Hissy Fit (Southern Gentleman 1)

She smiled sadly.

“Well, it’s not like you need to worry about it anymore. I’m perfectly fine, and I’m working through my fears.” She paused. “And your class is full of boys that are sweet. The girls are even sweeter. I’m lucky.”

“Next year you might not be,” I admitted. “What then?”

She sighed. “Next year it might not matter because I might be hit by a random bus crossing the road, and I’ll no longer be of this planet.”

Her flippancy made me angry.

“Don’t.”

Her eyes widened. “Don’t what?”

“Don’t joke,” I said. “Not about that.”

The idea of her not being around anymore felt like a blow right to the heart.

I hadn’t realized how attached I’d become until tonight. Her sweetness. Her beauty. Her teasing. Not having it around me anymore scared the absolute crap out of me, which in turn terrified me even more at the intensity of my feelings for her.

I’d never felt like this before. This feeling was utterly new, and it felt like something that was making my heart feel like it might burst straight the fuck out of my chest.

“Let’s go,” I ordered, getting out of my seat. “I don’t want that getting infected.”

She laughed. “Isn’t alcohol a disinfectant?”

I gave her a roll of my eyes. “Sure, let’s go with that.”

Teasingly, she flipped me off, but the lightness and laughter shining in her eyes was much better than seeing the terror of moments before as we spoke about what had happened to her.

Needless to say, I’d do just about anything to see her smile.Chapter 10It’s lit.

-Thomas Edison

Raleigh

I got six stitches in my thigh and a shot in the ass due to my clumsiness.

The icing on the cake was Ezra watching me bend over and pull down my pants, a look of heat in his eyes.

Now, I was sitting in the front seat of his truck in front of my house, wondering if I could talk him into coming inside.

Unfortunately, I knew that the moment he walked around the hood of the truck and helped me out that he wasn’t going to stay. Even if I asked nicely.

He looked shaken after what he’d learned about my assault and hadn’t gotten rid of the look ever since my dad and Croft had told him about it.

To make matters worse, he’d literally watched me get stitches with horror written all over his face.

Which then, in turn, made me feel stupid because I’d gone and screwed myself up, showing him exactly what he would be getting if he continued to date me.

And the bad thing was, ever since the night that we’d slept together, he hadn’t made a single move in my direction since.

He hadn’t even tried to cop a feel or kiss me.

Hugs, yes—not that I was complaining about Ezra hugs, they were the best—but there were other things I liked about him, too. Such as his lips…and his penis.

Like right now, he was keeping so much distance between us that I could definitely not miss the signs.

I was making him nervous.

“Do you want to come inside?” I asked, trying not to sound hopeful.

He shook his head. “I have an early morning practice tomorrow.”

I looked down at my feet. “I guess I’ll see you at the staff meeting tomorrow?”

I sounded almost hopeful as I asked that, and I knew that I likely sounded pathetic, too.

“I’ll be there.” He grinned, gesturing for me to walk to the door. “Thank you for inviting me to your parents’ place.”

I shrugged. “I’m not sure that I was actually the one to invite you…”

He chuckled and stopped at the bottom step, while I continued up the other three steps that led to my front porch.

Once the door was open, I flipped the porch light on and then turned to stare down at the man I’d never once entertained the possibility of being at my house.

Let alone dropping me off.

I guess I should be happy that he’d actually noticed me.

Yet…I wasn’t.

At least not any longer.

I was obsessed with the man, and I wanted so much more it wasn’t even funny.

“Well,” I hesitated, sounding nervous. “Be careful on the way home.”

Ezra winked and then started to back down the pathway back to my driveway.

“I’ll see you tomorrow.”

I looked down at my hands, away from that perfect smile so I wouldn’t launch myself at him. When I next looked up, he was at his truck and climbing inside.

When he sat there watching me expectantly, I frowned.

He gestured with his chin, and I looked over my shoulder to see the opened door at my back.

I frowned.

“What?” I mouthed, seeing no need to actually say the words since he wouldn’t be able to hear them anyway.

Go. Inside.

He mouthed those words back at me, and I chafed inwardly.

Turning my back on the man of my dreams, I walked inside and shut the door before locking it tightly.