I snatch her hand and pull her closer to me. “Bye, Isaiah.”
As I practically pull her outside, she yanks on our connected hands, but I’m too strong. I can’t let go.
“What the bloody hell is wrong with you? That was so rude!” she says.
We smile as we leave the club because we know exactly what’s going to be out there. I release her hand and wrap my arm around her back, opening the door with the other hand. She won’t run because it wouldn’t look good.
Lights flash like strobe lighting the second we’re outside.
“Kitt, have you had a good evening?”
“Kitt, how’s the tour going?”
“Kitt…”
“Kitt…”
I zone them out and concentrate on getting Texas into the waiting car. Ted is on the other side of Texas, making sure no one can reach her. He opens the car door, and we get in.
Tex sighs as Ted slams the door closed. Her smile falls. She’s itching to shout at me again, but she won’t do it with Ted here. I’m sure that’ll be reserved just for me later.
“Are you okay?” I ask.
She purses her lips and nods once.
I hand her a bottle of water from the fridge. “You’re going to need to sober up a little. Mark might still be up.”
She snatches it from my hand and mutters a pissed off, “Thanks.”
I groan and rub my eyes. “Don’t be angry, Tex.”
Stealing a glance at Ted, who is on his phone and deep in conversation, she says, “You acted like a moron tonight, and I don’t understand why. Kitt, you’re usually…I don’t know…fun.”
“I’m not fun anymore?”
You’ve noticed that, too.
“Tonight, you weren’t. I don’t like it.”
“I’m sorry, okay? I just don’t want to see you make a mistake.”
She screws the cap back on the bottle and twists her body. “A mistake? I was only talking to him. We had one kiss. I’m not a child. If I want to talk to someone, I will. If I want to kiss someone, I will. If I want to have sex with someone, I will.”
Her words rub across my skin like sandpaper.
“I understand all of that.”
“Then, what?”
Yeah, what?
I look out the window and close my eyes. If I had the answer to that question, I have a feeling that things would be so much easier. I don’t want to be like this.
She turns her body, and out of the corner of my eye, I see her determination. She wants answers.
“Come on, Kitt!”
“Mark,” I say, as if that’s the answer to everything. “What if you’d left with Isaiah and been photographed with him, and your dad saw, huh? He doesn’t know the guy, and he sure as hell wouldn’t be happy if your sex life was splashed all over the press.”
She narrows her eyes, knowing I’ve got her there. Mark isn’t an idiot. He must know that Texas isn’t a virgin after her relationship, but no one wants to see their child’s about-to-have-a-one-night-stand picture.
“My dad would’ve been fine. He knows I date.”
“Dating and casual fucking are two different things, and despite what you say, I know you don’t want him to know if you chose to sleep around.”
“Fuck you. It was one guy, and nothing even happened. You make it sound like I’m with someone new every night. That’s you!”
“That’s not what I meant, and you know it.”
“Oh my God, why are we even talking about this? Let’s forget it because you’re making me hate you right now.”
Fuck.
She is the only person with the power to bring me to my knees with her words.
“I…” I mutter, like a fucking idiot. “Don’t hate me, Tex,” I whisper.
She groans and turns her head. “Don’t use your eyes like that. It’s not fair!”
“Come on.” I smile now because I know she’s already forgiven me. “I’m sorry, okay?”
When she looks up, her shoulders relax, and her face softens. “Okay.”
I need to fix this. Somehow, I need to fix something I unintentionally broke, but I have no idea how to repair it.
Once Ted hangs up, I lean forward and whisper in his ear. He chuckles and nods his head, letting me know he understood and is on board.
I hope she likes this because, right now, I’m nervous as hell.
“What was that?” she asks.
“You’ll see in a minute.”
“Come on! I hate—”
I nudge her shoulder. “Don’t be a brat.”
“Bugger off.”
Smirking, I lean over and kiss the side of her head.
Why does that feel so right?
Tex looks up and gives me a smile that stops my heart.
Jesus.
She turns and looks out the window as Ted drives us in a different direction. No doubt, she’s trying to figure out where we’re going at 1:38 a.m., but her knowledge of Paris is limited.
After fifteen minutes of silence, Ted parks the car and turns to me. “I can give you a bit of space.”
“Thanks, man.”
Texas is staring, open-mouthed, as she finally realises where we are—the Eiffel Tower. For the next hour and fifteen minutes, the lights will be on and will twinkle on the hour for ten minutes.