CHAPTER 37: 37-HE THOUGHT I CHEATED?

Iris:

"Hell no! Are you crazy? Why would you even suggest something like that?" I argued, letting him know right away that I wasn’t comfortable even thinking about it.

Our history was messy enough that the thought of sharing a cramped space, let alone sitting on his lap, felt like torture.

Still, for an alpha, he didn’t seem too sharp. He actually looked offended, as if I’d said something completely out of line.

"Why?" he questioned, making me turn my head toward him. The space was so tight that I couldn’t even turn around fully.

"Because we’re separated," I hissed, facing forward again.

Silence settled between us. Then, without warning, he stretched his arm, pressing his bicep against my nose.

His scent hit me instantly.

I shoved his arm away, struggling to move him off me.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" I snapped.

"What? I can’t sit here with my arm twisted. Where am I supposed to put it?" he complained, shrugging arrogantly.

"Didn’t you say you could sit in the cold for days? Now suddenly your arm’s tired?" I replied, rolling my eyes as he clenched his fists right in front of me.

"Fine. Then I’ll sit in your lap."

He actually tried to get up and adjust himself on me.

"What the fuck is wrong with you? Get your ass off me!" I hissed, slapping him.

His perfectly shaped ass in those shorts distracted me for a split second.

"Did you just spank me?" he asked, kneeling and turning around, his ass still in view.

"Did you just try to put your ass on me?" I retorted.

The argument heated up, but the cold made it worse. Goosebumps covered my skin.

"Fine. If you don’t want to sit in my lap, we need to adjust so we don’t bother each other," he explained. "How about I sit here, and you face the other direction, from my right to my left." He gestured for me to move away from the wall.

"And where the hell would my legs go?" I complained.

"Well, you can at least compromise that much," he argued, raising his voice.

When I gave him a look, he added, "You can place your legs on mine."

I stared back at him, realizing that was probably the only way we could both fit without cramping or hurting ourselves.

He couldn’t let his wolf out here, so his body would feel some strain, especially since he valued his sleep and had been woken up for this mess.

I slipped aside and let him sit down.

Then I leaned my back against the door, my legs bent over his thighs.

After a while, my legs started to lower until they rested completely against his.

He leaned his head back and closed his eyes, ready to sleep. I, however, couldn’t sleep like this.

I was still uncomfortable.

"They said you were crying."

Just when I thought he’d fallen asleep, he spoke, making me look at him.

"Amy and Colin came to me, saying you were crying and upset. They said something had happened," he added, answering the question I’d asked him earlier.

I listened but didn’t react. I could tell that bothered him because he kept staring at my face before speaking again.

"So, you were crying." His tone didn’t sound like a question. It was a statement.

"No, I wasn’t," I replied, turning my face away.

"Is something going on between you and your boyfriend? He doesn’t come around anymore, and you don’t talk about him. You’re also fine with others flirting with you. Did he hurt you?" Kash continued, his voice quieter now, even much softer.

"No." That was all I said. But he still didn’t look convinced.

"I mean, relationship fights happen, but you don’t have to bow down to him. Is that why he’s not coming around?" he continued, surprising me with his tone.

"Everything is fine between us," I said firmly.

I noticed he didn’t look pleased with my answer.

So his concern was fake. He wanted me to suffer, to fight with my boyfriend.

"You’re right. I haven’t seen him here once. Not even when you guys moved in. Seems like you wanted someone like him," he said.

As soon as he said that, something shifted in me.

He had made comments like that before, and I’d brushed them off, thinking he was just bitter.

But now, it seemed like he was badly mistaken.

"Why does my relationship bother you so much? It’s not like I was the one who cheated on you. You were lying to me, having a full-blown affair with your ex on the side. So why is it that every time we talk, you make me feel like I’m the one who ended us?" I spoke softly for the first time, keeping my voice calm like his.

"Forget about it. But it’s not like you weren’t having an affair."

The minute he threw that accusation at me, I tried to pull my legs back, but the heel of my foot caught on his thigh, tugging him closer to me.

I groaned, trying to move away, but there was nowhere else to go.

He watched me struggle, then grabbed my wrists and pulled me toward him.

He did it so easily, with such strength, that in one smooth motion, I was lifted off the ground and straight into his lap.

Sitting that close to him, my hands pressed against his chest, our eyes met and for a second, it felt like my heart stopped.

Instead of stopping there, he had the nerve to slide his hands behind my back. His big hands made my body jolt.

I was sure he noticed the way I reacted to his touch because a faint smirk appeared on his lips before I spoke.

"I cheated on you?"

As soon as I asked, he pulled his hand back. I tried to move away, but he was quicker, grabbing me again and pulling me against his chest until I was sitting on his lap, our faces just inches apart.

"That boyfriend of yours? You’ve been having an affair with him. Iris, I know all about it," he said, holding me close and locking his eyes on mine as if making sure I couldn’t escape his gaze while he confronted me.