Monster.
“I…” He frowned and lowered his gaze, then gestured to his face. “It’ll go away.”
“What do you want?” she asked.
He didn’t look up at her. Instead, he ran his hand through his hair and gripped it in the back and then rested his back against the porch wall, eyes averted still. “I’m sorry.”
“Sorry for what?” she asked.
He shook his head over and over, and she could see his Adam’s apple dip as he swallowed hard. “For being this.”
Something about the anguish in his voice tugged at her heart.
He pushed off the wall. “I don’t think I can stay. I don’t think I should.”
A part of her agreed. If Jess could control him, he couldn’t stay. “I understand.”
“It’s better for you if I go,” he said. A flash of red in his eyes met hers as he glanced up at her.
And a part of her agreed. “I understand.”
“My dad did this,” he murmured in a gravelly voice.
“You don’t owe me any explanation,” she said, and damn her voice as it shook at the end. “We’re good.”
Tawk ran his hand through his hair again and hung his head. “Okay.” He stepped onto the porch, eyes tortured, and for a moment, she thought he was going to kiss her. He got close, and then turned abruptly and left without looking back at her.
A curse echoed from him, and she squeezed her eyes closed as she absorbed an ache in her chest that she’d never felt before.
When she and Aaron had split, she’d thought her world was over. She’d thought she would never figure herself out, or be ableto move forward. She’d thought losing her first love would create a hole inside of her that she would never be able to fill.
That ache was nothing compared to this ache, and it made no sense.
She’d only just met this man, but he already felt so big.
A few minutes later, she was watching Tawk carry his duffel bags to his truck from her front window. She winced as his rig roared to life, and she let the tears flow as she watched him drive away.
And just as suddenly as he’d appeared in Darby, Tawk was gone.
Chapter Eleven
Tawk slammed his palm against the steering wheel and yelled. He was stuck at the goddamn stop sign at the edge of Tammy’s neighborhood.
He’d lived next to her for a couple of hours. He wasn’t freaking out because he’d set up territory that he was forcing his dragon to leave. He was in agony because he was leaving Tammy, and there was no use denying it.
What the hell was happening to him? He felt everything right now, for the first time in his life, and it was horrible. Tawk was drowning.
He chewed the corner of his nail and stared at that damn stop sign.
He pulled his phone up and looked at it again. She’d called him three times and texted him after he hadn’t picked up. He read the text again.
Someone busted out my headlights. Aaron was here tonight. I told him to piss off. Busted headlights feels like a tantrum he would throw. I tried to drive but it’s pretty dark without the headlights. Would you mind giving me a ride home? I’m so sorry. If you’re busy, it’s okay! I can walk! My house isn’t that far. Hope errands went well!
She must’ve just started walking when he hadn’t answered. That was on him. He hadn’t paid enough attention to his phone while he’d been moving out of the hotel.
He needed to leave. He knew he did. The selfish part of him wanted to stay here and ruin her life just so he could be near her, but he’d seen the slew of emotions run through her eyes tonight. He’d felt how she hadn’t fought for him to stay. She wanted him to leave too, and you know? It was probably best that Jess didn’thave a dragon under her control until she figured out who the fuck she was as a witch.
Tonight was way too messy, and it could’ve gotten Tammy really hurt, or worse.
