“That’s my fucking business,” he says, a flash of anger flitting through his eyes.
“You’re not doing that again,” I say, unable to get a grip on myself.
I’m perfectly aware I’m on a slippery slope with him, and if there’s anything to make him pull away from me even faster, it’s me having ideas on how he is supposed to live his life.
“Don’t do that,” he says.
“Do what?”
“Acting all protective and shit.”
“I’m not.”
“Yes, you fucking are,” he says, shooting a nasty glare at me. “I don’t need your sympathy.”
“It’s not that,” I murmur.
“That’s exactly what it is. You have your own problems and need to deal with them first. Fucking men like Nick to pull them out of a maze or trying to straighten me up won’t do it for you. It won’t make you feel better. It will always remind you of what is wrong with you.”
“Don’t say that...” I murmur.
“It’s the truth,” he says, adjusting his voice. “I hate being on the streets. It’s not as if I like it, but I need to find my way out of that shitty situation on my own.”
“At least, stay here...” I murmur. “You can do whatever the hell you want. You don’t have to risk your life going back or living at your old place.”
He takes a long breath and runs his fingers through his hair, his eyes drowning in sorrow.
He looks away.
“I can’t stay,” he finally says.
It sounds like a sentence.
“Only for a few weeks until things get settled and you figure something out.”
“I can’t. I’m sorry.”
He pushes my arm to the side and slips by me. I catch up with him in the foyer.
“Or you can work for me,” I throw at him, pretty much exhausting all possibilities.
He stops. I turn to stone a couple of steps behind him.
He turns around and closes the distance between us, fury blazing in his eyes.
“And do what? Join the line of dicks who dust your furniture, make your eggs and clean your pool?”
I cringe.
“No. That’s not what I had in mind.”
He lets out a dark chuckle, sarcasm glinting in his eyes.
He tips his head back and looks down his nose at me, crushing me with his stare.
“I’m not fucking you for money.”
Clearly, I’m getting nowhere with this.