“I like your place. It's cozy and girly, but not in a bad way. You've got nice smelling stuff everywhere and actual grown up things. I bet your kitchen drawers are full of all kinds of cooking utensils I've never even heard about.”

I wasn't in the mood for his teasing. “Can you say whatever the hell you have to say and get out? I have to do some work.”

“Are you headed back to the library to print canvases? I could give you a ride and then—”

I cut him off with a look. “And then what? We'll nearly screw each other in the lab again? I'm not interested in being with someone who doesn’t trust what I say.”

He cursed as he sank down into the couch next to me. As he spoke, he ran a hand through his hair. “Is that what you think? You think I didn’t believe you?”

“You were clearly pissed at me. Look, I know that’s not how you people do things in the rich circles, but I saw someone who needed help, so I acted. You had no right to yell at me like that.”

He scrubbed a hand over his face. “I fucked up. I wasn’t yelling at you because I was angry with you. I just wanted you out of there so you wouldn’t see me lose my shit and give the arsehole a proper beating. I didn’t want you to see me like that.”

He hadn’t been angry with me? “But you looked furious. And the way you spoke to me. I—I thought…”

He shook his head. “I’m sorry that’s what you thought. I didn’t know if he would get violent, so I wanted you as far away from him as possible. When I saw his hands on you, it took every ounce of my control not to knock his teeth down his gullet. It made me want to lose control and hurt him. Bad. That man is a piece of work.”

I clutched the blanket tighter, leaning back as far away as the couch would allow and sniffled deep. “I thought you didn’t believe me.” I swiped at my nose with the back of my hand. “I’m not a liar, Lex.”

“I know. I swear I know that. I’m sorry. I wish I could explain. I saw him trying to hurt you, and it was like my whole body seized. I wanted him dead,” he finished on a whisper.

Her body trembled.

“Abbie, why didn’t you just come in and get me when you saw them?” Frown lines marred the skin on his forehead.