Read Online Addicted to You by Renita Pizzitola - Free Book Online

“We talk. Now.”
    Though he didn’t look thrilled by my demand, he followed without any argument.
    We stepped outside and I took a minute to appreciate the silence. My ears readjusted as the bubble of noise I’d been trapped in disappeared behind the doors as they swung shut.
    “Okay, talk.” I firmed my stance and crossed my arms, telling him I meant business.
    And, lo and behold, angry Colby finally cracked…a freaking smile.

Chapter 8
    Hair whipped across my face as the breeze off the ocean brushed past us, but I kept my arms pressed tightly to my chest as I narrowed my gaze on Colby.
    The more he smiled, the more my temper flared.
    “You look about as threatening as a fly.”
    My arms dropped to my sides, hands balled tightly as I completely lost it. “Colby Callahan, you are by far the most ridiculous guy I know. I’m just…I’m done.”
    Hi grin faded. “You’re mad.”
    I huffed. “
You’re
mad!”
    “And that made you mad?”
    “Are you kidding—” I rubbed my eyes, then pointed at him. “You. You started this. I did nothing tonight. In fact, here I thought we were good. But then you storm off, we come out here, and you
smile.
” I threw my hands up. “Freaking
smile.
Are you drunk? Crazy? A little of both? Because you’ve totally lost me.”
    “I’m sorry. I just—Shit,” he mumbled. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I just, well, wish things could go back to the way they were.”
    His words might as well have been a knife through the heart.
    “Well, they can’t,” I snapped.
    “That’s not what I meant.” He reached out but I stepped back. “Isla…shit.”
    Tired of the fighting and confusion and, well, just everything, I said, “This is where we decide.”
    “Decide?”
    “Whether or not we can fix things. If we want to. If it’s even worth it at this point. What’s done is done and I’m sick of this dance we’re doing. I’m mad. Then you’re mad. Then me. And you. Back and forth we go.” I threw my hands up in the air again and shook my head. “I’m done.”
    “Nothing’s broken. You’re still you and I’m still me.” This time when he reached out I let him take my hand. “And I’m sorry that I’ve been acting all weird and jealous when—”
    “So you are jealous?”
    “Uh…”
    “Of what…why?”
    “Everyone. All the time. And, well, because…you.”
    “What do you mean
me
?”
    He slowly released my fingers, then adjusted his baseball cap and leaned against the wall. “Even though I know I shouldn’t feel this way, I guess a part of me feels a little…”
    He glanced up, and then stared back at his shoes.
    “Overprotective of you.”
    “Oh.” Though I’d sensed that when we first got to Jack’s, I hadn’t been prepared for him to admit it. But at least we were making progress. I hugged my arms to my chest. “Why
shouldn’t
you feel that way?”
    “Because you’re not mine.”
    I jerked my head up and stared at him. Did he want me to be?
    “To protect,” he went on. “You’re a strong girl. You don’t need me in your business.”
    Though his mouth said one thing, his eyes told another. That look was back. The one I’d seen several times over the last few days, and though I may regret the answer if I was wrong, I had to know if it meant what I thought it did. “Colby…”
    I took a step toward him and the air vibrated around us, like a billion frenzied bees sensing a threat, but the only thing in danger right now was the paper-thin wall I’d built to hide the emotional roller coaster I’d been on the last several days.
    “What do you want?” I asked.
    His voice deepened. “What do you mean?”
    “You say nothing’s broken, yet we both know we aren’t the same as before. But maybe that’s just it. We aren’t meant to go back. Maybe we’re meant to move forward.”
    I scanned his face, slowly closing the distance like a cat about to pounce, and I couldn’t deny how much I wanted to do just that.
    “What