A/N:

He didn't slip her anything in the coffee. I'll admit, he was being sort of sneaky and did something to help her succumb to what her body needed, but he didn't put anything physical in her coffee to make her sleep. Clear things up a bit? Sweet.

Beta is Lindz26. Pre-reader is MichelleMMarie—the Snap, Crackle, and Pop to my Rice Krispies.

CHAPTER NINE
*This and That*

I came back into consciousness sometime later, my eyes adjusting to seeing Edward still next to me, asleep. His hands were propped behind his head, his breaths slow, deep, and even. He seemed so relaxed as he slept.

That was when I realized I'd fallen asleep.

I sat up with a gasp. "Edward," I breathed, and grabbed his shoulders, trying to shake him awake.

He groaned, scrunching his forehead.

I continued shaking him. "Wake up, Edward. I fell asleep. How could I let myself fall asleep?" I asked urgently.

"Petal—goddamnit—stop shaking me, will ya?"

I stopped and watched as he sat up and rubbed his eyes before opening them. His hair hadn't moved an inch from when I last saw it. He must've been a still sleeper.

"I was supposed to stay awake," I said.

He sighed grumpily. "Well, did you have one of those water dreams?"

I tried to recall. I didn't think I had any dream, or if I did, I didn't remember. "No…," I answered.

"Then? Guess it's over and you can stop bugging me about it."

"But…that doesn't mean it's over. What if I have another one?"

He ran a hand through his hair then scratched his bearded jaw. "You won't."

"How do you know?"

"I don't."

Well, that wasn't very reassuring. "I'm not going to risk it."

"Petal," he sighed, sounding frustrated. "Nothing is going to happen to you, okay? You're not going back in the water, and…" he paused, taking a deep breath "…I'm not going to let anything happen to you."

"You won't?" I asked softly, already feeling calmer.

"I won't," he assured.

"You promise?" I needed more validation.

"Yeah."

"But you can't stop the dreams."

"We'll figure it out, okay? Are you tired?"

I felt like I'd only gotten twenty minutes sleep. It wasn't enough for my body to feel strong again. "A little," I spoke modestly.

He got up and pulled down the blanket. "Here, get under."

I did as he said and slid underneath the soft cover. Surprisingly, he got under, too. I wasn't complaining. I liked him here.

He faced the ceiling, staring up at it. I had a strong urge to rest my head against his shoulder. Would he freak out if I did? He seemed like a man who liked his space, but I didn't want my own space. I would sleep easier if I was in his. So, I moved to him slowly, testing it out. He didn't say anything. I lifted my head from the pillow and placed it on his shoulder. In response, he stiffened, but didn't speak a word. I shut my eyes, more comfortable than ever.

However, when I woke up later that night, he was gone.

X-X-X-X

We drove on the road behind a massive semi-truck. Edward kept looking in his side-view mirror, and I wondered why.

"What is it?" I asked.

He looked in his mirror again. "Something's not right with the back tire," he murmured.

"You think it's flat?"

He steered the truck into the tavern's parking lot and pulled into an empty space. "Not sure. You go in, and I'll be there in a minute. Just need to check it out."

When I went inside, Alice was behind the counter, her back facing me. I was happy to see her. "Hey, Alice," I greeted, causing her to turn around with a dishrag and an empty beer mug in her hands.

She grinned, her eyes assessing me. "Well, look at you," she said, seeming surprised at something.

I looked down at myself to see what she was talking about. "What am I looking at?" I questioned.

She chuckled. "The first time you came in here, you were as glum as a plum. Now, you're all happy and everythin'."

I smiled shyly. I could probably say I was happier than I had been before. Mainly due to the fact that Edward and I were getting along so much more lately.

Since that day he'd slept in the same bed as me, we hadn't had a repeat. He went back to the couch, and that was that, but there was a difference this time. Whenever I'd have those same water dreams, which I had a few of, he'd wake me up and move me to the living room with him. I began to almost look forward to having the dreams, just to sleep near him.

"Somethin's happenin' with you and Masen, huh?" Alice asked.

"No!" I fired back automatically, shocked at what she was implying. "Nothing's going on between us."

Alice smiled, shaking her head, obviously aware at how defensive I was.

In all truth, I was starting to think of him differently without meaning to. It was just sort of evolving on its own. I'd look at him, and I'd see this man who'd put his neck on the line for me more times than anyone ever would've, this man who was afraid of himself, of who he once was. It made me more sympathetic to how he acted.

