Текст книги "Fallen Too Far"

Автор книги: Abbi Glines

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Текущая страница: 10 (всего у книги 12 страниц)

“Test me,” he replied.

He looked back down at me. “You’re coming with me.”

I didn’t have time to respond before he turned his head to look over my shoulder. “I have her Bethy. She’s okay. Go on back to Jace.” Rush slipped his hand around my waist. “Watch out for the snails; they’re slippery.”

Two of the busboys were hurrying into the room with supplies to clean up the mess. The music hadn’t stopped but the place had gone quiet. Slowly, people started to talk again. I kept my eyes on the door waiting until I could get outside of this ballroom and break away from Rush’s arms.

If everyone in there hadn’t known we were having sex, they did now. He’d just shown everyone that he cared about me to an extent but he didn’t exactly want to walk around with me on his arm. My chest ached. I needed my distance from him. It was time I learned to crawl back in my own little world where I trusted me and me only. No one else. Once we were out of the ballroom and away from prying eyes I stepped free of Rush and put some distance between us. I crossed my arms over my chest and stared down at my feet. I wasn’t sure if looking at him was such a good thing yet. I hadn’t taken time to enjoy how gorgeous he looked in a black tux. I’d been doing my best not to look at him. Now that he stood right here in front of me dressed like he was while I was in my server dress covered in snail oil, the massive difference between our worlds was evident.

“Blaire, I’m sorry. I wasn’t expecting something like that to happen. I didn’t even know she had issues with you. I’m going to talk to Nan about this. I have a feeling she had something to do with it—“

“The redhead hates me because of Woods’ interest in me. Nan had nothing to do with it and neither did you.”

Rush didn’t respond right away.  I wondered if I should just turn and walk back to the kitchen.

“Is Woods still hitting on you?”

Had he really just asked me that? I was standing there covered in snails and butter and he was asking me if some other guy was hitting on me? I didn’t even know if I still had a job. That was it. I’d had enough. I spun around and started for the kitchen. Rush didn’t let me get far. His hand shot out and grabbed my arm.

“Blaire, wait. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked that. That isn’t the issue right now. I wanted to make sure you were okay and help get you cleaned up.” His voice was pained as he said the last part.

       I sighed and turned back around and met his gaze this time. “I’m fine. I need to go to the kitchen and see if I even still have a job. I was warned by Woods this morning that something like this might happen and it would be my fault. So, right now I have bigger problems than you suddenly feeling the need to be possessive of me. Which is ridiculous. Because you were doing your best to ignore me until this incident happened. You either know me or you don’t, Rush. Pick a team.” The hurt in my voice hadn’t been easy to mask. I jerked my arm free of his hand and stalked back toward the kitchen.

    “You were working. What did you want me to do?” he called out and I stopped.  “Acknowledging you would have given Nan reason to attack you. I was protecting you.”

              The fact he even admitted that told me so much. Nan came first. He was ignoring me to keep Nan happy. I’d expected this of course. I was just the booty call. Nan was the sister. He was right to choose her over me. How could he look at me as anything more when I’d gone so easily to his bed?

              “You’re right, Rush. You ignoring me would keep Nan from attacking me. I’m just the girl you fucked the past two nights. All things considered I’m not that special. I’m one of many.” I didn’t wait for him to say anymore. I ran for the kitchen doors slamming into them before the tears welling up in my eyes broke free.

Chapter Twenty– Two

“Whoa, girl,” Jimmy said holding his arms out to catch me as I came barreling into the kitchen.

A hiccup escaped and I swallowed back the sob that followed it.

“That was brutal in there but it could have been worse. At least Rush came to the rescue.” Jimmy patted my back and hugged me.

I didn’t want Jimmy to know how incredibly cheap I was. I couldn’t tell him these tears were because I’d become a rich guys dirty little secret. Not because some mean bitch had dumped food all over me in front of a room full of people.

“Get back out there Jim. We need more servers on the floor. I’ll talk to Blaire,” Woods said as he walked into the kitchen.

Jimmy hugged me hard one more time then frowned over at Woods before taking his tray and heading for the door. “You be nice to my girl,” Jimmy said as he passed Woods.

Woods didn’t reply. Instead he studied me. I figured this was it. The big “it’s your fault so you can leave now” moment.

