Tangled In Strings

Chapter Fourteen

"Yes, we are." In a moment of brave recklessness, my feet stomp against the ground as I cut through the room, rounding the opposite side of the couch. I nearly make it to the door, until I feel his hand take ahold of mine, and I'm shot backwards, suddenly trapped between locked arms.

"Let me go," I snarl in his face, angry enough to fight him. Inches away, he stares at me, his crystal clear eyes studying my features closely. I grin at him testily. "You going to beat me? Huh? Is that why you're here? Sober? Wow, that's a new low for you, Dixon."

He lets me go abruptly, sending me down onto the couch's cushion, right where he wanted me. I glare at him, watching as he wipes his damp forehead, backing up.

"Despite what you may think, I have no intention of harming you. That's not why I'm here."

"So, why are you?"

"You had a busy week," he utters, lowering down to sit on the edge of my coffee table. He clasps his hands together, and suddenly, he's the epitome of what a fearing cop could look like. "Resigning from Norman's, traveling to Italy and California, meeting with your investor."

I stare at him, unwilling to give anything away. How does he know all of this?

"Ring shopping..." he adds.

"That's not what it was."

"Wasn't it?"

"No. He gave me a necklace."

His mouth frowns, his eyes lowering to my neck. "The one you're wearing?"

"No." It's a lie, and he can tell. My hand nearly reaches up to protect my locket, and within seconds, he's holding out his hand.

"May I see it?"

My gaze sharpens. "Get the fuck out."

He begins to smile. "Either you give it to me, or I rip it off your neck. You choose."

My hands reach behind my neck, unclasping the jewelry, and I scowl at him as I hand it over. He admires the detail on the front before opening it. I watch him read the small lettering.

"Great Expectations. I always saw you reading the damn book. Never could understand your fascination with it."

"Give me back my necklace, please." I hold out my hand, unable to breathe. My fingers extend as far as they can go with desperation. And miraculously, after a few moments leaving me in panic, he places the locket back into my hands.

I immediately stuff it into the pocket of my jeans, protecting it from sight. When I look back up, Dixon's gaze is resigned with longing.

"You look like a different woman than the one I knew. Fancy clothes, hair, makeup. He's changed you."

"He made me believe I was beautiful again."

"I made you feel beautiful before."

"And yet you took it away, night after night, when you made me feel worthless and inferior to you." I shake my head. "I just want you to leave me alone, Dixon. Please. I want to move on from this."

"We've both wronged each other. We don't get to move on from this."

"Your manipulations won't work on me now, Dix."

"Maybe they won't. But I know something that will."

I stare at him, frightened enough for his next words to remain silent. He's confident, too confident. He exhales, looking toward the window.

"I've actually done some traveling myself. Arrived back yesterday. Want to know where I went?"

"I can hardly wait."