stared down at her
black pumps. “I just want to shut down the computer so I can leave.”
“You
do that while I clean up and I’ll walk you to your car.”
“You
don’t need to do that.”
“Yes,
I do.” He walked away.
Symone
stared after him, dazed. In a matter of minutes, he’d turned her new life
upside down. I cannot do this. If I upset him, it’d mess up everything I’m
trying to build here. She pushed her desire down and returned to her
computer, saving and closing out the programs. She grabbed her purse, slung it
over her shoulder, grabbed her keys from the desk, and headed for the door.
“Trying
to leave me?”
The
voice made her jump. She spun around and found Monster leaned against the wall
opposite her doorway.
She
shrugged.
Hurt
appeared in his eyes and she instantly regretted her decision. The last thing
she wanted to do was cause him pain. “Look, I’m not used to all this.”
“All
what?” Monster shook his head.
“Interest.”
The
harshness melted from his face. “Then you fucking need to get used to it from
me.”
“It’s
not that easy.”
“Tell
me what you need and it's done.”
“If
only I knew. This is a completely new way of life for me. There’s so much you
don’t know. And when you do…” A lump formed in her throat. She struggled to
keep it together, blinking to keep the tears at bay. “Then everything will
change.”
“No.”
“Don’t
say that when you have no clue what my past is filled with.”
“Why?
I don’t give a fuck about then. I care about now.”
She
laughed. “So easy to say.”
“Because
I mean that shit.”
“Right?
You’re a man. If your lips are moving, lies are being told.”
He
recoiled as if she slapped him. “That’s not me, Symone.”
“Yeah,
we’ll see.”
“Yes,
we will. Let’s go before I prove just how wrong you are and how easily I could
slip past those high walls you’ve placed up as defense. Newsflash, they won’t
work on me.”
“And
why not?” she snapped, raising her voice.
“Because
I know those tactics and the reasoning behind them. You don’t want to open up
because you were hurt. Deep down to the bone and it almost crushed your spirit
to smithereens. See, I’m intimately familiar with that expression. I’ve seen it
in the mirror every day for longer than I want to remember.”
She
closed her eyes. He understands.
“I’m
a monster, I recognize and realize this, but even Frankenstein had a bride.
“You’re
not a monster.”
“You
don’t know the things I’ve done, babe. My hands are covered in blood so red
it’ll never wash away. And I see myself in the mirror.”
He
looked down and her heart ached. “I thought you said past doesn’t matter.”
“Yours,
babe. Mine matters a whole hell of a lot.” He pushed away from the wall. “Let’s
get out of here.”
She
followed behind him feeling as though she’d damaged something very fragile.
Pausing only to kill the lights and lock the front door, they arrived at her
car soon after. He reached his hand out for the keys and she placed them in his
palm, too tired to fight him about his chivalrous acts. He unlocked the door
and rested his arms against the frame as he watched her get in and buckle her
seatbelt. Leaning over her in the seat, he put the key in, the ignition and
turned it over. He backed out and stopped. “You’re probably right to stay away
from me, Symone. I wish I could be a better man and return the favor.” He shut
the door and walked over to his bike, leaving her speechless.
The
man was a tangled web of emotions, pulling in opposite directions. She wanted
to reach out and help him. There was a softness she wanted to nurture and help
grow. It amazed her, the way he’d by-passed her defenses like a world-class
thief hacking a security system. Knowing he wouldn’t leave until she did,
Symone shifted her car into reverse and took off out of the parking lot.
Muddled about the man—what he offered and what she
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