Before We Burned - Book One| [Currently Being Rewritten]

CHAPTER NINETEEN

"I didn't lie to you, Hazel. Mel and I aren't dating."

She crossed her arms over her chest, an ironic snort escaped her lips as she momentarily looked away. "Why would she say that then?"

"Because she wanted to get back at me by using you."

"Get back at you for what? And why me? That doesn't make sense."

"Something went down between us and it was my fault." I shoved my hands in the pockets, the night breeze blowing against my skin. "And she knows I care about you."

She stared at me for a while. "Ethan, you need to tell me what happened between you both. I have to know why she targeted me because as far as I know, you care about Reem too."

"I can't tell you that."

"Why not?"

"Because—" I blurted out. Then refrained from completing that sentence. She was dating someone else for God's sake. I inhaled, deeply enough to fill out my lungs but lowly enough for her not to hear me.

Or worse, hear my heart beating.

"Because it won't make a difference even if I tell you."

By the annoyed sneer that rolled out of her mouth, I figured she was clearly pissed. "How do you know that? Shouldn't I be the one deciding that?"

"Hazel, trust me. I'm saying this for a good reason."

She lashed out. "You don't get to decide for me, Ethan. I agreed to listen to you so you can come clean not to have you dropping secrets on me."

The cold night breeze blew again and I felt my skin tingling with goosebumps. And something told me it wasn't just the aftermath of the cold.

It was the sheer possibility of losing her.

"At this point, it concerns me so I deserve to know the truth. For all I know, that girl mortified me as soon as you were both done having sex. I didn't do anything to hurt her so why me?"

I almost froze.

"Wait, how do you know that?"

"That you two had sex? Well, she told me. You apparently make her feel so good."

I furrowed my eyebrows for a second and took a step towards her. A part of me fueled with anger, Melissa's attempts were pissing the fuck out of me by the second but the other part — which was more important right now — was amused, almost ecstatic.

I asked her. "Do you by any chance have a problem with that?"

She was caught off guard, which explained her stammering. "W— what do you mean?"

I couldn't resist the smirk plastering across my face. Then lowly, I said. "I mean, me and Mel having sex—" my lips almost brushed against her jawline, I lingered there for a second then I retreated to look into her eyes. "Is that a problem to you?"