Not good for you

33;

"Thank you, officer," Seeley said flatly as the officer stepped away. The officer just nodded, avoiding eye contact with us. He wanted us gone already.

Seeley's eyes burned with fury as I hugged myself and turned away.

"Are you ready to go?"

I'd rather close myself back in the cell and listen to Braith's stories all night.

"Yes," I said, walking out without looking at him. Seeley sighed but followed me out into the dark night.

"Do you plan on telling me what happened?" he asked, walking behind me to the empty parking lot. The air was cool and still as if the world had been holding its breath in anticipation of our confrontation.

I halted and angrily spun on my heels.

"I don't think that should concern you."

Seeley rubbed his forehead and looked down at me, looking worn out and disheartened.

"Why are you making this so hard?" he asked. "Can't you see I'm trying my best here?"

I crossed my arms.

"To get on my nerves?" I shot back. "Guess what? Congratulations, you've succeeded."

Seeley was already at the edge, but I wasn't going to back down. He thought he could be sarcastic with me earlier, so now it was my turn to return the favor.

"I didn't know you were this difficult," he sighed, and it felt like a punch to the gut. Who was he to say something like that? Where had the Seeley gone, and who wanted me to spend the night with him? He used to be captivating and nearly irresistible, but now he felt like a stranger standing before me.

"Difficult?" I repeated, incredulous. He's got some nerve. "Because I got arrested?"

"This shouldn't have happened in the first place."

"That asshole deserved it!" I spread my arms wide. "If you think I'm going stand here and let them stare at me like a piece of meat, you're fucking wrong!"

"I'm just saying that violence isn't the answer," he said, his eyes softening. "I completely understand that he was a jerk and had it coming, but people like him unfortunately exist, and you can't just go around punching everyone. You'll only end up in a worse position, not them."

I hated that he was right. But his reasoning also annoyed me because I thought I didn't need to hear my mother's lecture about this, and now Seeley was here to replace her. Talk about coming full circle.

"Says the one with a short temper," I scoffed. There was no way I'd ever let him know he was right; my pride was bigger than my logical thinking.

Seeley sighed and waited for me to look into his eyes again.

"Don't take me as a role model," he joked. "I'm too horrible for that."

I couldn't help but smile at him. Despite my hesitation to admit it, I appreciated his presence. I felt happy that, although we had had a big fight, he was the one who came back to help me when I was in trouble. Stop it, Heddy. Don't give in so easily; have some self-respect and manners. Leigh's happy, excited face flashed in my mind, and I felt a lump forming in my throat, the familiar guilt running through my veins. I shouldn't be happy for Seeley; it wasn't his fault, but his existence made my life ten times more complicated than it should have been.

Seeley noticed my frown immediately. "What's wrong?"

I knew it wasn't fair to keep things to myself. I had to tell him so we could lay all our cards on the table now. It wasn't my place to talk about Leigh's feelings, but I was heavily involved, even if she had no idea about it.