go before imploring, “Please don’t go.”
When
she’d reclaimed her seat across from him, he tried again, “I’m
sorry, Talia. I don’t usually do this sort of thing, so help me
out, okay?”
“I
don’t understand. This was your idea, you know.” She
locked eyes with him skeptically. He couldn’t read her like
other women and it was overwhelming. “Why did you even push for
this pointless date?”
Landon
ran his hand through his hair. “Because there’s something
about you that … I don’t know. I just want to know you.”
“Right,
because every guy just loves eternally pissed-off females.”
Talia rolled her eyes again.
“I
like your spunk. You’re not afraid to be who you are and it’s
… refreshing.”
Talia
suddenly looked confounded by Landon’s explanation.
When
she didn’t speak, he continued, “You know, you don’t
have to be eternally pissed off. It’s okay to have fun every
once in a while.”
“I
can have fun; I just choose not to have said fun in the company of
men. In the past, it has gotten me nowhere.”
Holy
shit. Landon
instantly recognized the cause of her hostility. Some idiot must have
ripped her heart out.
“Not all men are the same. I’m not the guy that did this
to you.”
“Did
what to me? Who says this has anything to do with a man? Maybe I’m
a lesbian.”
Landon
chuckled. “No, I’m not buying that for a second.”
Talia
smirked. “You’re right, but that doesn’t mean I am
interested in any sort of relationship with a man. I have no intention of ever going there again.”
“Why
are you so against relationships?” The thought of another man
hurting her had his blood boiling until he realized the hypocrisy of
it all. He was the epitome of anti-relationship, but for some reason,
that didn’t matter with her.
Talia
shook her head and began looking out the window. He could tell she
didn’t want to talk about it, but he had to get past this wall
she’d created. He needed to be the wrecking ball that broke
through and set her free.
“Talia.”
Dropping his guard even further, he reached across the table to still
her fidgeting fingers and began stroking his thumb across the back of
her hand. “I’m not the guy that did this to you, but I’d
like to try to help you forget what happened.” She slowly began
to pull away again, breaking their contact. He couldn’t let her
retreat within herself, not now. “I’m not asking for a
commitment. All I ask is that you give me a chance so we can see
where this leads.”
“I won’t do a commitment. They are stupid and pointless and I’m…”
she paused briefly, biting on her bottom lip. “Someone in the
relationship ends up not being enough. Someone always has to change.”
She dropped her head, wringing her hands in front of her. “People
shouldn’t just confess their undying love only to turn around
and betray them, you know?” When she’d finished speaking,
her gaze returned to him, her fury pouring from her.
“I
understand. Really, I do. I watched that very thing being done to my
father and I vowed to never feel the way he does now. I just won’t
do it.”
“Then
why are we sitting here? Why are we wasting our time on this?”
Such
a valid question, but he had no idea how to answer. “I don’t
know. You’re different.”
“You
don’t even know me.”
“That’s
why we’re here, isn’t it? I keep telling you that I want
to get to know you. I’m not even asking for a second date. I’m
just asking for right now.” He couldn’t stand the thought
of her walking away from him again. He had to find a way to win her
over. “Just from the few times I’ve been around you I can
tell you’re not like any other woman I’ve ever known.
You’re realistic and a tad cynical, but I like that. You don’t
have any misconceptions of what this world has to offer.”
In
that moment, she seemed to relax. Her back didn’t seem so stiff
and her hands weren’t clenched in front of her. The
When
she’d reclaimed her seat across from him, he tried again, “I’m
sorry, Talia. I don’t usually do this sort of thing, so help me
out, okay?”
“I
don’t understand. This was your idea, you know.” She
locked eyes with him skeptically. He couldn’t read her like
other women and it was overwhelming. “Why did you even push for
this pointless date?”
Landon
ran his hand through his hair. “Because there’s something
about you that … I don’t know. I just want to know you.”
“Right,
because every guy just loves eternally pissed-off females.”
Talia rolled her eyes again.
“I
like your spunk. You’re not afraid to be who you are and it’s
… refreshing.”
Talia
suddenly looked confounded by Landon’s explanation.
When
she didn’t speak, he continued, “You know, you don’t
have to be eternally pissed off. It’s okay to have fun every
once in a while.”
“I
can have fun; I just choose not to have said fun in the company of
men. In the past, it has gotten me nowhere.”
Holy
shit. Landon
instantly recognized the cause of her hostility. Some idiot must have
ripped her heart out.
“Not all men are the same. I’m not the guy that did this
to you.”
“Did
what to me? Who says this has anything to do with a man? Maybe I’m
a lesbian.”
Landon
chuckled. “No, I’m not buying that for a second.”
Talia
smirked. “You’re right, but that doesn’t mean I am
interested in any sort of relationship with a man. I have no intention of ever going there again.”
“Why
are you so against relationships?” The thought of another man
hurting her had his blood boiling until he realized the hypocrisy of
it all. He was the epitome of anti-relationship, but for some reason,
that didn’t matter with her.
Talia
shook her head and began looking out the window. He could tell she
didn’t want to talk about it, but he had to get past this wall
she’d created. He needed to be the wrecking ball that broke
through and set her free.
“Talia.”
Dropping his guard even further, he reached across the table to still
her fidgeting fingers and began stroking his thumb across the back of
her hand. “I’m not the guy that did this to you, but I’d
like to try to help you forget what happened.” She slowly began
to pull away again, breaking their contact. He couldn’t let her
retreat within herself, not now. “I’m not asking for a
commitment. All I ask is that you give me a chance so we can see
where this leads.”
“I won’t do a commitment. They are stupid and pointless and I’m…”
she paused briefly, biting on her bottom lip. “Someone in the
relationship ends up not being enough. Someone always has to change.”
She dropped her head, wringing her hands in front of her. “People
shouldn’t just confess their undying love only to turn around
and betray them, you know?” When she’d finished speaking,
her gaze returned to him, her fury pouring from her.
“I
understand. Really, I do. I watched that very thing being done to my
father and I vowed to never feel the way he does now. I just won’t
do it.”
“Then
why are we sitting here? Why are we wasting our time on this?”
Such
a valid question, but he had no idea how to answer. “I don’t
know. You’re different.”
“You
don’t even know me.”
“That’s
why we’re here, isn’t it? I keep telling you that I want
to get to know you. I’m not even asking for a second date. I’m
just asking for right now.” He couldn’t stand the thought
of her walking away from him again. He had to find a way to win her
over. “Just from the few times I’ve been around you I can
tell you’re not like any other woman I’ve ever known.
You’re realistic and a tad cynical, but I like that. You don’t
have any misconceptions of what this world has to offer.”
In
that moment, she seemed to relax. Her back didn’t seem so stiff
and her hands weren’t clenched in front of her. The
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