Payce's Passions by Piper Kay Page B

again.
    “Really? You like protecting me? I have to give it to you, Payce. That was almost believable. ” He stares at me for a few minutes. His eyes turn almost cold, hard like, the natural pacific blue begins to lighten and cloud over giving him a gray shade. He’s angry. I’m not sure where his head is, but he’s giving off some bad vibes.
    “I don’t understand. What is almost believable?”
    Brax pries his finger loose from mine and breaks eye contact. His head drops toward the ground, taking several deep breaths. He slowly tilts to the side, his gaze meeting mine again. “I don’t understand how you can say that, that you feel protective over me. Especially since you’re the only one that has ever hurt me, Payce.”
    And there it is, the words I always knew I’d have to hear one day from him. 
    Taking a deep breath, I lean in close to him, caressing my knuckles across his cheek. “I never meant for things to go down the way they did back then.” I close my eyes.
    Brax takes a deep breath and holds it. After what seems like minutes, he pushes me in the chest. “Don’t do this, Payce. You know it’s going to get ugly and we don’t need to go there. It was a long time ago. There is no need rehashing all of this.”
    “I thought I was doing what was best at the time though.” I keep away from him, at his request. “I’m sorry if I was wrong.”
    “Payce, I appreciate the apology, I honestly do, because I think you really mean it. It’s just not enough, and for that, I’m really sorry.” He fumbles inside his pocket, withdrawing his keys and turns toward his door.
    “I went to jail, Brax.” Fuck! How can I make him understand?
    “You abandoned me, Payce. You did that,” he counters.
    “You don’t understand the whole situation.” I put my hand on his hip and he tenses, his body goes rigid and tightens at my touch. Do I disgust him that much? His free hand slips down and rests on my wrist for a second, just a slight hesitation, and it’s enough to make me gasp. I see the confusion, mixed with hurt and anger written all over him. And that quick, he pushes my hand away.
    “And you don’t play fair, you never did, Payce. You were the one always deciding what Aaron and I needed to do back then. Even after the night we had together, it should have changed everything with us. I guess it did, boy did it ever fucking change all right. You don’t get to just show up now after seven years and decide that I need to be protected. You lost that right the night you told me to kick rocks, Payce. The state didn’t do that for you, you did that one all on your own,” he snarls.
    “I only wanted you to be okay and…”
    Brax interrupts me, “Wait, hang on a minute. How the hell did you get me here? I never gave you directions, only the main road.” He folds his arms across his chest.
    “I-uh. I...” Goddammit, I’m busted.
    “I swear to God if you lie to me, Payce…” He doesn’t finish his sentence, only tucks his hand into his pocket.
    “I won’t.” I drop my head, knowing it’s all over now before it even starts again. We’re all over. “I’ve always known where you were. From the time we were kids until now.”
    He presses his lips together, completely silent, and fishes the keys from his pocket, tracing his finger along them. He takes a step toward me. He reaches up, and cups my face in his palm. He strokes his thumb across my cheek.
    “I’ve always cared about you, Payce.” I push my head into his hand, remembering the way he made me feel. “But you need to go.”
    “Brax, don’t.”
    “Nothing’s changed, Payce, you’re still deciding everything. I’m a grown ass man now. There’s been one thing I needed from you all this time, and I thought you’d finally realized it too, but you know what? Even that doesn’t matter anymore.” He leans up, pressing his lips against my cheek, then turns with his keys, sticking them in the lock. “Goodbye, Payce.” Brax unlocks the