AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Hi,” I say, stepping over the threshold.
His head turns my way, and despite being dressed—if you can class pyjamas as being dressed—I feel completely naked.
He nods in the direction of the coffee pot, his eyes raking over me rather too thoroughly. So much that I consider something mighty stupid.
No,don’t go there.
“It’s fresh, so help yourself.”
“Okay. Thanks,” I say with heat creeping up my neck.
This is weird. This is weird. This is weird.
There’s a tense edge to him this morning, more so than usual. He was shaken up as well, and now we’re alone. Really alone.
I make myself a coffee and sit down next to him. “I didn’t thank you for coming over last night. It wasincrediblystupid of you, but I appreciate it. You made me feel safe.”
He takes a ragged breath, and just when I think he’s ignoring me, he asks, “Are you okay? Don’t lie.”
“I will be.”
“You were scared.” His fingertips tap against the side of his mug like he’s nervous.
We’ve been over that, but as he says it again, it seems to bother him more than me. Maybe he will decide to move now. This street isn’t what either of us signed up for.
“I was terrified. I mean, I hid, right.”
“That was smart. Always hide, Ainsley. I’ll find you. You don’t know what they’re capable of. I’ve been curious about something all morning.”
“Curious about what?”
“You calledme. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad that you did, but it was unexpected.”
“I called the cops first,” I say, and even I think I sound defensive and kind of pathetic.
He lifts a dark brow, his patience lost and now seconds from snapping. “Whydid you call me?”
“I… To be honest, I don’t have an answer. I wasn’t thinking straight. I’m sorry that I—”
“Do not apologise,” he snaps. There it is: the frustration. “Never apologise for that. Okay?”
I shrug. “All right.”
He’s now reached intensity level one thousand.
“You were asleep when I called,” I say, remembering his groggy voice.
“It was almost three in the morning.”
“Yeah, but you answered. That’s what I find…”
His angry, murderous eyes are back, and they make my jaw snap shut.
“You think I would ignore your call?”
“I… Well, yeah. We’re not friends.”
“That doesn’t mean I would ignore your call in the early hours. I saw the time, saw your name, and knew something was wrong. That, or it was an awful attempt at a prank call.”
