Tiger Teeth - Terms & Conditions // Book Two

Chapter 17

For all the things flying through my brain and all the emotions coursing through my veins, two words came out of my mouth when our eyes finally met.

"Thank you?" I said.

The tone was harsh but measured and I knew it would scare her.

When she didn't respond, the anger that I was sure couldn't get any worse got so much worse I couldn't handle it.

"What the fuck, Chroi?!" I yelled, positive everyone in the house could hear me.

I didn't give a shit. Which is the problem usually. I get mad and forget that other people can hear the anger which ends up humiliating the object I'm pissed at.

Great fun, let me tell you.

She flinched. I wish I could say it made me less angry but it didn't. She took a step forward,

"I just-" She stopped abruptly. She put her hands together in prayer position and brought them to her mouth. I heard her gasp a breath.

She was crying. Fucking great.

She blinked back the tears and focused on me again,

"I don't know." She whispered.

I blinked. There was the anger getting worse again. I took another step towards her,

"Ya...ya what? Ya don't know? Is that what ya just said?"

She closed her eyes and nodded. I stepped back,

"Well that's just fuckin' fabulous. I don't even know why I'm fuckin' shocked." I spat.

"Niall...Niall please." She begged, "I just...I know you're upset." She stumbled through the sentence.

A small side of me felt bad. She was obviously remorseful for what she'd done. But I couldn't see it through the haze of the anger that was firing through me. All I could feel was heat. Good since we were outside in the freezing cold.

I shook my head,

"I'm done walkin' on eggshells around ya. Done tryin' t'figure out what t'do and how t'do it. I'm fuckin' done."

She pulled her arms up to cross over her chest. I watched her whole body shiver. She took a breath,

"Please, let's go inside and tal-"

"Oh...now ya wanna fuckin' talk." I said. I didn't even realize I'd lifted my hands into my hair until I felt the pain from the yank at the strands. My hands fell down to my thighs with a crack against the pants.

As it so often does, anger turned to frustration and desperation. I took a few steps. I turned my back on her and then I turned back around,

"I love you." I said. It was all I had. She flinched and the anger came back full force. I stepped towards her, "What? What is that reaction? That is not a normal reaction to someone tellin' ya they love ya." I pointed into the house, "Ask anyone in there."

Chroi's whole body changed with my last words. Gone was any remorse. She squared her shoulders and looked me straight in the eye,

"I realize this looks bad." She said, no hint of any emotion in her words, "After all, playing the happy couple is what photographs well for Instagram right?"

I was stunned into silence. Even my breathing stopped.

What?

"Happy couple? Wha-How-" I shook my head, "What are ya talkin' about?"