“Noémie!” she heard him say, felt him close the distance between them. “Calm down!”
She shook her head, almost violently, and staggered backwards. Trying to get away from him, escape him, not wanting to be anywhere near him.
But when he still didn’t take a hint and held her by the waist to steady her, she shoved him away and screamed as loudly as her aching lungs could bear out.
“GO AWAY! Don’t come near me! No. Go! I don’t. I don’t need you. Just LEAVE!”
To her dismay, no matter how much she pushed and thrashed her hands around—beat the hell out of his chest—he stood like a damn wall.
Unmoving. Unblinking.
Not even flinching when, in her futile attempt to shoo him away, her hand struck his cheek, and his face swung to the other side.
The sound of her palm against his cheek had her
