𝐒𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐞𝐝, 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐁𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐅𝐚𝐧

17. Lonesome

     So I guess he wanted to rip me apart after all.

     "Did you know he wanted to fuck you before or after you hopped in his car?" This was the first question of Prince's interrogation as we sat parked in the Paisley lot. It was actually more nail-biting that instead of piling questions over each other, he actually just sat there staring at me, waiting to hear an answer. "Ivy?"

Throwing Rodney's stuff in the backseat, I almost answered. "He said that..." Almost. But I really didn't feel like explaining myself. I hadn't had to explain myself to anyone since I was 10! And never a man.

"Please tell me what he said that made you think it was okay to get in his car."

My words dragged out. "Is there really a difference between his car and a taxi's?"

"Significantly." The assertiveness of his tone made me shrink even more. "Explain to me why you waited around for an hour to call the cab. And why you declined everyone else's offer to take you home until he was the last one standing." Prince was doing a great job at paranoia. The way he put it, I was 100% guilty of wrongdoing. But of course, this is all weighing in his favor simply because he forgot his own words.

"I was waiting for you," I reminded him.

"So I don't show up, you call the cab pretending you've been waiting on them, and when they say they're gonna send someone you say 'no thanks'?"

My head wouldn't turn his way. The tension under my skin wouldn't allow it.

"Yes I called them," he said, "because I couldn't figure out where the hell you were."

"I just wanted to leave after I found out you left for California."

"Who told you I was in California, Ivy?"

"He did."

"See the bullshit I'm talkin' about?"

"No...You told me you would come get me to take me to Galpin and-"

"So why didn't you ask him to take you Galpin?"

"Why didn't I ask him to—what? So he could look at me like I was crazy? He said you were in California anyway and besides, I'm not Carmen or Lori. I'm just the receptionist."

"Lori? I'm fucking Lori now too? Go down the-" Prince cut himself off as I started to groan, dramatically falling over the center console 'til my head bumped his arm. Surrendering his tirade, he huffed as I tugged him closer. It was finally quiet.

I stared at the beautiful pearl necklace draped over Prince's rearview mirror, a single strand of diamonds set beside it, and I thought of a way to apologize to him. I didn't like seeing him upset.

"Seriously..." Prince's thumb traced over my lips. "What makes you think I would just leave you like that?"

I shrugged. "You were upset earlier."

"So? Couples fight."

A coming beat skipped out on my heart, shortly leaving me breathless as his faint chuckle sprinkled over me.

"I'm sorry," he expressed, planting a quick, hard kiss in my curls. "And don't freak out but..."

"Already freaking out," I said sitting up.

The California thing was real. "Spur of the moment," as he put it. His flight was to leave in the middle of the night when I would be asleep. But of course, I wouldn't really be asleep. How could I?