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I smiled. “No, we didn’t, did we?”
Those eyes flicked to mine as though she were searching something out. If she was starting to pick up on the fact that I was attracted to her, well, good. It would save me from having to explain that I had liked her long before she ever showed up. That I used to think about her after those long summer nights when her parents would get done talking to her, or share a new story about her escapades in New York.
“I’m not being nice. I’m just trying to make sure you don’t die.” Shaking my head, I popped the lid off the aspirin bottle.
Seemingly at ease, she carefully took the offered water and pills. I stayed where I was but leaned over her to see the cut on the top of her head. With her dark hair and the graying sky outside, I didn’t have a clear view.
“Hang tight, I need to grab a flashlight.”
Rae’s eyes moved upward, while shaking her head, which made her flinch. “It’s not a big deal.”
I walked toward the laundry room, ignoring her calls from the couch about it being fine, and tugged open the junk drawer.
Grabbing the slim flashlight, I headed back and settled into the same spot I had before.
“Come here,” I ordered gently, placing my hand around the side of her head.
She leaned into me, allowing me to inspect the top of her scalp. She smelled like some sort of floral blend that made me want to sink my nose into each and every silky strand on her head. Pushing past my odd, yet growing obsession, I focused on her injury.
With the flashlight, I could see the gash, which was still bloodied but had already clotted.
“This is going to hurt,” I whispered, letting her go and reaching for the antiseptic and the rag. Gently pouring a small amount over the cut, I wiped at the blood with the rag, pressing it into the wound to ensure it was done bleeding out.
Rae let out a small hiss, moving her hand up to grab my wrist. The jolt of heat from her touch ran up my arm, instantly making me think of having her in my bed, her gripping my wrists while I fucked her slowly.
Working to get that image out of my head, I cleared the lust from my voice. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay, thank you…” Rae said softly.
Things were silent for a few seconds as I continued cleaning her wound, and she continued holding my wrist, maybe she didn’t realize she was doing it. Maybe it was because it was too painful not to…but I liked that her hands were on me. So, I may have taken a little longer than necessary.
“All done,” I rasped out, still trying to clear the attraction to her out of my voice.
She let me go and leaned away from me, the tops of her cheeks flushed as she tipped her head back to let the remaining water drops trickle away.
Sitting back and setting the rag down, I let the quiet fill up the space between us, hoping she’d be the first one to talk.
“I’m going to get going before it gets too dark.”
Fuck, that wasn’t what I wanted her to say.
She swung her legs, attempting to swing them off the couch, but I wouldn’t move from my spot on the coffee table, blocking her path.
I stared at her for a beat, trying to wrangle the emotions clogging my chest.
There was this dam inside me, bursting at the seams with her nearness. Thinking how throughout the years, Raelyn Jackson had become like a celebrity to me. I had begun salivating for stories about her, and before I knew it, a small crush had developed over this girl I had never met, nor seen. The Jackson’s had never once shown me a photo of her, never once introduced me while they facetimed her. Yet, this girl never left my head. She was there, lurking the back of my mind like a shadow.
Now she was here, and she was about to leave. Something about it ripped at my insides, screaming at me to make her stay. It wasn’t that I was just lonely, it was…her.
“Do you drink coffee?” I stood, looking down at her.
She just sat there, staring up at me.
Blinking, and closing those sapphire eyes off to me, she exhaled through her nose. She stayed like that for a few seconds then looked up at me from under her lashes and said, “I need to use the restroom.”
I held out a hand to help her up, but she ignored it.
“First door of your left, down the—”