He had weaknesses, and that made him real to me. It was like we were on an even playing field, because although he seemed together, living his life like he always had, he really wasn't. Just like me.

I broke out of my thoughts when I noticed Alice looking over my shoulder.

"Goodness," she muttered in distaste.

I glanced behind me to find Carmen sitting on the lap of one of the male patrons, letting him kiss her neck as she giggled.

Alice threw the dishrag onto the counter. "I swear to the Holy Lord himself, I'd fire that two bit hussy if she didn't bring in so many…" Her voice trailed off as she looked back at me in wonderment. "Sweet Jesus, my prayers have been answered."

"Alice, what is it?" I questioned in concern. "And why are you looking at me like that?"

"How you feel 'bout money?"

I shrugged. "I like money," I said, unsure where she was going with this.

She smiled devilishly. "Alright, then. Ya hired."

I blinked twice. "Come again?" Had I heard her correctly?

"All you need to do is work the bar, and I'll do the rest."

My face fell. She was serious. "But...but what about Carmen? I thought you said she brought in a lot of customers."

"Well, miss thing," she started, leaning over the counter to me, "all it takes is a pretty face, and you've got that. You'll have them lining up in no time."

I shook my head frantically. "No…Alice, I don't know the first thing about bartending."

She clicked the roof of her mouth with her tongue. "You're thinkin' too much, sugar. All ya gotta do is a little bit of this and that, and then everythin' will be hunky-dory."

My brow furrowed. "I don't know what you just said."

"Goodness me!" she exclaimed in exasperation. "I'll train ya up and give ya cash under the table. Sound good?"

The back door abruptly opened, and Jasper walked out.

"Oh, shh, let me do the talkin'," Alice whispered to me as he came over to us. "Hey, puddin'."

He quirked an eyebrow at her. "Cheney says ya stiffed him thirty bucks in the pool game earlier, and he be wantin' his money back."

"I did no such thing! I won that fair and square!" Alice yelled. "You go tell that boy I ain't no Yank."

He rolled his eyes and turned away.

"Wait, wait, wait," Alice urged, garnering an unenthusiastic expression from him. "Just to let ya know, I'm firin' Carmen tonight."

He glowered at her. "No, Alice. Now, we talked 'bout this. The girl brings in—"

"Yes, I know that," she interrupted, "but I've decided to hire someone who I think'll bring in more."

"And who might that be?"

Alice waved her hand in my direction, as if presenting me to him.

Jasper didn't seem very enthralled with her choice. "You got experience?" he asked me.

"Yes, she does," Alice answered before I could tell him I didn't have any.

Jasper flashed her a glare and looked back at me. "Can ya work weekends?"

"Yes, she can," Alice replied, once again, before I could.

"Alice, I ain't talkin' to ya!" Jasper snapped.

"I'm just sayin' what she'd tell you, anyhow," she responded defensively.

"Don't think I don't know ya lyin'," he spoke angrily to her. "Ya get that line on ya forehead when ya fib."

Alice narrowed her eyes. "Oh, hush! I'll train her and make sure she's ready. I'm firin' Carmen, and that's the end of that!"

He grumbled to himself and pushed the back door open, disappearing.

"God love him, but it's like herdin' cats with that man," she spoke offhandedly, and regarded me with a renewed smile. "Well, welcome aboard, sugar."

Was I really going to do this? I liked Alice, and money was certainly good to have…

Edward suddenly took a seat on the stool next to me.

"Is the truck okay?" I asked him.

"There's a nail in the back tire," he said. "Gotta change it tomorrow."

Alice motioned with her hand for me to lean over the counter to her, so I did. "Gonna tell him ya workin' here?" she asked in a whisper.

"Later."

X-X-X-X

"You'll be okay to sleep tonight?" Edward asked after we were both ready for bed.

"I think so," I replied, though I knew I'd most likely come out here to the living room with him at some stage in the night. "So, um…hey. I got a job."

He dropped his pillow to the couch and looked at me with a crease on his forehead.

"At the tavern," I clarified.

"You're gonna be working at the tavern," he said, as if he didn't believe it.

"Just Fridays and weekends."

"And they hired you just like that."

I shrugged, because I knew how it sounded. "Alice pretty much offered it to me. It's cash under the table, plus tips."

"Doing what, exactly?"

"Bar work."

He crossed his arms over his chest. "You realize Redwood Tavern is a truck stop, right?"

Hence all the truckers. "Yeah, so?"

"You won't exactly get Mormons in there, Petal."

