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Boots? “What does she look like?”
“She’s all gray, except for her white feet.” There’s a softness in his tone I wasn’t expecting.
“She sounds adorable. Do you have a picture?”
He sets down the socks he was pairing together and pulls his phone out of his front pocket, swiping a few times on it. He holds it out to me, my heart melting at the image of a tiny fluff ball with the aforementioned white feet sprawled out on his chest. His mouth is set in a crooked grin in the picture, a selfie on a couch from the looks of it, with one arm tucked behind his head, his bicep flexing enticingly.
No, don’t look. It was bad enough watching him flex everything in the lab the other day. I don’t need to see pictures of it, too.
I step back, giving him a brief smile. “She’s precious.”
His mouth crooks at the corner, almost the same as in that photo. “She’s trouble, is what she is.”
Okay, I really want to meet this cat now. It would be weird if I invited myself over, though. Right? “I’m sure she’s a perfect angel baby.”
He laughs, seeming surprised at himself, and his grin drops. What’s that about?
He rushes through folding the last few items of his and grabs his basket, stepping forward suddenly.
I automatically retreat in response, bumping against the counter, hating my body’s reaction even as I do it. “You’re leaving?” I ask, my fingers finding a loose thread on the hem of my jacket to tug. There’s no way he didn’t notice what I just did.
“Yeah,” he says neutrally, careful not to make any more sudden movements as he maneuvers toward the door. God, could I be any more obvious?
He pauses, his back to me as his hand hovers over the doorknob. “Why don’t you like big guys?”
I grip the counter behind me. “W-what?” He remembers that from Tuesday?
“I would never try something with you. If you were worried.”
Oh, he thinks… “No, it’s nothing like that. Not like a sexual…” My face heats as I trail off. Why’d I have to use that word? “More like a safety thing.” I wrinkle my nose, knowing I’m bungling this. “Don’t worry about it. It’s all good.”
He nods, but I have no idea what he’s thinking as he leaves, cold air blasting through the door before it shuts behind him.
I slump against the counter, my eyes squeezing shut as the conversation brings back flashes of that night.
The larger than life guy crawling through my window.
The scream caught in my throat as I lay paralyzed under the bed covers.
Mom’s blood-curdling shriek less than a minute later.
No, no. I’m not thinking about that. I’m safe. I’m in control. Nothing like that is happening again.
I take a deep breath, calling to mind all the progressive muscle relaxation techniques I’ve learned. Warmth runs through me as my muscles eventually relax and my heartbeat returns to normal, logically knowing I have nothing to worry about despite my body’s fight or flight response.
I’m safe.
CHAPTERFOUR
AUSTIN
I tossthe laundry basket on my bed, reaching in for my pile of shirts to put away.
Why the hell did I have to ask her that? I should have pretended to not notice her reaction, not call it out.
And why am I even getting friendly with her to begin with? Answering all her questions, asking her things of my own. I’d outright asked her if she has a boyfriend, for Christ’s sake. How fucking stupid. Her jumping away from me, eyes wide with fear as I approached, was all the answer I needed for that.
She’d obviously still felt bad for saying that stuff on Tuesday and was overcompensating by talking to me now. At least I’d come to my senses when I realized I was laughing at her comment about Boots.
