Page 38 of Fragile Sanctuary

Rhodes nodded shallowly. “Tried to climb down the drainpipe outside my balcony. It worked until the fire exploded a window and me with it.”

Everything in me stilled. Everything except my eyes. They tracked over her, searching for any signs of the injury. It was then that I saw it. The slightest bit of scarring peeking out from the shorts that stopped at mid-thigh. Shorts that had been taunting me this pastweek. I’d been so caught up in trying to ignore the toned legs that I’d missed something I never would’ve at any other time.

The proof of her agony had been everywhere, and I hadn’t seen it because I’d been so caught up in my bullshit. The skin was no longer red. It was a kaleidoscope of tan and pale. It looked as if her skin had been painted in staccato brush strokes.

“I don’t try to hide them,” Rhodes said coolly.

My gaze jumped from her leg to her face. My eyes locked with those haunting hazel ones, something I’d been trying to avoid. But I didn’t look away. “Good.”

My voice was rough, even to my ears. It sounded like I’d just chain-smoked half a pack and chased it with whiskey.

Rhodes’ eyes flared in surprise.

“You shouldn’t hide a damned thing, Reckless. Especially not something that proves how strong you are.”

She stared at me for a long moment. Something passed between us. Some sort of understanding without words. Finally, Rhodes shoved to her feet. I followed, reaching out to steady her as she wobbled.

“I’m good,” she promised.

I didn’t call her a liar, even though she was. I glanced down at the photo. “Who left it for you?”

Rhodes frowned. “What do you mean?”

My jaw worked back and forth. “You didn’t leave it for yourself, I’m assuming. So, someone else had to.”

She glanced back to the house. “Probably one of the crew. Most of them grew up around here and know the story. They probably figured I’d want it but didn’t want to give it to me directly. It’s not like most of them are great with the feelings stuff. Tears terrify them.”

Rhodes was trying to joke about it, but something didn’t sit right with me. The area of the house we were currently working on was completely burned out. There were no photos that weren’t entirely ash. So, someone must have nosed around before we started the work. I hadn’t seen a single soul over at the guest cottage after we started at nine. But things were busy enough that I could’ve missed it.

Rhodes’ eyes narrowed on me. “What?”

“Nothing,” I clipped. “You need to go inside and eat. Think you can stay upright long enough to do that?”

Instead of being annoyed with me, Rhodes just smiled. It was far too wide for the situation.

“What are you doing?”

“You like me.”

My whole body stiffened. “I do not.”

Rhodes’ smile only widened more, making the gold in her eyes spark and swirl. “Do, too.”

“What are you, five?” I snapped.

She laughed, and the sound hit me somewhere in the vicinity of my chest, digging in and spreading through me. That pins-and-needles sensation you got when a numb limb finally regained feeling. I fucking hated it.

“Anson.” Her tongue wrapped around my name in a languid stroke. “If you hated me, you would’ve left me alone in my panic attack. You would’ve ignored the fact that I was hurting. But you didn’t. You helped. You’re not the bad guy you want people to think you are.”

The pins-and-needles feeling intensified until it was just shy of pain. “You don’t know me,” I croaked.

Something passed over Rhodes’ expression. “No, I don’t. But I’d like to. Because I think you could use a friend.”

Friend.

The urge to scoff was so strong.Friendswasn’t something I could be with Rhodes. For many reasons. Afrienddidn’t think about shoving the other against a wall and driving into them so hard they couldn’t breathe. Afrienddidn’t imagine wrapping the other’s hair around his fist as he fucked her mouth. Afrienddidn’t picture what the other would look like sprawled across his sheets while he ate her until she screamed.

“Anson?” Rhodes said, breaking into my spiraling thoughts.

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