Or, at least, they used to be impossible to read. It may be my imagination, but as I hold his gaze and wait for him to greet me in some capacity, I see annoyance, anger, frustration, relief, and desire in them.
“Gonna say somethin’ or what, Myka?” he rumbles.
Now that I’m here, I don’t know whattosay.
I shrug—to him, and because I decide to just go with honesty. “I just wanted to see you.”
His eyebrows lower. “You just wanted to see me.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
I huff a laugh. “Um, because I like you? I um…” I blush. “I liked what we, uh, did. Together. In my room. The other, um, night. Or morning.”
His brows lower further. “You don’t listen, do you?”
“I used to always do exactly what I was told, Rev. In this new phase of my life, I’ve decided to try things differently. Meaning, no, I don’t do what I’m told. I don’t listen. I do what I want.”
He leans against the doorframe, colossal arms crossed over his hard flat chest. His face is carved from stone again, his eyes once more carefully blank—as if he realized I could read him and didn’t like it.
“I have a question,” I say.
He nods. “Figured you would.” He doesn’t wait for me to ask it. “Yes, I have been avoiding you. On purpose. For your own good.”
I shake my head. “No, that wasn’t my question. I assumed that much.”
“You knew I was avoiding you?”
“Hard to miss, Rev.” I shrug. “And I knew you’d consider it as being for my own good.”
“I told you if the people who don’t like me pick up on me spending time around you, it wouldn’t be good for your health. You hear me say that?”
I nod. “I heard it.”
“And you know I’m avoiding you.”
“Yes.”
“Yet here you are.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because I like you.”
“You don’t know shit about me.”
“No, and I’d like to change that.”
“When I say bad for your health—” he leans close, “I meandead, Myka.”
My lungs freeze solid. “Really?”
“Yes, really.” He shakes his head again. “So when I say youdo notwant to get to know me, that youdo notwant to spend time with me, youdo notwant to like me, that’s why.”
“Would you stand by and let something bad happen to me?”
