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Zane doesn’t pressure me, and I appreciate that. He seems to grasp the importance of quietness and allowing room to sort through a jumble of emotions.
We drive on, the city giving way to quieter streets and residential neighborhoods. The streetlights cast elongated shadows that flicker and dance across the car’s interior. Finally, he pulls up in front of my apartment building, the car idling as he shifts into park.
“Thanks for the ride.” The awkward as fuck ride. My hand is on the door and my foot is on the sidewalk when I pause. I can feel the frown on my face as I look at my apartment.
“What is it?” Zane grabs me and manhandles me back into the car. He moves so fast, I have no idea what’s even happening until it’s happened.
That was actually kind of impressive.
“Relax.” I swat his hand away. “It looks like I left a light on in my apartment, that’s all.”
“Which one is it?” he demands, his voice low and commanding, his eyes narrowing as if he’s trying to see through my façade.
“The one in the kitchen,” I reply a bit too quickly. His eyes narrow further.
“Stay. Here.” Each word is clipped, delivered with an intensity that pins me to my seat. His hand is already on the door handle, muscles coiled and ready to spring into action.
“No way, Megamind,” I snap back, grabbing his arm. “You’re not coming in.”
Zane turns to face me, his expression a mixture of frustration and concern. “You can’t be serious. If there’s even a chance that someone’s in there?—”
At least he didn’t say anything about me calling him Megamind.
“There isn’t,” I insist, cutting him off. “I just forgot to turn off a light. It happens.”
He shakes his head, his jaw tightening. “I’m not letting you go in alone.”
I groan, my frustration bubbling to the surface. “Why do you even care? You barely know me. You don’t want to know me, remember?”
Zane’s gaze turns to flint, and reckless determination flashes in his eyes. “This isn’t about understanding you. It’s about guaranteeing your safety.”
“I can take care of myself,” I retort, crossing my arms. “I don’t need a babysitter.”
“You’re being stubborn and reckless,” he retorts. “What if someone is in there? What if?—”
“What if nothing?” I interrupt. “I’ve lived on my own before, Zane. I know how to handle myself.” Kind of.
His jaw clenches, eyes flashing with a mix of frustration and concern. “Aria, you’re underestimating the danger. A few self-defense classes don’t prepare you for real-world threats. You need to be more cautious.”
Well, that was just rude.
I snap, my voice rising with anger. “Don’t you dare lecture me!” My fists clench, and my jaw tightens as I continue, my words dripping with venom. “You have no right to dictate how I live my life.”
“I’m trying to keep you alive!” he snarls, his voice snapping like a whip and making me jump. The rancor in his words stings my ears, and I can practically see the rage simmering beneath his skin. He clenches his jaw, the muscles popping and his jaw grinding.
Fuck, that’s hot.
For some fucked-up reason, it turns me on, and maybe that means there is something fundamentally wrong with me, because I want to verbally spar with this man who taught me how to actually spar. It doesn’t scare me, because somewhere deep in my hindbrain, I know he would never hurt me.
Unlike Noah. I always knew what he was capable of and pretended it didn’t exist.
My voice cracks as I yell. “I don’t need your worthless protection,” I spit out. “What I really need is for you to get the hell away from me.”
For a moment, we just stare at each other, the tension crackling between us like a live wire. Zane’s eyes are hard, his body rigid with anger and something else—something I can’t quite place.
His voice turns rough with anger as he tugs on his hair, nearly pulling it out in aggravation. “You’re impossible!” he snarls, glaring at me. “Why won’t you open up and let me help you? What are you so afraid of?”
My voice trembles as I admit, “Your help only makes me feel weaker.” Tears well up in my eyes, but I fight them back. “I can’t afford to be weak right now,” I choke out through clenched teeth. My hands ball into fists at my sides, desperation and frustration coursing through my veins.