“I go to the trouble of warning you about Nan and it isn’t even Rush’s fault a jealous bitch attacked you,” Woods growled and shook his head in disgust. “I’m sorry, Blaire. This one is all on me. I wasn’t expecting that from her. She’s the crazy exgirlfriend I can’t seem to shake.”

He wasn’t firing me? I leaned back on the counter behind me to take a deep breath.

“Due to the drama, I don’t want you back out there. You can stay in here and help prepare trays though. I’ll make sure you make the same amount as you would have made out there.”

“Thank you. But can I change?” I asked, needing to get the snail off of me.

Woods smiled, “Yeah. Go get one of the cart girl outfits from the office. We have all our extra server uniforms in use tonight.”

I pushed off from the counter and headed for the door.

“Take your time. We are fine in here if you need a break,” Woods called out as I exited the kitchen.

Rush and Nan stood in the hallway in what looked like a heated argument when I walked out. Nan shot her icy glare my way. I could see the frustration in Rush’s expression. I was only causing him grief. I didn’t care to see this. They could have their family quarrel and get over it. After tonight, I should have enough money to move out. Tomorrow I would find a place because sleeping under Rush’s roof was going to be impossible. I turned and opened the door leading outside.

“Blaire, wait,” Rush called out.

“Let her go, Rush,” Nan demanded.

“I can’t,” he replied.

The door closed behind me and I tried to block out what I’d heard. I didn’t need to think or even consider that Rush would fight for me.

The door swung open and Rush came running out of it. “Blaire, please wait. Talk to me,” he begged.

I stopped and watched as he ran over to stand in front of me. I had nothing to say to him. I’d said it all.

“I’m sorry. But you’re wrong; I didn’t ignore you in there. Go ask anyone. My eyes never left you. If there was any question in anyone’s mind how I felt about you, the fact I couldn’t look away from you while you walked around that room should have answered it.” He paused and ran his hand over his hair, and muttered a curse. “Then I saw the look on your face when you saw Bethy with Jace. Something inside me was ripped open. I didn’t know what you were thinking but I knew you were realizing the wrongness of tonight. You should have never been there serving everyone. You should have been by my side. I wanted you beside me. I was strung so damn tight waiting on anyone to make a wrong move toward you that I forgot to breathe most of the time.”

Rush reached out and ran a finger over my clenched fist. “If you can forgive me, I promise this will never happen again. I love Nan. But I’m done trying to please her. She’s my sister and she has some issues she needs to work out. I’ve told her that I’m going to talk to you about everything. There are some things you need to know.” He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “I’m dealing with the fact that you may walk away from me once you know them and never look back. It scares the hell out of me. I don’t know what this is that is going on between us but from the moment I laid eyes on you I knew you were going to change my world. I was terrified. The more I watched you the more you drew me in. I couldn’t get close enough.”

He was ready to open up to me and let me in. He wasn’t just using me. I wasn’t just another girl he screwed and tossed aside. He was ready to let me into his world of secrets. He wanted to keep me. My heart gave up. I’d held back and I’d fought hard to keep him from taking it over. Still, he’d managed to own it. Seeing him vulnerable was the last straw. I couldn’t hold back anymore.

I had fallen too far. I was in love with Rush Finlay.

    “Okay,” I said. There was nothing more to say. He had me.

Rush frowned. “Okay?”

I nodded. “Okay. If you actually want to keep me so badly that you’re willing to open up to me, then okay.” I would not tell him I loved him. It was too soon. He’d think it was because I was so young. That was something I’d hold close to my chest until I knew it was time. Maybe it was because I was so young. I felt it just the same.

A small grin tugged on his lips. “I just bared my soul to you and all I get is an ‘okay’?” he asked.

I shrugged, “You said everything I needed to hear. I’m hooked now. You have me. What are you going to do with me?”

Rush let out a low sexy laugh and pulled me close to him. “I’m thinking sex on the sixteenth hole by the lake would be nice.”

I tilted my head as if I were thinking about it. “Hmmm… problem is I’m supposed to change and go work in the kitchen the rest of the night.”

Rush let out a heavy sigh. “Shit.”

I pressed a kiss to his jawline. “You have a sister to escort,” I reminded him.

Rush’s arms tightened around me. “All I can think about is being inside you. Having you pressed close to me and hearing you make those sexy ass little moans.”

Oh. My. My heart rate picked up at the thought.

