New Year CH 9
Her responding flinch was violent as her hands flew up to cover her mouth, and he knew that was the exact moment he should drop to his knees and apologize until he was blue in the face. Had he just told her that she should be SCARED of him?! What was this, his own damn villain origin story?!
Eyes blowing wide, he held his hands up as if in surrender.
“I did not mean that…” he swallowed, shaking from the adrenaline, from the norepinephrine, from the testosterone, from a cocktail of hellish over-stimulating chemicals that seemed to think some hungry lion was ten feet from him instead of a picturesque beach and a gorgeous girl who loved him infinitely more than he deserved.
“Sig, oh my god, sweetheart, I am so unbelievably sorry. That was an absolutely unforgivable thing to say to you. I don’t even…” he trailed off, hanging his head so he wouldn’t have to see the damage.
He rubbed his temples for twenty seconds or so before looking up at her again. Her lips were trembling, and the pained look in her eyes made him want to throw up. It made him want to turn on his heel and run away like an absolute coward. It also made him want to run straight to her, wrap his arms around her, pick her up, and carry her with him everywhere. He opened his mouth to say more, but she spoke first.
“Thank you for apologizing,” she blew out a breath. “I would be out of here otherwise.”
“And you would be right to go,” he swallowed again, even more nervous now. But oh dear god please DON’T.
