Page 64 of On the Breakaway

“I didn’t ask you.”

Our words are coming faster, each one designed to piss the other off. The space between us shrinks as the argument pulls us closer instead of apart.

“No. No. Avery Holt would never ask for anything. She’d rather live on impulse and make it everyone else’s problem.”

“That’s better than living life within the confines of some box, playing the savior all the time. News flash. No one needs you saving them.”

“I’d rather be saving than needing to be saved.”

“Oh my God,” I mutter, stepping closer without thinking. “Do you ever hear yourself?”

He looks down at me, our faces only inches apart at this point. “Chaos, why the hell did you want me to come here?”

The answer launches out of my mouth before my brain can stop it.

“We need to have sex.”

The entire bar keeps moving around us while my soul exits my body.

Shit. I really just said that.

He stares at me as if I’ve short-circuited his brain.

“We need to have sex,” he repeats slowly.

“Yup.” I grab my water and drink half of it just to give my hands something to do.

He glances around the bar like I might be speaking to someone else. “Are you messing with me right now?”

“No,” I say, then regret how flat it comes out. “I’m serious.”

His stare locks back onto me. “You want to sleep with me?”

“I don’t like how you phrased that,” I say, focusing very hard on the condensation sliding down my glass. “But… sure. Yes.”

His brows pull together. “Why does that sound like I’m the one initiating this conversation?”

I exhale. “Look, there’s obviously mutual attraction.”

His expression tightens. “That’s your explanation?”

“It’s part of it.”

“Part of it,” he repeats.

I press on before I lose momentum. “We don’t like each other. That’s kind of the point. No feelings. Just… get it out of our systems.”

“You’ve spent the last five minutes insulting me.”

“So have you.”

“I’m not the one proposing sex.”

“Maybe not,” I shoot back, folding my arms defensively, “but insulting me didn’t stop you from checking out my tits.”

His entire face shifts into immediate exasperation. “I was not–”

“You literally checked them out while walking over here.”