“So that’s what I am to you? Just a liability?” Rage burned my chest. Alarms rang in my head. If looks could kill, Dominic would be on the floor, bleeding right now.
But as it was, he simply shook his head and turned to leave the room.
Like he had any right.
I followed him, and this time, my feet were really going to dig holes in the floor. I was furious. More than that—I was hurt, disappointed, all out of patience.
“Why do you hate me, damn it?” I shouted when he went to sit at the table, the empty piece of paper in front of him. “What the hell did I ever do to you?” We were supposed to be partners, for God’s sake. We were supposed to work together, and I’d proved that I knew what I was doing, hadn’t I? The other agents had no problem with me.
He turned to me then, eyes wide in shock, and he slowly stood up again.
“You think I hate you?” he spit, then came closer to me, looking like a wolf rather than man, eyes locked on his prey—which would be me. I didn’t budge, though. He didn’t scare me, no matter how big he was. He wasn’t being fair, and he was going to hear it.
“I know you hate me, Dominic. I just don’t know why.” My voice was strained with unshed tears, but I refused to let them come. He’d already seen too much of me. I would not let him see me cry, too.
“I wish I hated you, Teddy,” he said when he was barely two feet away from me, towering over me like a fucking giant. “I wish I could block you from my fucking mind, and I wish you didn’t smell like spring, and I wish you weren’t wet every fucking time you’re close to me!”
I wasn’t even breathing anymore. I was pretty sure my heart had stopped beating, too, but he kept me on my feet still just by holding my eyes.
Now, I was scared. Terrified.
And he must have seen it because he suddenly sighed and lowered his head, hands fisted tightly at his sides. “I don’t hate you, Teddybear. If I did, all of this would be easier for the both of us.”
And with that, he turned around and went back to work.
I didn’t have anything to say. I couldn’t even think as I stood there and watched him write down numbers I couldn’t see. It took me a good long minute to gather myself, to get my body to move, and go back to the bedroom, slam the door shut.
I will not cry, I said to myself, not daring to say it out loud because he would hear it. I’d successfully kept myself from crying in front of him, at least, and though my tears fell now, they were silent. He had no chance of hearing them even with his super ears.
I lay on the bed and hugged the pillow that smelled like coconut now, and it reminded me of him. My stomach turned and the first spark of anger came back to me, warming me to my bones.
He wished he hated me?
Fine, then. I would make it my job to make his wish come true.