Almost Midnight (Shadow Falls: After Dark #3.5)(73)

“Hey,” Perry said.

“Hey,” she repeated and took a few steps closer. But it wasn’t as close as she wanted. She wanted his arms around her. His lips against hers. She wanted him to make everything that hurt inside her go away. He could do that.

He had in the past. But never had that hurt been caused by him.

His gaze shifted to the door where Shawn had disappeared. “So…?”

“So what?” she asked, not wanting to explain anything about Shawn, not even sure she should. There really wasn’t anything to explain.

“You look … nice.” His voice softened.

And then she softened, too. She nodded and took another step closer.

“Your hair … You decided not to streak it anymore.”

“You don’t like it?” she asked.

He studied her. “I like you. I don’t care what color your hair is.” He took the next few steps—closing the distance between them.

His scent, like fresh outdoor air, filled her senses and she took a deep breath, greedy for more. Her hands ached to reach for him, but her pride made that move difficult. Mentally, emotionally, she’d been reaching for him for four weeks. He’d pushed her away. He hadn’t even called her.

Slowly, he lifted a hand and brushed a strand of hair from her cheek.

His touch sent a powerful bolt of emotion to her chest. It took everything she had not to fall against him.

“I’ve missed you so damn much,” he said.

Me, too! “Really?” she asked. “Normally, I think you call people when you miss them.” She wasn’t sure where she got the backbone to say that, but suddenly she realized she deserved to know.

He lowered his hand and head. For several beats of silence he stared at the floor and didn’t move. Finally he lifted his gaze again. “I was afraid.”

“Of what?”

“That if I talked to you, I would have said screw the school and come running back to you.”

“Back to the girl you broke up with? That seems odd.” Her sinuses stung and she felt tears forming.

“Don’t you get it, Miranda? I broke up with you because I wasn’t sure that I could ever control my power, and if I couldn’t then … I’d never be able to live a normal life, not in the human world. And I know your plans for your life, you’ve told me them a hundred times.” A sad shade of blue touched his eyes. “Those plans don’t include hiding or hiding a husband. I wouldn’t fit in your world. I’d hold you back. You deserve to have what you want.”

“Says who? Who decides what I deserve? I thought that was my decision?” A few tears fell. “Do you want to know something? I never thought I deserved better than you … not until you broke my heart. Do you know how miserable I’ve been waiting on you to call? I took up killing shape-shifters.”

His eyes widened.

“A game!” she said, rolling her eyes. “But I don’t even like games. Especially killing games.”

He nodded then glanced down again. “I’m sorry. Maybe breaking up was wrong, but—”

“Maybe?” she said, seething. How could he stand here and not see how hurt she’d been? How could he feel any justification in what he’d done? Was this what she was going to get from her dad, too? Some lame excuse for screwing up and hurting others?

“Oh, I can’t believe you!” For the first time she understood her mom’s inability to resist turning her dad into a baboon when he infuriated her. Her pinky begged to be used and she gripped her hands to hold back the temptation.

Perry stood there, looking too good, looking sad and frustrated at the same time. “Is this your way of trying to tell me that this is exactly what it looks like?”

“This, what?” she asked.

“This … him.” Perry waved toward the hall where Shawn had disappeared. “Mr. I’m-Too-Sexy-For-My-Shirt guy!”

His remark pushed several emotions back and anger took the lead. “What do you think it is?” she asked.

His frown deepened. “I can tell when a guy is interested in a girl.”

“I’m surprised. Because you totally suck at telling when a girl is interested in a guy.”

“What? Are you saying you’re not interested in him or that you are?”

“I’m saying you suck at knowing. You sure as heck didn’t realize how I felt about you when you … broke it off and broke my heart. If you did, you wouldn’t have done it. Wouldn’t have hurt me like this.”

He took a step closer, his eyes stared right into hers and her heart clutched. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“Well, you did.”

He tucked his hands into his jeans and took another step. So close that when she glanced up, all she could see was his face. He lowered his head just an inch and his forehead touched the top of hers. Now she could only see his lips. So close. Crazy how many nerve endings one could feel from a casual touch of foreheads.

“I’m sorry.” His head shifted. His nose brushed against hers. His lips came to the edge of her mouth. Brushing her cheek ever so lightly, a whisper away from her mouth. “I missed you. Missed you so damn much.”

Her heart thumped in her chest, so loud, she was certain he could hear it. She wanted his mouth on hers so badly, but should she … Should she even want it after he’d put her through hell?