DARE-TO-LOVE-TRUTH-AND-DARE-DUET-COLLECTION-by-Lylah-James-pdfarchive

“I don’t like how you got hurt because of me,” he finally
admitted. Maddox touched my cheek, his thumb hovering
over my wound. His touch was gentle and soothing.
“Feeling guilty, Poodle?”
His eyes snapped to mine, glaring. “It’s not funny.”
“What’s not funny, Poodle?”
“Lila,” he warned.
“Yes, Poodle.”
“You’re hurt!”
I pressed my finger over my cheek and winced, then
gave him a nod in confirmation. “Yup, I can feel that.”
He fumed, silently. His jaw clenched, and I swore I heard
his teeth grinding together. Finally, I let the poor guy out of
his misery. “I don’t blame you. Bethany was a bitch. I dealt
with it, and it’s over now. Little scratches can’t hurt me
because they don’t leave permanent scars.”
Maddox stood up and offered me a hand. I grabbed it,
and he pulled me up to my feet. “Fine. Let me drive you
home.”
The world came to a halt at his words, and my knees
weakened.
I suddenly forgot how to breathe as my eyes watered.
Sweat trickled down my forehead and between my breasts.
I choked on my saliva as the gut-wrenching feeling in my
stomach had me wanting to throw up.
The long, jagged scar between my breasts throbbed with
a ghostly ache, a reminder. It wasn’t painful anymore, but
my body and my mind remembered the pain.
“No,” I choked out.
Maddox gripped me by the elbow. “For fuck’s sake, Lila.
Just let me–”
“No!”
He didn’t understand; he didn’t fucking understand.
I stumbled back and away from him, desperately trying
to count backward.
Ten… nine…eight…