Page 59 of Off the Wall

A fresh tremor racks her body, and my chest seizes up, like it’s bound in a tourniquet. Maybe she’s shivering from the chill. Maybe from fear. Either way, I have to make things better for her.

“I’d offer you my hoodie, but it’s as wet as you are.”

Nori releases a long breath. “I just need a hot shower and some dry clothes.”

That lunatic probably had no idea Nori couldn’t swim.Ihad no idea. Still, he risked her life, grabbing her like that. She could’ve hit her head on the side of the pool. She could’ve drowned. My jaw clamps down so hard, I could probably cut glass. “Do you want to press charges?” The question comes out gruffer than I intended. I’m trying to be supportive, not make things worse for her.

Nori gives a quick shake of her head. “No.”

I swallow hard, my Adam’s apple traversing my throat. “You sure?”

“Warren didn’t know I couldn’t swim,” she says. “And we fell in by accident. He was just … scared.”

“He should be scared.” My eyes flash. “The man put his hands on you.”

“Yes. But.” Her sigh is jagged. “Until then, I’m pretty sure Warren thought he was … flirting with me. I don’t think he meant any harm. I’ve been out with him twice and he never got aggressive. He was just really … awkward and … off-putting and … ” Her voice trails off, and my insides churn.

I don’t want Nori to gaslight herself to feel better about the situation. Yes, she has agency here, and whatever she does next should be her call, but I have to make sure she hears from me that his behavior was not harmless.

“He didn’t listen when you said no. More than once. That’s not the way a man should treat a woman. Or anybody.”

“You’re right.” She chews her lip. “But I should’ve?—”

“Nori.” I hate cutting her off, but I can’t let her take the blame here. “There’s absolutely nothing you should’ve done different. This is all on him.” We both fall quiet. I need to be done talking now. I’m ready to listen to whatever Nori has to say.

After a long stretch of silence, she exhales deeply. “I’m just really glad you were here tonight.”

My heart squeezes, and my instincts tell me I’d do anything to protect this woman.

“Yeah.” I rake a hand through my dripping hair. “I’m glad too.”

“I’ll let Jemma know what happened.” Nori tugs at the edges of her sopping sweater. “Warren shouldn’t be matched with anyone else on that app.”

“I think that’s a good choice.” I drop to a squat and scoop all the stuff that fell out of her purse back in. Then I hand the refilled bag over to her. “We need to get you dry now.”

“You’re wet too,” she says.

“Don’t worry about me,” I murmur. “I’ll be fine.” Adrenaline’s got me so fired up, I don’t feel cold. Not even a little bit.

As Nori and I trudge back inside, I linger behind, giving her a slight head start. After Warren’s pushiness, she could probably use a little space. Plus I need to put some distance between us anyway. The connection I’m feeling for her is … deepening. Rapidly.

But my wanting Nori doesn’t change our circumstances. She’s still looking for a man to settle down with in Serendipity Springs. I’m still looking for a fresh start in Los Angeles.

On my own.

We cross the lobby, and I continue to watch Nori from a couple yards back. Her delicate shoulders quake again, and this time, I feel the shudder as much as I witness it. My ownthroat flushes, and a wave of heat builds inside me. She’s freezing. I’m burning up.

Our opposite reactions make sense, though.

I’ve got about a hundred pounds on her, and my anger has me running so hot, I’m basically numb. When we’ve almost reached the elevator, I pause. “Should we take the elevator or the stairs?”

Nori casts a nervous glance at the floor-length mirror and gasps. Her hair is stuck to her face in long, sopping streaks, and her soaked clothes cling to her body. She’s probably startled by the reflection. Visual evidence of what just happened. A fresh tremor shoots through her, and she turns toward me.

“Cash.” Her pupils are wide. A pair of black skillets on the stove.

“I’m right here.” When her face goes sheet white, I rush to steady her. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“I just … you … we …were …” Her words are little more than a series of stutters. And when her knees buckle, I catch her just before she hits the ground.

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