“Eddie, let me go.”

“That’s not gonna happen.”

I started panicking. It was a delayed reaction panic but I’d final y realized that this was not going well .

At al .

“Eddie, let me go! ” I (kind of) shouted.

His arms tightened and he shook me a bit. “It’s not gonna happen!” he shouted back.

Okay, I was ful -on panic at that point.

“You have to let me go!”

Definitely a shout.

“Why?”

“You just have to.”

Another shake.

“Why?”

I felt tears burn in my throat.

No, this was seriously not going well .

“Jet, talk to me.”

I shook my head and tried to pul away.

He brought me even closer.

“Eddie, let me go!”

“You like me, you don’t want to, but you do and this is total bul shit.”

“I don’t like you!” I yel ed.

“You f**king well do!” he yel ed back.

I gave a vicious yank and the tears burning my throat started to burn my eyes, I couldn’t swal ow them down and they started flowing.

He caught me again and brought me back.

“Do I have to prove it to you?” His voice was back to quiet and it was far more scary then him shouting.

“I don’t like you.”

Another shake.

I pul ed away again but stood in front of him and shouted,

“I don’t like you! I love you. I’ve loved you since the minute I saw you. God!” I looked to the ceiling and swiped a hand across my face to wipe away the tears, “You’re a good guy, I could tel right off. You’re nice to your friends and they love you. You’re handsome and you stepped up for me, going al out to keep me safe and…and…” I faltered and then ral ied,

“you have a fancy truck!”

For a second he looked shocked, then the warmth came into his eyes and he reached out to me.

I whirled, total y panicked, beyond freaked out, straight to temporary insanity.

What was I thinking, blurting out that I loved him?

Total y temporary insanity.

I started to run but he caught me, swung me around again and walked me back until I was pressed against the wal , his body against mine.

“No!” I screamed, “We can’t have sex against the wal again, I have to go.”

“We’re not havin’ sex against the wal .”

I looked at him and shouldn’t have. The warmth was there but he was also amused, he thought this was funny.

This was anything but funny.

“I have to go.”

“You aren’t goin’ anywhere.”

“Eddie…”

“Chiquita, calm down.”

I shook my head. Calm was not an option, my heart was beating so hard I thought I could hear it even though I couldn’t hear anything but the blood rushing to my ears.

“Why are you scared?” he asked.

I shook my head.

“Why do you want to break up with me?”

I shook my head again but answered.

And I answered honestly. “It isn’t going to work. I know it.

I’d rather have it end now, when it’l hurt but I don’t want it to end later, when it’l tear me apart.”

I was struggling against him to get away but he pressed deeper and I could smel him and I stopped. I had to hold on to my reserves, I couldn’t burn out too fast, I had to keep enough energy to find a way to walk out of there.

“Why isn’t it going to work?” he asked.

“It never works.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know. It just doesn’t. You can love someone a lot and treat them nice and do everything for them and then they just go. It happens. I saw it happen to my Mom and I don’t want it to happen to me. She came undone, it was like watching her unravel. And she was strong, is strong, and it destroyed her.”

I was talking to his throat, it was the only way to get it out.

His body stil pressed against mine, his hands came to my face and tilted it up, forcing me to look at him.

“Jet, I don’t know what’s gonna happen and I can’t promise anything but I do know I don’t want this to end.

What we have is good, it’s so f**kin’ good, it’s great.”

“Eddie…”

“No ‘Eddie’, listen to me. You go, I fol ow and bring you back. You leave, I’l do it again. You want to quit workin’ at Fortnum’s, do it. But I’l be at Smithie’s every night to pick you up. I told you I’d wear you down and I thought I was gettin’ somewhere but it seems I got work to do.”

“Don’t,” I whispered.

“I know you love him, but your Dad’s an ass**le.” I shook my head but I was beginning to feel it, coming up, wil y-nil y and uncontrol able.

The attitude.

No one cal ed my Dad an ass**le.

Okay, well , maybe Eddie could get away with it but not without a little ‘tude thrown at him.

“And your Mom has shit taste in men,” he went on.

I stopped shaking my head and stared at him.

He did a lip touch and my body froze.

“But you don’t,” he said.

He pul ed me away from the wal and in his arms.

Then, he grinned. “You have f**kin’ great taste in men,” he finished.

That brought me out of my freeze and I glared at him.

“This isn’t funny,” I snapped.

“You’re wrong. This is hilarious. You love me and you’re tryin’ to break up with me.”

I put my hands on my h*ps in a Double Diva Threat.

“I’m not trying, I am breaking up with you.” The grin broke out into a smile; white teeth, dimple and al .

“You are so ful of shit.”

Real y.

Was he serious?

“Eddie…”

“Cállate, mi amor. We’re done talkin’ now. I’m takin’ you to the bedroom.”

I planted my feet. “We are not done talking!” He pressed me back.

“You wanna do it against the wal again?” he asked softly, then his lips went to my neck.

“Don’t ignore me while I’m trying to break up with you,” I snapped at him.

His hands went under the shirt.

“I’m not ignoring you, I’m just not listenin’ to your shit.”

“Eddie.”

He kissed me.

It was a good kiss.

No, it was a great kiss.

My fingers curled into the waistband of his jeans.