I sighed. "Yes, I'm aware of that. Are you suggesting that I can't take care of a couple rough looking men?"

He raised an eyebrow.

"I don't mean take care of them," I quickly corrected, my cheeks flushing red. "I mean…just…" What was I even saying? "I want to work there. I like Alice, and…it's something different. Plus, I get to make money, which is a bonus." I could actually buy stuff instead of relying so much on Edward.

He shook his head and lay down on the couch. "Alright, don't say I didn't warn you."

I huffed. "You're being ridiculous."

"Right," he muttered. "Turn off the light, will you?"

I flicked the light switch roughly and went into the bedroom.

The next afternoon, I left through the front door. The truck was parked around the side of the cabin. Edward had lifted the hood and was hovered over the engine with a ratchet, dressed in just a thin, white T-shirt and jeans. Sweat moistened his brow and thick grease covered his hands, arms, and clothes. I might've been staring a bit longer than I should've.

"Did you fix the tire?" I asked out of curiosity.

"Yep," he said, not looking up from under the hood. His arm was flexing and twisting as he worked with the ratchet, his muscles becoming more defined.

I swallowed thickly, my eyes blurring over. "Are you fixing other things now?"

"Yep."

Well, he certainly was the chatty one today. "Alright, then, see you later tonight," I said, and walked past the truck toward the path that led to the road.

"Hold up," he hollered, causing me turn in his direction. He was looking at me like he was a mixture of confused and out of breath. "Later tonight?"

"Alice told me to come in early so she could train me, then I'll be working the bar with her," I informed.

"And how are you getting back?" he inquired.

"She said she'd drop me off."

He sighed and looked back down at the engine.

"I better go," I said, and picked up walking again.

"Petal," he called out, making me stop once again. He wore an expression of sincerity. "Be careful…"

I walked toward a dark gathering of trees, trying to get there as fast as I could. There was urgency in my steps, like I needed to get away. I glanced over my shoulder just to see if someone was following me, and sure enough, there was. A man was trying to catch up to me, so I slowed down.

As he approached me, he seemed worried. In the darkness, I couldn't entirely make him out, but he had light hair and looked to be middle aged. He was handsome for his age, but there was an all-business attitude he appeared to harbor.

"What are you doing out here? It's freezing. Come back inside," he advised sternly, but there appeared to be a touch of gentleness, too.

I shook my head as I continued walking to my goal. "I'll be back there in a few minutes. I just need time to myself," I spoke. My voice sounded hoarse, like I'd been crying.

He sighed and stopped walking, letting me continue on. "Be careful, princess," I heard him call out.

"You okay?" Edward asked, bringing me out of…whatever that was.

"Uh…" I spoke in a daze, and shook myself out of it so that he wouldn't worry. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'll be back later."

X-X-X-X

"Alice, I can't wear this," I said as I looked at myself in the full-length mirror.

"And why not?" she questioned.

"It's…too much." I was wearing cut off denim shorts and a red low-cut tank top, showing cleavage I didn't think I had. They were her clothes, and she was smaller than me, so they were tight. I almost couldn't breathe.

"It's gonna get you some good tips."

I frowned. "I look like Carmen." And she was the last person I wanted to look like.

"Hush up. You ain't nothin' like her. But it don't hurt to show off what God gave ya," she said, and adjusted my bra cups.

I flinched away. "Hey!" I exclaimed in surprise. "Don't touch me there."

"Sugar, I got a pair of my own. I'm not touchin' there for kicks." She adjusted my bra cups again, and I let her begrudgingly. My breasts looked much bigger than they actually were. It must've been the magic of the push-up bra Alice lent me. "Just wear this tonight, and you'll see. They'll be sayin', 'Carmen who?'"

"Fine," I agreed. "But I'm not dancing on the bar."

She chuckled. "Honey, don't you worry. Them guys are harmless…mostly. I mean, they all got wives at home or look elsewhere for…entertainment. And if they give ya a problem, tell them ya ain't interested. If they continue, and sometimes they might, well, ya get tough. Show them who's boss, and they won't mess with ya anymore."

The rest of the afternoon was spent being trained by Alice. She showed me where the dumpster was, told me about the cold room that chilled the alcohol. I got to meet Sam, who was the cook. He was from a local reservation and worked here on the weekends.

Jasper had to teach me about draft beer and how to use the beer tap, since that was mostly what I'd be working with. He wasn't too happy about teaching me, considering he was against firing Carmen in the first place, but Alice seemed to have him wrapped around her finger, even though it appeared like it was the other way around.

