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"Well, I wish it would stop."
Travis sat back. "What? You don't have a date. He likes you. Just go out with him once. You’ll probably like him if you get to know him."
"You're not listening to me, Travis. I don't want to go out with him. He gives me the creeps."
"I'm vouching for the man. There's nothing creepy about him."
I clenched my jaw, biting back the fury. "He makes me uncomfortable. Isn’t that enough?" Heat spread over my skin. It was so rare I dug in my heels.
Travis rolled his eyes and sat back, crossing his arms. "Bloody fine, I guess. I thought it was going to be a good thing. Besides, Willow has been going on and on about being all you have. I mean she said she doesn’t understand why you bother going on all these adventures if you're just going to chicken out. We both agree you need more of an outlet than just Willow."
That heat turned to a block of ice in my chest as I turned to my sister. I blinked to force the tears back. "You said that?"
Willow’s gaze darted between Travis and me. “Wait, that’s not what I meant.”
Except, she did mean it. I could see the look of chagrin on her face. I shook my head. "It's fine. I just… Can we drop it? I don't want to talk about him."
As Willow started to speak, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up and I felt the shadow over my shoulder.
"Is this seat open? Can I join you?"
9
Daphne
I glared up. "What are you doing here?"
"Relax, rabbit, I was invited," he chuckled.
Travis glanced up at Massimo, back down at me, then back up at Massimo. "Um, Massimo, why don't you sit here? Let the girls sit together. Willow, didn’t you want to show Daphne the chapel at night? Maybe now is a good time while we wait for the food.”
"Absolutely," Willow chimed in quickly. "Nice to see you again, Massimo." She stood, but Massimo shook his head.
"No, I'd rather enjoy Daphne's company."
My skin crawled, and my stomach churned.
"You know, I'm actually kind of tired," I said, attempting to rise. I could get room service.
His hand shot out, grasping mine in a vice-like grip. "Daphne, you wouldn't be so rude as to leave before we've had a chance to talk, would you?"
I ground my teeth. Every instinct was screaming at me to get away. This was worse than my frustration with Drake. Drake was annoying but tolerable. And well, I was annoyed with Drake because I wanted to be near him. This was cloying, claustrophobic and manipulative. It was like he was siphoning off my energy until I had nothing left to give.
The same way my mother made me feel.
"Actually, I was just leaving. Enjoy your meal," I snapped, wrenching my hand from his.
He leaned in closer. "People are watching, Daphne. Sit down. I'll release you when I'm ready to. Your vanishing act the other night was rude."
I had no idea what got into me. None whatsoever. But I laughed. "If they're watching, then they'll hear me say, for when the police ask, I don't want to see you. I want nothing to do with you. We aren't friends. We aren't dating. I am not interested. Let me make sure you hear that I don't want you."
Oh, boy.
The flash of anger in his eyes told me I had hit a nerve. I probably should be more worried but all I could muster was exhaustion, annoyance and discomfort. I just wanted him to leave me alone.
His eyes narrowed. "Are you sure that's the way you want to play it, Daphne? I always get what I want."
"Please just stop," I muttered. “I’m just coming off a relationship. I’m focusing on myself.” Turning to my sister and Travis, I said, "I think I'm going to have a lie down."
