“No. If you wanted away from Luciana before, then you could’ve said something. I could’ve helped you. Whatever’s going on with you, you’re acting irrationally, and I’m not leaving you unwatched.”
Unwatched? How had I ever thought this guy was nice?
I kept walking in what I hoped was the opposite direction of my room. Leading him right to it would be a mistake I couldn’t afford. “Good-bye, Matt. I hope I don’t ever see you again.” I was exhausted and under so much pressure that I didn’t have the patience to placate him. And for once, I didn’t really care.
I started walking again, but he grabbed my arm and spun me toward him. “I didn’t travel all this way to get blown off.”
“And again, I didn’t ask you to come.” I gripped my hands in fists as I tried to get control of my frustration with the douchebag. Time had taught me that reacting in anger did no good. Especially with him.
He narrowed his gaze as he jerked me toward him. The weight of my backpack threw me off balance and I collapsed against him. “You’re mine. If you’re think you’re traipsing off to God only knows where doing God only knows what without someone to make sure you don’t do anything stupid, then you’re not as smart as I thought you were. From here on out, I’ll be your shadow.”
He’d lost his mind. He’d been overbearing before, but this was controlling to an extreme. I pushed him away, freeing myself from his grasp. I stumbled a few steps as I tried to balance the backpack. “What I’m doing here has nothing to do with you.”
“Everything you do includes me.”
He was insane. Had I not been clear enough with him? “We’re not married. Not bound to each other. You don’t get to—”
“Not yet. But we will be married. You’d better think how you want the rest of your life to go.” He spat the last.
Toe the line, and you’ll have a future with me. Or don’t and see what happens. He hadn’t said the words, but they hung there in the silence between us all the same.
I clunked into the wall behind me. Without my realizing it, he’d cornered me.
“¿Está bien, señorita?” A voice called from down the hall. I peeked over at the janitor, and he started for us, ready to rescue a lady. He spoke quietly into his walkie-talkie.
“That man is coming over here, and he’s bringing help. If you don’t let me go, you’re going to cause a scene.” Thank goodness. If there was one thing that Matt hated, it was being caught doing something “improper.”
Matt’s face turned red with barely contained anger. His hands shook as he took a step back. “I’ll see you in the morning.” With that lingering threat, he started back down the hall.