Écarté (Lost Birds Book 4)

Part 22 You

** Content Warning**

I wasn't sure exactly where I was going. I picked a path out in the woods and I followed it. At least this time I didn't have to stay on the porch and wait. I had shoes and a sweatshirt already on. 

The path that I'd chosen wasn't quite the same as the one Theo had showed me before. It was a long twisting and winding path. I was sure I'd end up getting lost on it but I was to frustrated to care. I didn't even notice when the path veered back toward the house until I came across the newer looking barn.

The wind was staring to pick up but I wasn't ready to go back to the house yet so I slipped inside. Luke immediately came to the edge of his stall nickering and snorting at me. I let out a heavy breath. Some of my tension blew out along with it. It was hard to stay so frustrated when someone was that excited to see me. I headed over to Luke's stall and gave him a few of the scratches and pets that he was so desperate for.

I didn't even stop to turn and see who came in when the side door opened. I wanted to ignore them. I wanted them to go away. The closer they came the more my anger and frustration grew. Until finally they were standing just behind me and I couldn't hold it in any more.

"I don't want to hear it." I warned. 

My hand on Luke stilled.

"I didn't come here to talk sweetheart." Theo said catching me off guard.

I turned around to glare up at him suspiciously. He looked every bit as frustrated and hurt as I felt.

The longer I looked up at Theo the harder it was to try and form words. We hadn't been alone like this since our first kiss. We'd both actively avoided each other. We hadn't bothered to talk about any part of it, not together.

"Theo..." I wanted to ask him about that night, about what was going on with him and why he had reacted the way that he had. I wanted to tell him off for coming out here when he knew I wanted to be alone. I even wanted to remind him that there was nothing he could say to change my mind about going home but his words caught up to me. He didn't come here to talk. For some reason that alone made me want to kiss him, again.

I took a hesitant step forward. I gave him time to step back or pull away but he didn't seem to be intrigued by either. He just watched me. A flash of something deeper than anger flickered across his eyes and then they dropped to my lips.

I recognized his signature frown of disapproval. I didn't care. If he was going to pull away from this kiss and storm out of here like last time then so be it. At least then I would be alone again and I wouldn't be so damn angry.

I leaned up on my toes shoving my lips against Theo's. I intended on shoving all of my emotions into a quick and harsh kiss. What I wasn't expecting was Theo's return kiss to be equally harsh.

He brought both of his hands up. One of them fisted in my hair and the other slid into the back pocket of my jeans. His arms flexed pulling me against him while his tongue assaulted my mouth. Every ounce of frustration and pent up aggression that I showed was shoved right back at me through our kiss.

When our lips parted I was left panting and trembling for more.

"Tell me what you want." Theo demanded against my lips.

"You." I growled out annoyed that he couldn't seem to understand that even after the kiss we'd just shared.

Theo pulled back enough so that he could scan my face. His eyes paused on my lips. I tipped my chin forward to move in for another kiss but his hand tightened in my hair holding me in place.