Avery:
I gave up first.
Of course I did.
There was only so much a girl could take — the heat of him next to me, the smell, the teasing smirk he wore like a weapon. I dropped the half-eaten slice back in the box and shoved it away like that would somehow push him away too.
It didn’t.
Cruz didn’t even pretend to ask.
He just grabbed the box, tossed it closed with one big hand, and stood.
And like it was the most natural thing in the world, he walked me to my car.
No permission. No hesitation. No choice.
I stumbled next to him, drunk on adrenaline and bad ideas, fumbling for my keys like I could outrun whatever was about to happen.
Almost there.
I could see the door handle.
My fingers brushed the cold metal of my keys.
Almost free.
And then Cruz dropped the pizza box on the hood