Once Alice had run over pretty much everything she could think of, we took up drying beer mugs and placing them under the counter.

"Now that ya workin' here and all," Alice started in low voice, "I should probably tell ya, we always got a game goin' on in the back."

"A game?" I asked curiously.

"Texas Hold'em," she replied. "That's where my dear husband usually is, playin' with the locals."

"Alice, I'm not familiar with gaming laws, but isn't that illegal?"

"That's why we don't tell no one," she said, and winked.

We finished up with the last of the mugs, so we took a break to eat some dinner before the doors opened to customers. I sat across from her in one of the booths as we ate the BLT sandwiches Sam prepared for us.

"Today's been a good day," Alice said with a full mouth, and swallowed loudly, "because I'm realizing I never have to see Miss Santa Clarita Hussy ever again." She laughed at herself. "Felt good to get rid of her, too. She had a hissy fit and stormed right on outta here."

"Aren't you worried about the customers that come here for her?" I asked, finishing off the last of my sandwich.

"Nah," she said. "These men are creatures of habit. They ain't goin' nowhere. And definitely not when they get a look at you."

X-X-X-X

Saturday nights were busy. I just never realized how busy they were, because ever since the doors opened, I'd done nothing but serve customer after customer. The room was full of big men bearing frightening tattoos and reeking of beer.

I took it all in stride, trying not to become overwhelmed. Alice put me at ease by staying at my side as much as she could.

"Alright, hun, ya ready to be introduced?" Alice asked me, and before I could answer, she hopped up on the bar. "Hey, y'all!" Her voice boomed across the room, causing all the patrons to stop talking and look up at her. "We got us a new bartender. Come say hello to Petal."

My jaw went slack as I collectively watched Alice hop down and every pair of eyes look at me. There was suddenly whistling, hooting, and hollering.

"Hey, sweetie, you got a fine set of legs there," one burly man complimented.

"Oh, thank you," I said shyly in response.

"I've got a nice trailer nearby. You wanna see it later?" another older man asked.

"Uh, no," I replied.

More questions, compliments, and general innuendos were thrown my way, until Alice waved her hands. "Alright, alright, fellas. Settle, please," she commanded. "Are ya orderin' drinks or what?"

The crowd around the bar started dissipating, save for the guys already sitting on the stools. Alice walked to the back door, and I followed directly behind her in security.

"Hun, ya can't stay glued to my side," she said, chuckling. "Go talk to 'em. They won't bite."

I sighed as I watched her push open the door and vanish into the back. When I turned around, most of the guys sitting at the bar were staring at a various part of my body. Great. I walked up to the only guy who wasn't looking at me but at his beer instead. He was a thin man with a salt and pepper beard, and a trucker hat on his head. There was a tattoo on his forearm of an anchor.

"Hi, how are you?" I asked, trying to make conversation.

He looked me up and down. "Good now," he answered, straightening up and taking a pull from his beer mug.

"You come here a lot?" I questioned, keeping myself from crossing my arms in protection.

"Every Saturday for twenty-six years," he replied.

"That's a long time," I commented. Wait...twenty-six? I was pretty sure Alice and Jasper had only had this place for a few years.

He nodded, and a small smile twisted at his mouth. "You look a lot like my daughter."

"Oh, really?" Well, that was good news that he had a daughter, which meant he probably had a wife. And apparently, I reminded him of said daughter.

"Yeah, long, dark hair, short like you…and a great ass, too." He lifted his mug in a salute to me and took another pull.

"Uh…," I uttered, unsure how to respond to that.

"So," he started, setting his beer down, "you into threesomes?"

My jaw dropped.

"Marcus, you old loon," the old man next to him said, "Stop toying with the girl."

The guy who had just propositioned me started laughing abruptly, almost falling off his stool.

"He's just messin' with you," the other man assured.

"She almost shit a brick!" Marcus exclaimed through boisterous laughter.

I cocked my head to the side. "So, I'm guessing you're not actually into threesomes," I said, "because I could sure go for one right now."

Marcus stopped laughing with deer caught in the headlight eyes.

I chuckled, shaking my head. "I'm just kidding," I assured.

The old man next to Marcus found me amusing. "She got you there," he said, slapping Marcus on the back, who had now picked up laughing again.

"Petal," I heard Alice call from down the other end of the bar, so I went to her.

"Yeah?" I asked.

She placed four mugs of beer on a tray. "I need you to take these to the back," she spoke in a low voice.

