Page 33 of Crash
“There,” he said, pulling his big frame back into the room. “Gone.” He held up the empty glass as proof and I closed the window, cutting off the flow of air.
“Thanks.”
“Hairspray?” he asked, his lips quirking.
“It’s all I had.”
“Well, can’t say I’ve ever seen a Huntsman stuck to a roof before.”
We stood by the window, staring at each other for a moment. He smiled before turning his attention onto my things.
“You like books?” he asked, walking over to my shelves. I watched as he ran a thick finger over the spines, touching the things I held so dear. They were all the happy endings I longed for.
“Yeah.”
He glanced at me with a smile before gesturing to the television, which was sitting open on Netflix. “What were you watching?”
I shrugged,kindastar struck.
“You can talk to me Violet,” he said, with a frown.
“You make me nervous,” I blurted.
“Is that what it is?” He rubbed at the back of his neck.Definitely a nervous habit.“I wasn’t sure if it was me or…”
“I don’t know how to talk to you,” I said truthfully.
“You’re talking to me now.”
I paused, glancing down at my hands. I guess I was.
I felt Lincoln move across the room toward me. “Do you wanna watch something?”
“I—”
Lincoln raised his hand, and I tensed as his skin came into contact with mine. His fingers pressed against the underside of my chin, and he urged me upward until our gazes met.
“Violet,” he murmured. “You don’t have to be afraid of me.”
“I know.” I went to look down again, but he held my chin a little tighter, forcing me to look him in the eye. “It’s just… I’m not good at this. People.”People who I was in total lust with.
“Then, let me help you.”
This was what I wanted, wasn’t it? Maybe Lincoln didn’t want me more than a friend, but was that so bad for someone like me? I needed a friend, someone outside of Ash and Ren. Someone different. Someone new. Lincoln could be it, right?
I allowed myself to smile, and he dropped his hand, my skin still tingling from his touch. “Okay.”
“Yeah?” His eyebrows rose, and his own smile tugged at his lips. “Do you want to watch something?”
“Okay.”
He smiled and tilted his head to the side.
“What do you like?” I asked. “Popcorn, chips…”
“I’m a dude, Vee. I’ll eat anything you put in front of me.”
I squirmed at the fact he’d called me Vee. “I just thought, with your diet and all…”
