Breathless

Chapter 17

The next day, today, is Saturday. It's pizza day, and I got a text this morning to meet at Grandma and Grandpa's at noon and we'd be there for lunch and then pizza for dinner, and it's to fifteen now, and literally everyone has called me at least twice, and I've not answered any of them.

Christian texted me a long ass paragraph on how much he loved me this morning, and I was hysterical.

I'm still sitting in my corner, and I'm shaking because the vents don't reach this particular corner, so I'm cold.

My front door opens, and Annie lets herself in, and after Annie, everyone else files in.

When I see Christian though, I fucking lose it, and I move from my corner, to my bedroom.

I get dressed quickly, locking the door so he can't come in, and I grab the keys for the Jeep off the dresser, and I open my door, and I run, darting past everyone.

Christian though, he's taller than me, so he's faster, and he catches my hand.

"Running from whatever the issue is won't solve it." He says, stern. "Tell me what's going on. This isn't you. What happened?"

We've almost been together a whole year.

An entire year.

And I ruined it.

The neighbor is outside with his daughter.

"I kissed your girl last night!" he calls across the street.

The look on Christian's face.

Betrayal, hatred, jealously, heartbreak...

He looks...

I don't even know.

Everyone are outside now, and they heard it all.

They saw it all.

Christian is staring at the snow, and then slowly, he lifts his eyes to mine.

"Explain."

"I didn't, I didn't want him to!" I whimper. "He came over at exactly three thirty seven in the morning last night with his daughter and he-he said his dog needed help, and I just wanted to help the fucking dog, so I went over there, and I slipped on ice when I was walking over there and he tried to help me but I got up before he could, because I don't want him to touch me, and his door was in labor, and his daughter went to bed, and it was just me and him, and he said you know, I find you very attractive and when I looked up, he kissed me!"

I'm hysterical.

Christian looks so frustrated.

"What happened then?" he asks.

"I jerked away from him and told him it wasn't like that, and he tried to apologize, but I ran off and I went home."

"So he just fucking kissed you, without you even showing any sign of affection towards him?"

"Yes!" I say. "I'm sorry!"

"This. Wasn't. You." He hisses.

The look on his face.

I swear, I've never seen him look so terrifying.

His body is tense, and his jaw is tight, so tight that the vein in his forehead is popping out.

He looks terrifying.

CHRISTIAN'S POV

Erin is so innocent.