"The back?" I asked, though I knew she was referring to where the poker was played.

"Inside the office is a black door. Go through there," she whispered, and handed me the full tray that was heavy. "Don't drop it. Think you can handle this?"

"Yeah, I think so," I said, doing a balancing act, and made my way into the back.

The office door was wide open, so I went inside. The black door was closed, however. I set the tray on the desk and slowly opened the door. Taking the tray with me, I looked inside first. It was a darkened room with just one overhead lamp shining down on a circular table. Four men, including Jasper, sat there, looking at cards and throwing poker chips to the center of the table. They didn't look up from their cards as I entered, closing the door behind me.

"New girl?" one of the men asked. He wore a blue baseball cap and appeared to be in his late twenties.

"Yep," Jasper answered in concentration.

"Not too shabby," the man replied, causing all the guys to chuckle lightly.

Carefully, I placed a beer in front of Jasper, which he took a sip of. I continued around the table, giving the three other guys their beers.

"All in," a man with a red baseball cap said.

"Fold."

"I'm out."

"Same here."

"I bet your cards were shit, Newton," the guy with the blue cap said.

Newton merely laughed and took the chips from the center. The cards went back to Jasper, and he shuffled expertly before dealing them out.

Just as I got to the blue cap guy and was about to place a mug in front of him, I felt his hand on the back of my bare thigh, causing me to tip the beer a bit into his lap.

"Wanna watch where you put my beer?" the man asked, sliding his rough hand further up the back of my thigh.

I set his beer down. "Wanna watch where you put your hand?" I quipped, and ripped his fingers from my leg.

The other guys in the room chuckled.

"Cheney, hands off or ya out," Jasper threatened.

Cheney groaned in acquiescence and picked up his cards.

Before I left the room, I mouthed a thank you to Jasper, to which he merely nodded in acknowledgment. When I went back out to the bar, Alice waved me over.

"Guess who's here," she said, and pointed discreetly to the other end of the bar.

Edward.

I was surprised to see him, considering today was a Saturday. Nevertheless, I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face at the sight of him. Was he here to see me or was he just here for a beer? He finally spotted me, but didn't look as happy as I was to see him.

I left Alice and went over to him. His eyes never left me once. "Hey, Edward," I greeted with a timid smile. "What are you doing here?"

"Here for a drink," he replied tersely.

My smile fell. So, we were back to this now? "Jasper taught me how to use the beer tap," I stated proudly, trying to spark some sort of conversation with him. "I can do it just the way you like."

"Hey, sweet ass!" a tattooed up man yelled out from the other side of the tavern, where he sat with a group of equally tattooed men. "You gonna bring us beers or—?"

Edward looked over his shoulder at the guy, who'd suddenly stopped talking, furrowed his brow, and turned his back. Guess he didn't want beers, after all. Edward faced me again. "I'll have a beer," he requested, taking out his wallet.

I sighed, defeated. "Alright," I murmured, and went down the bar to the tap.

Alice appeared next to me. "Petal, give this shot of whiskey to Sam, will ya?" she asked, handing me the shot glass full of dark liquor. "He's on break in the pool room."

Momentarily putting Edward's beer on hold, I did as she asked. Sam was playing a game with a group of young guys that looked around my age. They were dark-skinned like he was and extremely tall.

"Thanks, Petal," Sam said as I gave him his whiskey. "These are some of my friends from the rez." He pointed to the guys individually. "Paul and Jared."

Paul's eyes roamed over me as he cued the end of a pool stick. "You're definitely hotter than the last chick," he remarked.

"Cut it out, Paul," Sam snapped. "Don't mind him, Petal. He just hasn't gotten laid since his last girlfriend gave him herpes.

Jared bent over, laughing.

Paul's face fell. "Shut the hell up, man," he whisper-yelled.

I smiled, shaking my head. "I better get back to the bar," I said, and left. But before I could enter the bar again, Alice appeared out of nowhere and grabbed my arm, stopping me dead in my tracks.

"God almighty!" she exclaimed in a breath, looking stunned.

"What is it?" I questioned in concern.

"I just got my head chewed off," she said, and let out a huff.

I felt angry. Why would anyone be rude with Alice? "By who?" I asked, fully prepared to stand up for her.

"By your man over there," she revealed, looking over my shoulder.

I glanced where she was eyeing, seeing Edward sitting in the same spot I left him, staring down at the bar counter. He yelled at Alice? No, that couldn't be. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. He busted into the back like he owned the joint and then tore me a new one."

