Expiration Date (Books 1 and 2)

74 This Is Not A Date

Iris~~

My mind swims. No. No. This can't be happening. I press my palms against his chest, pushing him back.

Erik's brows furrow.

"What are you doing?"

"Well, I was kissing you."

"I told you I didn't want this to be a date." I step out of his arms.

"I didn't think it needed to be a date to kiss you."

"Did you not listen to anything I said earlier?"

Erik's lips are pressed into a thin hard line, his jaw firm. "I did and it hurt. I thought if I kissed you, you would . . ."

I wrap my arms around me. "I would what?"

"Realize that it should be us."

My jaw trembles.

"Did Jonas kiss you?"

I try to steady my jaw. "I don't have to answer that."

Shaking his head, Erik runs his hand through his hair and turns away. "I can't believe it. But I shouldn't be too surprised, right? While I was trying to figure out a way to free us from my family, you were off screwing my cousin."

His words snap something inside me. To keep myself from lashing out, I head back to the restaurant.

"Is it true?"

I stop. "No."

"Because my cousin is so moral?"

"Do you want me to apologize that Jonas didn't ignore me like you always do?"

"He wants you dead!"

"I'm having a hard time believing that."

I continue walking back to the dining area. A glance at our table has me deciding to head for the car. I squeeze past a waiter who turns, hitting me with his tray. The wine glasses fall on their sides, their red liquid pooling over the edges of the tray and onto me.

I step back, arms held out. Great. It looks like I've been shot.

The waiter bombards me with apologies, but I wave him off and head inside. It was my fault anyway.

I walk through the small room, past diners and waiters, but they're a blur. I push open the front door of the restaurant. Behind me Erik enters through the back door of the building.

I'm in the sand of the parking lot when I hear him, "I've done so much for you."

I curl my hands, not looking at him. "No, you did it for Molly."

"Molly is dead."

I turn, my rage boiling. "Yes, I know. I find it strange that you're so worried about Jonas killing me when you killed your own girlfriend."

It's like I've fired a bullet at him. His eyes widen, and his mouth parts, and he reaches for his chest. "Who told you?"

"Vienna."

His jaw trembles, and he falls to his knees. "I didn't mean to. I swear. I didn't know it was her Expiration Date. She had mutilated her own skin to hide it." I've never seen him like this. My rage begins to simmer—the sight of him looking this broken pulling at the strings of my heart. He tugs at his shirt. "I made us leave the Society. I was the one who got in a fight with my father. Not her. Never her. She begged me, Iris. She begged me not to make us leave, but I made us."

I step toward him. "Erik."

"I used to like old cars. Did you know that?" He sways on his knees, his face contorting. "It was irresponsible."

Bending down in front of him, I place a hand on his shoulder. "Please, stop. I'm worried about you."

He brushes my hand away. "I was driving her back to her house. She was crying—sobbing but wouldn't tell me what was wrong. I was distracted by her. I saw the bear too late. I tried braking, but the breaks gave out. I swerved. The next thing I knew I was looking at Molly, her eyes staring blankly at me. Blood was trickling down her head. She looked like a broken doll—a smashed clock."

"Erik—that's not your fault."

He shoves me away, and I land hard in the sand. He stands. "Have you not learned anything? I was fated from my birth to be the reason she died. I forced her into that car. I allowed myself to be distracted. I chose to drive that car, knowing I had issues with it before. It's my fault and my family's for making us wear our Expiration Dates; Molly never would have been crying; I wouldn't have felt daring enough to drive that car."

"It was her Expiration Date."

"You lived though."

Silence.

I pull myself to my feet. "I'm a fluke."

"I was able to save you. Why you? Why not her?"

"So, you're what? You're going to hold that against me?"

"Yes."

I recoil. "No, you don't hold it against me. You hold it against yourself." I turn away, not sure where to go. The desert seems empty and cold, and I feel incredibly small.

"I wished I had never saved you."