“I'm sorry, not like what? The kind of chick who'd have sex in a broom closet? Because I hate to break it to you, but clearly you are,” he laughed. She glared and slapped his chest.
“This isn't a fucking joke to me!” she yelled at him, then she shoved him out of the way and stormed out of the office.
“Wait, wait, wait,” he called out, chasing her down. “Okay, I'm sorry. Bad joke.”
“It's all a joke to you,” she hissed, trying to yank free when he pulled her to a stop.
“Enough!” he snapped. “Tell me what the fuck is going through that brain of yours.”
“This,” she said, gesturing between them. “Is not a joke. Not a competition. Not some game. What happened in that room? That was a big deal to me, and you … you acted like it was a game of blackjack.”
His eyes grew wide for a moment, then he narrowed them.
“So what, I'm the bad guy because I can't read your mind?” he demanded. She shook her head.
“No, I know that, that's why I had to stop it, I knew -”
“And if it's not some goddamn game to you, then why are you jerking me around? Fucking around with Eden to piss me off?” he snapped. She let out a small shriek and shoved him hard enough to knock him up against the wall.
“I'm not fucking around with anybody!” she yelled. “I spend time with you! I spend time with him! I'm confused and I'm upset and I don't know anything anymore and it's all a fucking game to you!”
“It was never a game to me – it's a game to you. A game that you started, and that you wanted us to play. So I did that for you, I did exactly what you wanted. I did everything you wanted. Jesus, if that wasn't what you wanted anymore, why didn't you say anything?” he demanded. “Again – I'm not a fucking psychic.”
She was beyond angry. Angry, humiliated, confused, and so fucking pissed off. She stepped up close to him, got in his face.
“I didn't ask you to be one,” she said. “I just hoped you'd be a little more sensitive to the situation.”
“Are you serious? Have you met me?”
“God, I just want to go home,” she moaned, turning away from him. Once again, he grabbed her arm and pulled her to a stop.
“You can't get angry at us for not knowing what's going through your head, Tocci,” he pointed out. She struggled with his grip.
“There's no 'us', Liam already knows it's not a game anymore,” she told him. His glare grew more severe.
“Oh really? And I suppose he knows you had sex with me?”
“I tried to tell him,” she insisted. He barked out a laugh, a harsh sound that cut her down.
“Sure, okay. Still sounds like a game to me, only this time instead of being a victim, you're just playing one.”
Enough.
She slapped him across the face. It surprised him enough that he let go of her and she stepped out of grabbing range.
“Leave,” she insisted, pointing down the hall. Wulf's eyes burned with anger as he stared back at her.
This was why she hadn't wanted to discuss the issue there – it was too intense. At home, they could hash it out. Misunderstand and miscommunicate and get angry. Shout and yell and get confused and cry, and hey, maybe even come to some sort of resolution. Maybe even laugh and be better afterwards. But not now. Now words were left unsaid and feelings were hurt and if she didn't stop them, it would spiral even further out of control.
“I have more of a right to be here than you do,” he said in a low voice.
“Want to test that theory?” she threatened, standing up straight.
He stared at her for a long moment, obviously weighing his options. He could refuse, could continue following her and fighting with her. Create a scene in the middle of the party. But that would just get Liam and Jan the bouncer involved, and they would always take Katya's side. Worse than those two, though – it would get Tori and his sisters involved. Katya didn't want that, she wanted to leave with what little dignity she had left.
“I have tried, I want you to know,” he started speaking at the same time as he began tucking his shirt back into his pants. “I tried giving you space. I tried giving you time. I tried being myself. I tried being nice. I tried playing your game, and tried playing the villainous part you cast me in. Obviously, I just don't know what it is you really want from me, Tocci. I'm beginning to wonder if I ever did.”
By the time he was done, he'd put his clothing all to rights and even reknotted his tie. Before she could respond, though, he was striding out of the hall. Disappearing into the wild crowd that was dancing in front of the bar.
She sucked in a gasp of air and pressed her hand to her mouth. The tears refused to be held back any longer and it was like a faucet behind her eyes was turned on. She turned away and stumbled to the end of the hall, leaning against a door before the turn towards Liam's office.
She'd fucked it all up. So many awful things, perpetuated by two dastardly men, and in the end, it had been her who'd screwed it all up. Her who'd been an asshole. Playing games, what the fuck? Why couldn't she have just kept her distance? Or why couldn't she have been truly honest with herself – that deep down, she just wanted to forgive and forget?
But no. She'd stubbornly held onto her anger and had let it transform her. Had let it control her, leading her from one bad decision to another. Now one man she cared about was in the dark, and the other was raging pissed off at her.
Was possibly planning to never speak to her again.
Was that a goodbye? What that speech a kiss off?
She took several deep breaths and wiped at her face. Maybe it was, and maybe it wasn't, but she wouldn't know until she at least tried to talk to him again. No more assuming things – she was a serial assumer, and it had done nothing but gotten her in trouble. She would do what he'd done for her, and she'd give him some space. Some time. And then she would sit down with him and at least … talk to him. Even if nothing came out of it, she could at least explain what had gone on in that utility room.
Still feeling like shit, but less like a jackass, she stood up straight and smoothed her hands over her dress. Patted at her hair. It was beyond time to leave the party, and she thought maybe she was finally ready.
But as she turned to walk away, she heard a noise through the door behind her. A sort of groaning sound. She was in a sex club, so her first thought was that someone was having sex. Then it happened again, though, and it didn't sound like a sexy time groan. It kinda sounded like someone was in pain. She leaned against the wood and listened closely, heard someone coughing and wheezing.
“Hello?” she called out, knocking loudly on the door. “Hello, are you okay in there?”