I knew Alice wasn't a liar, but I just found it so hard to believe. Edward did all that? "Why? What for? What did he say?" I asked, firing off questions hastily.

"Hold your horses, will ya? He was ticked about the outfit I put ya in."

That was…odd, because he hadn't seemed all that affected by it. "But why?"

"Why do you think?" she asked, but when I gave her a look of confusion, she sighed. "Sugar, that man's got it bad for ya."

I burst out laughing at the absurdity of her statement. "Alice, are we talking about the same guy here? He practically hates me."

"Just 'cause he ain't fawnin' all over ya like half the men in this place are, don't mean he's not getting it up for ya daily."

"Alice," I gasped, shocked at her crude words.

"It's the truth; otherwise, he wouldn't give two figs 'bout what ya wear. And he certainly wouldn't have kept ya with him this long. Anyhow, just thought you should know." With that, she returned behind the bar, leaving me in my spot.

I was having a hard time processing it all. I mean, I knew that I, myself, was starting to…think of him in a way I hadn't before…but I never thought in my wildest dreams that Edward could ever think of me like that in return. He was always so rigid around me, and half the time, we were just arguing.

I hadn't realized that I'd already made it back into the bar and dispensed beer into a mug. Edward was still staring down at the counter as I approached him and placed his beer in front of him.

"About time," he grumbled, and took a long pull of his drink.

I glared at him and folded my arms in front of me. "So, what's wrong with what I'm wearing?" I asked bluntly, not able to contain myself.

He returned the glare in spades. "Excuse me?"

"Did you have to go yell at Alice?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." He took another pull from his beer. He was so full of it!

"Oh, you don't? So, you didn't go into the back and yell at her for lending me this outfit?"

He suddenly found his beer very interesting. "You're out of your goddamn mind," he muttered.

I pointed a finger at him accusingly. "You promised you wouldn't lie to me ever again," I seethed.

His eyes shot to mine. We merely stared at each other, both of us with hard expressions on our faces. Abruptly, he stood, pulled money out of his wallet, and slammed it down on the counter. He took off quickly, going straight through the exit door.

I knew for certain that I wasn't going to let him get away with this that easily, so I hastily pushed open the back door, but didn't go through.

"Alice, can I take a break?" I asked into the back room.

"Sure thing, hun!" I heard her call out.

I didn't waste a second after that, leaving the building as fast as I could to where I knew he'd be. Edward hadn't left yet as he opened the truck door roughly.

"Hey!" I yelled out, marched over to him, and grabbed his shoulder, turning him around to face me. "We're not finished."

He shrugged my hand off his shoulder. "I am," he growled.

I narrowed my eyes. "Well, I'm not," I stated, and slammed the truck door shut. "I wanna know why me wearing this outfit bothers you so much."

He couldn't even look me in the eye; instead, looking somewhere over my shoulder. "You can wear whatever the hell you want."

I crossed my arms over my chest. "You're right. I can. And I will. But for some reason, you don't want me wearing this. So much that you go and yell at Alice, am I right?"

His eyes flashed to mine, and his jaw clenched. "You wanna walk around like the country version of Hooters, be my guest," he insulted.

"Excuse me?" I gasped, offended by his implicating words.

"You think the other bar girl was just serving up drinks? She was running around with all those guys in there. They'll expect the same out of you."

I huffed. "And you think I don't have a brain of my own?"

He quirked an eyebrow, looking as if he thought just that.

Furious! I was beyond furious. "I may not remember things, but I sure as hell can think for myself," I spoke with conviction. "Now, I'm not going to ask you again. What does it matter that I'm wearing this?"

He suddenly backed me into the truck, his hands coming up on either side of me. His face was inches from my own. All I could see was his glowering eyes boring into mine. "You think I don't like seeing you in this?" he seethed, his mint and beer-laced breath fanning across my face. "You think when I leave here, I'm not going to be thinking about you?"

I blinked, dazed by the intensity of his words. "What are you saying?" I managed to whisper.

The hard expression on his face dropped to a much softer look. My heart rate took off, liking how near he was to me, but also scared in vulnerability. He leaned in a fraction, our bodies brushing…our faces now just millimeters apart. I was so sure he'd kiss me, until he suddenly took a large step back and rubbed a hand over his mouth.

"I'll be at the cabin," he said, and opened the truck door.

All I could do was stand there and watch the back of his truck as it grew smaller.

A/N:

And thus, he cracks.