Country Mile

DAMN MY TRAITOROUS HEART

Adam took a step toward her, and Genna instinctively removed her foot from the stairs and took several steps back.

His eyes darkened. "Youngin', I suggest you watch that smart mouth. Now look here—"

"No, YOU look. I didn't do anything wrong so I suggest you get off my fucking ass!"

No sooner as the words left her mouth, Adam was thundering down the steps.

"Get off your ass, huh?"

She held up her hands to coax him to calm down, but he quickly closed the gap between them. His left hand clasped her right wrist, and as he pulled her closer to him, he brought his free hand down upon the seat of her denim shorts.

"Ow, ADAM!"

"How's that for getting off your ass?"

"That's literally the opposite!" she yelled while backing away as far as she could and trying to pull her wrist out of his grasp. He ignored both her response and her attempt to pull free, and simply turned around, dragging her with him up the stairs and into the house.

He pulled out a kitchen chair and none too gently sat her in it.

"What the fu—"

Adam brought his hand up to cease her words and closed his eyes. "Do NOT finish that sentence."

"Adam, please."

He opened his eyes and stared incredulously at her. "Don't you start your beggin' just yet, we haven't even begun."

"We don't have to! We don't have to begin anything at all. Just.. let's just calm down."

He let out a hearty laugh dripping with sarcasm. "Oh, now you wanna be calm?"

"You're the one who came at me all aggressive and sh-stuff."

"Hm, I wonder why," he stated dryly.

"Well you're acting like I know!"

"Oh? And you don't?"

"NO!" Genna yelled while kicking the heel of her shoe on the floor for emphasis. "I wrote you a damn note. I said I was going out for a walk and that I'd probably be late getting back. I did everything you told me to!"

Adam reached out and gently, but firmly, grabbed her by the chin and made her look him square in the eye.

"Is that a fact?" he asked.

"YES."

"I never found a note."

"Well I swear to you, I wrote one. I'll admit, a snarky one, but a note nonetheless. Right on the back of the one you left me."

He studied her for a moment, looking for any traces of deception. When he found none, he nodded and released her chin.

"I believe you."

She nodded back. "Thank you."

"Tell me what happened this afternoon, please."

"Okay, well, when I came out of the den, I read your note. I decided to go get settled in first, so I spent most of the morning unpacking. I finished some time between 10 and 11, C's and decided to go for that walk like you suggested. So I came down here, I wrote my note, and as I was leaving, Delilah—uh" She faltered due to the following events being a bit self incriminating, but then realization dawned on her that the sneaky little bitch must have had something to do with her current predicament.

"Delilah what?" he prodded.

"She and I.. um.. passed by each other. I was going out and she was coming in. And.. that's all."