Chapter 47
Flynn
As our eyes met, it was hard not to feel like a giant shit-heel. She was covered in mud, shivering – though she tried not to show it – and in pain, which she wasn't hiding nearly as well as she thought.
Still, I had to admire the effort.
It was more than I'd expected.
More than I deserved, too.
The more I thought about last night, the more I hated myself for what I'd let happen.No– for what I'dmadehappen.
Now, as I recalled that scene in my back seat, I wasn't sure what I regretted more – that I'd ended it the way I did, or that I'd ended it all.
And as far as today, I'd known that the trails would be muddy. Hell, I'd been counting on it. But in that messed-up script of mine, Anna gave up after five minutes and high-tailed it back to the house to wait for my return.
But, as I was slowly learning, Anna wasn't one to follow any script of mine – or give up that easily.
As far as her request, it wasn't a lot to ask. In fact, it wasn't enough.
From her seat on the stump, she continued. "I'm just saying, maybe if we weren't at each other's throats all the time in private, we'd get along better in public."
When she finished speaking, I didn't hesitate. "Deal."
She gave me a dubious look. "Are you sure you can live up to it?"
I smiled. "What, you think I can't?"
"Well…" She bit her lip. "I don't know."
"Don't worry," I said. "Ido."
"But—"
"Now c'mon," I said. "Let's get you back to the house." Before she could object, I gathered her up in my arms, preparing to carry her the rest of the way.
"But wait," she said. "I—"
"Can walk on your own. I know."
"How'dyouknow that's what I was going to say?'
"Because you said it ten times already."
"You were counting?"
I hadn't been counting, but the number seemed about right. But now, with Anna so close, I was having a hard time adding up anything.
She'd asked me to pretend to like her, not to pretend that I wanted to carry her straight to my bed and make her shiver in a better way. At the image this conjured up, my steps nearly faltered.
Anna in my bed?Nowthatwas a dangerous line of thought.
With an effort, I pushed it from my brain and hoped like hell that the brain down below would take the hint.
Going for a distraction, I said, "Green."
"Sorry, what?"
