“Why not?” I whispered, stepping closer, feeling the warmth radiating from him.
“Because I’m trying to protect you,” he growled. “I’m trying to keep you safe, but you’re making it impossible.”
I reached out, my fingers brushing his arm. The contact sent a jolt through me, and I saw him flinch as if the touch burned him. But he didn’t pull away.
“I don’t need protection,” I said softly. “I need the truth.”
Mateo’s eyes searched mine as if weighing his options. The world seemed to stand still, the air between us charged with tension.
Finally, with a frustrated sigh, he stepped back, breaking the contact. “I can’t give you that, Laura. Not yet. You need to stay away from me and this situation. For your own sake.”
He turned to leave, but I couldn’t let him go. “Mateo, wait!”
But he was already retreating into the shadows, disappearing before I could reach him. I stood there with my hand outstretched and my heart pounding. The pull towards him was stronger than ever, but so was the barrier he had erected between us.
Mateo’s POV
I shouldn’t have gone to the library. I shouldn’t have allowed her to get that close, to see me like that. But despite my efforts, I couldn’t stay away from her.