Page 120 of Good Boys Don’t Bite

“You're fucking insane sometimes.”

Elliot smiled faintly.

“Sometimes?”

“You're jealous. Possessive. You say shit that would get anyone else institutionalized.”

“Romantic.”

“But you're not a murderer.”

Silence. Elliot's eyes remained on his. Ronan touched his jaw. Warm skin beneath his palm.

“You hear me?”

“Yes.”

“You're not whatever they're trying to turn this into.”

Elliot swallowed. For once, he looked almost vulnerable. Ronan hated that it made his chest ache.

“Ronan.”

“What?”

“If I was…”

He stopped. Ronan frowned.

“If you were what?”

Elliot looked away.

“Nothing.”

“Jesus Christ.”

“Forget it.”

“No.”

Ronan caught the back of his neck.

“Finish.”

Elliot looked at him. Something unreadable sat behind his eyes.

“If I was worse than you thought I was.”

Ronan's thumb moved once against his skin.

“What does that mean?”

“Just answer.”

The question felt strange. Too heavy for what it supposedly was. Ronan looked at him. Jealous. Cruel sometimes. Manipulative when frightened. Possessive to the point of absurdity. Ronan already knew all that. He'd stayed.

“Then I'd deal with it.”