“If I could walk away from you easily I’d take you into that office and press you up against the wall and burry myself deep inside. But I can’t have a quickie with you. You’re too damn addictive.”

His description had me breathing hard and clinging to his shoulders. “Go change. I’ll stand out here so I’m not tempted. Then I’ll walk you back to the kitchen,” Rush said as he slowly released me.

I needed a moment to get myself under control before I let go of his arms. Then I turned and hurried into the office.

I didn’t see Rush again after he left me at the kitchen door with a quick kiss. The night had been endless and I was exhausted. Preparing food was harder than it looked. After the place had emptied and cleared out we had then been left with the task of cleaning up.

Three hours later it was almost four in the morning. I all but stumbled out into the early morning darkness and headed for my truck. Part of me expected Rush to be waiting on me but then he’d have had to sleep in his car so that would have been ridiculous.

I cranked up my truck and headed for his house. I didn’t have to go into work today so I could sleep. I also wouldn’t need to find that apartment any longer. As soon as I pulled into the driveway I looked up to see the lights were still on in Rush’s room. The top of the house was all lit up compared to the darkness in the rest of it.

The front door was unlocked so I went inside and quietly closed the door behind me. I wondered if Rush was still awake waiting on me or if he’d just fallen asleep with the lights on? Did I go to my room or his?

I headed up the stairs and found Rush sitting on the floor leaning against his door looking directly at me. What was he doing?

When his eyes met mine he stood up and stalked toward me. I met him half way. He seemed desperate. I just couldn’t figure out why. “I need you upstairs. Now,” he said in a tight frantic voice.

My heart sped up. Was someone hurt? Was he okay?

I hurried behind him. He closed the door and locked it. He never locked it. Then his hands were on me before we’d even made it up the stairs.

It was as if some wild man had taken over. Rush ran his hands down my hips and over my behind then back up. He grabbed my shirt and ripped it off. I heard a button pop and winced. That was a uniform shirt. I started to ask him what was wrong but his mouth covered mine and his tongue was inside. His hands found the snap on my shorts and jerking them open he began to push them down. The hungry little growls he was making were causing my body to react. I felt the wetness between my legs and the anxious throb start up.

Rush pushed me back on the stairs and jerked off my shoes and pulled my shorts and panties off then grabbed both my knees and pushed them apart. I didn’t have time to process before his mouth was on me licking the folds and slipping inside of me. My still tender flesh from the wild sex we’d had last night was extremely sensitive to each caress of his tongue. I began crying out his name. Falling back on my elbows I watched as he rained kisses along my thighs and then buried his face between my legs again to send me panting and begging for more.

“Mine. This is mine,” he chanted like a man possessed as he pulled back to look down at me. He ran his fingers through the middle gently and then cut his eyes up at me, “Mine. This sweet pussy is mine, Blaire.”

I was ready to agree to anything if he’d make me come. I wanted him inside me first though.

“Tell me it’s mine,” he demanded.

I nodded and he slipped a finger up inside causing another moan to escape me. “Tell me it is mine,” he repeated.

“It’s yours, now please Rush, fuck me.”

His eyes went wide and he stood up and pushed down the pajama bottoms he was wearing. His erection stood out proudly.

“No condom tonight. I’ll pull out. I just need to feel all of you,” he said as he pushed my knees up and lowered himself down until he was at my entrance. He didn’t slam into me like I expected. He eased in slow.

“Does it hurt?” he asked as he held himself over me.

It did a little but I wasn’t going to admit to that. I wanted him without control. “It feels good,” I assured him.

He bit his bottom lip and eased slowly back out. “These stairs are too hard for you. Come here.” He bent down and scooped me up in his arms and started up the steps. I’d never been carried by a guy before and I have to say this was an excellent experience. Rush’s naked chest holding me was incredible.

“Will you do something for me?” he asked bending his head down to press small kisses to my nose and eyelids.

“Yes,” I replied.

He stopped by the bed and slowly put me down until my feet touched the floor. “Bend over and lay your chest flat on the bed. Put your hands over your head and leave your ass stuck up in the air.”

Um… okay. I didn’t ask why because I had figured that much out. Keeping my feet on the floor, I bent forward and laid on the bed like he asked.

His hand ran over my bottom and he made a pleased sound in his throat. “You have the most perfect ass I’ve ever seen,” he said in a worshipful tone.

