.”
Duke nods and swallows soundly. He’s not feeling that good about all this and somehow, even if it’s really fucked up, it warms me. He clears his
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