Fool Me Once by Sandra Lee

rather then where it rightfully belonged. She had made a small mistake eight years ago, but she had been young. She wasn’t guilty of anything anymore, except maybe, caring too much for a man who didn’t deserve it. How dare he presume he knew her, and who in hell was he to judge her? She tossed again, wishing for sleep to come, wishing she could forget the way he had made her feel, wishing he didn’t hate her so much. Finally, at dawn, she fell in an exhausted sleep; almost forgetting Jake was a mere twenty feet away from her.

Chapter seven
     
    The first thing he felt when he first woke up was a pounding headache; the first thing he saw was a vision in a white flowing satin robe. He covered his eyes with his right hand, trying to block the blinding rays of the morning sun, and to erase the vision he saw. Hallucinating was never good, although it was a pretty hallucination. He tossed and rolled on his side, falling off the too narrow couch.
    “What the hell?” his angry voice startled Eva.
     
    She rushed back inside from the balcony where she had gone to clear her thoughts; her attempts had been a complete failure. She hadn’t calmed down, hadn’t forgotten last night and was as wound up as she was when went for coffee and realized who was sleeping on her couch. The memories had come rushing back, and no matter how she turned them in her mind or try to analyze them, she still felt the burning blush of embarrassment. She thought about running out and just leaving him the number of a taxicab company, but she shook the idea out of her head. Running away was not her style, although right at this moment, she sure wished she were a coward.
    “Good morning.” She said tentatively.
    His head jerk up and she almost winced as she met his thunderous look.
    “Err…are you ok?”
    “Beside the hammer pounding in my brain, the blinding light in my eyes and the fact that I have just fallen off the couch of the last person I ever want to wake up to? Oh beside that, everything is just peachy.”
    He swore under his breath as he took in Eva’s stricken look. He truly was an asshole. Damn, but he did hate to hurt her. Not that he didn’t mean what he had said, but darn, sometimes he wished he knew how to just shut up. He also wished he wasn’t so vulnerable to her that he had to erect 20 feet barriers between them. Even so, maybe he should ease up on her a little. After all, he was in her living room. Even after everything he had done and said to her, she still had the decency to let him stay at her place. He wasn’t any better then her really. However, she didn’t give him time to take back his words or apologize. Her eyes flashing with hostility, she pointed the door to him.
    “Get out! And next time ask yourself who the bad guy is in all of this. Me? Or you? My guess is, if you really think about it, you will vote that you win that contest hands down. Now get the hell out, and stay out of my way. I had enough of you. You go around as if you are as pure as driven snow. Whatever Jake. You have absolutely no right to speak to me like you just did. Remember that all your accusations are only that, they aren’t facts. They are based on what you think you saw, as opposed to what really was. I’m tired of explaining myself again and again. I am done with it. Just go away! And please, do your best not to run into me again.”
    At those words, she turned her back on him and went into her bedroom, slamming the door behind her. She didn’t want to think; she was tired of thinking about and re-thinking everything, tired of being hurt. Had she really thought that today would be better, that all his anger would have dissipated in the light of day? Had she really been that naive? Shaking her head, she realized she had been. Trembling with repressed fury, she kicked the wall, stubbing her big toe. Jumping up and down in pain, she uttered a couple of well chosen swear words. The sudden knock on her door startled her, then it just plan