Both of his hands found my hips and slowly he entered me pulling me back onto him as he slid inside. He was deeper this way. “Rush!” I cried out as the slight pain hit from the depth he’d reached.

“Fuck, I’m deep,” he groaned.

Then he pulled out slowly and his hips began that familiar rocking. I grabbed onto the sheets as my body began to climb toward its climax. It knew what was coming and my legs started to tremble from the pleasure starting to build inside me.

One of Rush’s hands slipped down until it was touching my swollen clit and he began rubbing his thumb over it. “God, you’re soaking wet,” he panted.

My legs stiffened as the orgasm washed over me and then I began to buck unable to deal with the sensation of Rush still rubbing me. It was so much pleasure that it hurt. Before I could beg for mercy, his hands grabbed my waist and he pulled out of me quickly.

“GAAAAH!” he yelled as I collapsed onto the bed knowing without looking that he’d pulled out before he came.

              “Damn baby, if you only knew how fucking incredible your ass looks right now,” he said in a breathless voice.

              I turned my head to the side unable to lift it and looked at him. “Why?”

              A low chuckle rumbled from his chest. “Let’s just say I need to clean you up.”

              Realization dawned on me and the warmth on my bottom that I hadn’t noticed before suddenly caught my attention. A giggle broke free and I buried my face in my hands.

              I laid there listening as he ran the water and then walked back out to me. The warmth of the washcloth as he wiped me clean of his cum was nice and I slowly started to fall asleep. I was exhausted. I wondered if I’d ever wake up.

Chapter Twenty– Three

I was alone. I covered my eyes against the morning sun and looked around the room. Rush wasn’t up here. That was surprising. I sat up and looked at the clock. It was after ten. No wonder he wasn’t up here. I’d slept the morning away. Today we would talk. He was going to let me in. Last night we’d had amazing sex. I needed words now.

I stood up and found my discarded shorts lying on the end of the bed. Rush must have brought them upstairs because I remembered leaving them on the stairs last night. I slipped them on and then looked around for my shirt. One of Rush’s tee shirts was folded neatly beside my shorts so I slipped it on and headed downstairs. I was ready to see Rush.

The doors on the family side of the hall were open. I froze. What did that mean? They were always closed. Then I heard voices. I walked toward the second flight of stairs and listened. My father’s familiar voice carried up the stairs from the living room. He was home.

I took the first step and stopped. Could I face him? Would he ask me to leave? Would he know I’d slept with Rush? Would Nan have her mother hate me too? I hadn’t had time to work through all of this yet.

My father said my name and I knew I needed to go down there and face this. Whatever it might be. I forced myself down each step. I made it across the foyer and stopped once I could hear them clearly. I needed to know what I was walking into.

“I can’t believe you, Rush. What were you thinking? You know who she is? What she means to this family?” It was his mother talking. I’d never met her but I knew.

“You can’t hold her responsible. She wasn’t even born yet. You have no idea what all she’s been through. What HE has put her through.” Rush was angry.

I started to walk to the door but paused. Wait. What I meant to this family? What was she talking about?

“Don’t go getting all high and mighty. You were the one who went and found him for me. So whatever he put her through,” she spat, “you started it all. Then you go and sleepwith her? Really Rush. My God what were you thinking? You’re just like your father.”

I reached out to grab the doorframe for support. I didn’t know what was coming but my breathing was becoming shallow. I could feel panic rising in my chest.

“Remember who owns this house, mother,” Rush’s warning was clear.

His mother let out a loud cackle. “Can you believe this? He is turning on me over a girl he just met. Abe you have to do something.”

There was silence. Then my father cleared his throat. “It’s his house, Georgie. I can’t force him to do anything. I should have expected this. She’s so much like her mother.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” the woman roared.

My father sighed, “We’ve been over this before. The reason I left you for her was because she had this draw to her. I couldn’t seem to let her go—“

“I KNOW that. I don’t want to hear it again. You wanted her so damn badly you left me pregnant with a bunch of wedding invitations to rescind.”

“Sweetheart, calm down. I love you. I was just explaining that Blaire has her mother’s charisma. It’s impossible not to be drawn to her. And she’s just as blind to it as her mother was. She can’t help it.”

