for me to breathe.
Like he’s suffocating me and I love it because he does it so sweetly.
He gestures toward the wall that I’m standing against. “Yeah, where do you want it? Here, up against the wall? Or in the backseat of my car.” He doesn’t give me the time to respond to his statement. “It’s been two years but I remember how much you seemed to love writhing on my leather seats. And if I’m being honest, I’d love to see that again. But lady’s choice, of course.”
“What… I…”
My mouth is in the process of forming confused, dumbfounded words when I get his meaning. His stupid innuendo.
He’s talking about sex.
The fucking asshole is talking about sex because I stupidly said, let’s do it. That’s it, isn’t it?
Ugh. I’m an idiot.
But! The motherfucking nerve of him!
“You’re funny,” I snap. “And delusional. If you think I’m letting you touch me ever again, you need your head examined.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. Because it’s never happening. So say what you came here to say and leave.”
He looks at me thoughtfully. “Hmm. I’m not so sure you want me to leave though. Because this feels like a dare and you know how much I like those.”
I clench my teeth while I debate throwing this bottle at him. “It’s not a dare, it’s reality. Touch me and lose your teeth. So you really need to leave now.”
Instead, he smiles, his ruby red, cruel and gorgeous lips, stretch up in a curve as he takes a step closer and I press my back into the wall. “You’re not making it easy though.”
“Not making what easy?”
He takes another step toward me as if to act out his next word. “Leaving.”
“Get away from me or I’ll punch you, okay? I’m not kidding.”
He dips his face toward me, his voice going even lower while I’m over here, squeaking. “If you keep talking like that, I’ll start getting ideas.”
“What ideas?”
“That you’re flirting with me.”
I swallow as my skin starts to feel tight, restless. Swollen.
God, why? Why does he have to be like this?
Seductive and stunning and so freaking consuming.
Why does my body have to react to it?
He broke our heart, you stupid body. He betrayed us, remember? We were in pain for days. Weeks.
We still are…
“Oh my God, you are delusional,” I tell him, fisting my hands.
Reed shakes his head slowly, his eyes glittering with challenge. “You know you don’t have to try so hard with me. You want me to touch you, Fae, just say the word.”
Fae.
And just like that, I stop breathing.
I stop shaking. My restlessness evaporates and I freeze.
I freeze in a time two years ago. When he used to call me that.
His white mustang was his baby and I was his Fae, short for Fairy. It’s because of my blonde hair, blue eyes and a pocket-sized body but with long, graceful, dancer’s limbs.
His words, not mine.
I’m not pocket-sized. I’m an average 5’ 4 ½”. But like a foolish girl that I was, it used to make me happy. It used to make me smile that he had a special name for me. I had a special name for him too but I’m not going there.
I’m never going there.
I take a deep breath, clutch my whiskey bottle and look him in the eyes.
“Hey, Reed.” Deliberately emphasizing his name, I smile with my mouth but my eyes are lethal; I can feel it. “I know it’s been two years and all but my name is Calliope Thorne. People also call me Callie. And if I’m being honest, I’d rather you not call me anything at all. But asshole’s choice, of course.”
He smiles too. Not the full-blown smile from a few seconds ago but a fraction of it. And like me, his mouth might be smiling but his eyes are grave, intense, heavy with our shared past.
“Calliope Juliet Thorne,” he murmurs. “I know what your name is, Fae. I also know what my name is. Do you?”
My breaths escalate.
They swell and crash inside my lungs when I think of his name, his full name.
Reed Roman Jackson.
This time when I go back in time, I can hear my own voice, my sixteen-year-old smiling voice, telling him, I’m Juliet and you’re Roman. And everybody knows that Roman is just a different version of Romeo. So that means we’re Romeo and Juliet. Which also means that we should probably stay away from each other. Since they both die and all…
If only I had taken my own advice and stayed away from him.
It’s in our