“ARGH! Will that woman never leave me alone? Will she always ruin my life? She’s gone for crying out loud. I have the man I love back and our daughter finally has her father and now this. Yougo and sleep with this, this girl!”

              My body was numb. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t take deep breaths. I was still dreaming. That was it. I hadn’t woken up yet. I closed my eyes tightly forcing myself to wake up from this sick and twisted dream.

              “One more word against her and I will have you leave.” Rush’s tone was cold and hard.

              “Georgie, honey, please calm down. Blaire is a good girl. Her being here isn’t the end of the world. She needs somewhere to stay. I explained this to you already. I know you hate Rebecca but she was your best friend. The two of you had been friends since you were kids. Until I came along and ruined everything the two of you were like sisters. This is her daughter. Have some compassion.”

              No. NO. No. No. No. I did not just hear that. This is not real. My mother would never have broken up someone’s wedding. She would have never had my dad leave a woman who was pregnant with his child. My mother was a sweet compassionate woman. She would never, ever let that happen. I couldn’t stand here and listen to them talk about her that way. They had it all wrong. They didn’t know her. My father had been gone so long he’d forgotten what really happened.

              I let go of the death grip I had on the door frame and stalked into the room where they were disgracing my mother’s name. “NO! Shut up all of you,” I yelled. The room went silent. I found my father and leveled my angry glare on him. No one else in here mattered right now. Not the woman who continued to spit lies about my mother or the man I thought I loved. The one I’d given my body to. The one who had been lying to me.

              “Blaire,” Rush’s voice sounded far away. I held out my hand to stop him. I didn’t want him near me.

              “You,” I pointed my finger at my father. “You are just letting them lie about my mother,” I screamed. I didn’t care if I looked crazy. I hated them all right now.

              “Blaire let me explain—“

              “SHUT UP!” I roared. “My sister, my other half, died. She died, Dad. In a car on her way to the store with YOU.  It was like my soul had been taken from me and torn in two. Losing her was unbearable. I watched my mother wail and cry and mourn and then I watched my father walk away. Never to return. While his daughter and wife were trying to pick up the pieces of their world without Valerie in it. Then my mother gets sick. I call you but you don’t answer. So, I get an extra job after school and I start making payments for mom’s medical care. I do nothing but care for my mother and go to school. Except my senior year, she gets so sick that I have to drop out. Take my GED and be done with it. Because I had the only person on the planet who loved me dying as I sat and watched helplessly. I held her hand while she took her last breath. I arranged her funeral. I watched them lower her into the ground. You never once called. Not once. Then I had to sell the house Gran left us and everything of value in it just to pay off medical bills.” I stopped and took a loud heaving breath and a sob escaped me.

              Two arms wrapped around me and I screamed, slinging my arms and moving away. “DON’T TOUCH ME!” I didn’t want him touching me. He had lied to me. He knew this and he had lied to me.

              “Now I’m being forced to hear you talk about my mother who was a saint. Do you hear me? She was a saint! You are all liars. If anyone is guilty of this bullshit I hear pouring out of your mouth it is that man.” I pointed at my father. I couldn’t call him that anymore. Not now.

“He is the liar. He isn’t worth the dirt beneath my feet. If Nan is his daughter. If you were pregnant.” I swung my eyes to the woman I had yet to look at and the words froze on my lips. I remembered her. I staggered back and shook my head. No. This was not what it looked like.

            “Who are you?” I asked as the memories of that face slowly came back to me.

              “Careful how you answer that,” Rush’s tight voice came from behind me. He was still close to me.

              Her eyes shifted from me to my father then back to me. “You know who I am Blaire. We’ve met before.”

              “You came to my house. You… you made my mother cry.”

              The woman rolled her eyes.

              “Last warning, mother,” Rush said.

              “Nan wanted to meet her father. So I brought her to him. She got to see his nice little family with pretty, blonde twin daughters he loved and an equally perfect wife. I was tired of having to tell my daughter she didn’t have a father. She knew she did. So I showed her just what he had chosen instead of her. She didn’t ask about him again until much later in life.”

              The little girl my age that had stood holding her mother’s hand tightly and studying me as I stood at the door. It had been Nan. My stomach rolled. What had my father done?

              “Blaire please look at me.” Rush’s desperate voice came from behind me but I couldn’t acknowledge him. He knew all this. This had been Nan’s big secret. He had protected it for her. Did he not see this was my secret too? He was my father and I knew nothing. Woods’ words rang in my head. “If he has to choose between you and Nan he will choose Nan.”

              He knew then that Rush had chosen Nan. Everyone in this town knew the secret but me. They all knew who I was but I didn’t.

              “I was engaged to Georgianna. She was pregnant with Nan. Your mother came to visit her. She was like no one I’d ever met. She was addictive. I couldn’t seem to stay away from her. Georgianna was still pinning over Dean and Rush was still visiting his dad every other weekend. I expected Georgie to go to Dean the minute he decided he wanted a family. I wasn’t even sure Nan was mine. Your mother was innocent and fun. She wasn’t into rockers and she made me laugh. I pursued her and she ignored me. Then I lied to her. I told her Georgie was pregnant with another of Dean’s kids. She felt sorry for me. I somehow convinced her to run away with me. To throw away the friendship she’d had all her life.”

              I pressed my hands over my ears to block out my dad’s words. I couldn’t listen to this. It was all lies. This sick world they lived in wasn’t for me. I wanted to go home. Back to Alabama. Back to what I understood. Where money and rock stars weren’t an issue.

              “Stop. I don’t want to hear it. I just want my things. I just want to leave.” The sob that followed couldn’t be helped. My world and what I’d known of it had just been blown to a million pieces. I needed to go sit by my mother’s grave and talk to her. I wanted to go home.

              “Baby, please talk to me. Please.” Rush was behind  me again. I was too tired to push him away. I moved away from him instead. I would not look at him. “I can’t look at you. I don’t want to talk to you. I just want my things. I want to go home.”

              “Blaire, honey, there is no home.” My dad’s voice grated on my nerves. I lifted my eyes and glared at him. All the pain and bitterness I’d kept from creeping in when he left us had consumed me.

              “My mother and my sister’s graves are home. I want to be near them. I’ve stood here and listened to y’all tell me my mother was someone who I know she wasn’t. She would have never done what you’re accusing her of. Stay here with your family, Abe. I’m sure they will love you as much as your last one did. Try not to kill any of them,” I spat.

              Georgianna’s loud gasp was the last thing I heard before I left the room. I wanted to leave but I needed my purse and my keys. I ran up the stairs and threw everything I could back into my luggage and slammed it shut. I swung my purse strap over my shoulder and turned to the door to see Rush standing there watching me.

              His face was pale and his eyes were blood shot. I closed my eyes. I did not care that he was upset. He should be. He’d lied to me. He’d betrayed me.

              “You can’t leave me,” he said in a hoarse whisper.

              “Watch me,” I replied in a cold flat voice.

              “Blaire, you didn’t let me explain. I was going to tell you everything today. They came home last night and I panicked. I needed to tell you first. He slammed his fist against the door frame. “You were not supposed to find out that way. Not like that. God not like that.” He sounded truly upset.

              I couldn’t let the tugging at my heart from the look on his face get to me. I would be an idiot if I did. Besides, his sister… Nan was his sister. No wonder he’d grown up protecting her. She’d been the child without a dad. I swallowed the bile in my throat. My dad was a horrible man.

              “I can’t stay here. I can’t see you. You represent the pain and betrayal of not just me but my mom.” I shook my head. “Whatever we had is over. It died the minute I walked downstairs and realized the world I’d always known was a lie.”

              Rush dropped his hands from the doorframe and his shoulders sagged as he hung his head. He didn’t say anything. He just stepped back so I could get out. The little heart that I had left in tact shattered from his defeated look. There was no other way. We were tainted.

Chapter Twenty-Four

              I didn’t look back and he didn’t call my name again. I headed down the stairs with my suitcase in hand. When I got to the bottom step, my dad came out of the living room and into the foyer. A frown was etched on his face. He looked fifteen years older since the last time I’d seen him. The past five years hadn’t been good to him.

              “Don’t leave, Blaire. Let’s talk about this. Give yourself time to think about things.” He wanted me to stay. Why? So he could make himself feel better for ruining my life? For ruining Nan’s life?

              I pulled the phone he’d wanted me to have out of my pocket and held it out to him. “Take it. I don’t want it,” I said.

              He stared down at it and then back at me. “Why would I take your phone?”

              “Because I don’t want anything from you,” I replied. The anger was there but I was tired. I just wanted out of here.