Page 9 of Within Shadows
Maeve
I yawn and stretch, burying my face under my pillow with a groan. No, notmypillow. The smell of aftershave and Garrett hits me, flooding my mind with memories of last night. I sit up, gripping the front of my shirt as my heart starts to race, and I struggle to slow my breathing. A gentle knock at the door nearly sends me crashing to the floor when I startle.
“Maeve, are you okay?” The concern in his voice makes me feel like an idiot. Of course, it's not Oliver at the door. He wouldn’t have knocked.
“You can come in. I’m not naked or anything,” I call out with a shaky voice. Garrett makes a choked laugh as he swings the door open, and his face is bright red. I grin at how easy it is to rile him up, and he holds a spatula out, pointing it at me.
“You really like giving me a hard time, don’t you?” He shakes his head but smiles. I put a hand to my chest and raise a brow at him. “Are you saying I make you hard, Garrett?” I ask, and he groans, rubbing a hand over his face.
“You’re giving me gray hair already, Maeve. I was going to offer you bacon and waffles, but apparently you’re not hungry.” He huffs, turning to walk away. My stomach rumbles as the smell of breakfast fills the room, and it’s my turn to be embarrassed.
“That was adorable,” Garrett says softly, shaking his head while walking away. I quickly follow him out of the room and back to the same seat I sat in last night. A plate is slid in front of me as Garrett leans against the island across from me with his own pile of bacon and waffles.
“Did you sleep well?” he asks.
“I wanted to thank you for last night. I’m sorry that I put you out, though. Your bed is insanely comfortable.” I yawn behind my hand, and he chuckles, but the mood darkens as he lowers his eyes.
“Maeve, do you carry anything to defend yourself?” he asks. I snap my teeth shut around a piece of bacon harder than necessary as I shake my head.
“I don’t like guns,” I mutter. Garrett nods as if he was expecting that answer.
“Too bad.” He shrugs, and I stop chewing to give him a confused look. “You’re going to learn how to use one.”
“I appreciate all you’ve done for me, but I can take care of myself.” My tone comes out sharp. Garrett crosses his arms and regards me with a flash of pity.
“Maeve, you asked me to drop it, and I’m trying really hard to respect that. We both know you don’t stand a chance against him, and I will step in to protect you, but what if I can’t get there next time? Because there will be a next time, and you know this won't stop.” His words cut deep, and I drop my fork, suddenly not hungry.
“I need to get ready for class,” I mutter, climbing from my seat, but Garrett blocks me from leaving and leans closer.
“Just humor me, please?”
“Why do you care so damn much?” I throw my hands up in frustration. Garrett frowns as if I’m the one who is stepping over the line.
“Because I care about you, Maeve. I don’t plan on letting you push me away to protect me either, so don’t bother.” He smiles when I drop my arms, my shock obvious on my face, before I mimic his stance and cross my arms.
“If you want to get in my pants so bad, you can just ask without going to extremes.” I tuck a strand of hair behind my ear, and Garrett groans, rearing back as he pinches the bridge of his nose.
“Dang it, Maeve. I’m being serious here.” He sounds defeated, and I actually feel bad as I pick at my nails. I finally decide to open up to him, but only crack the door to let him see the true danger that he’s putting himself in.
“Whoever broke in last night will hurt people who care about me. Whoever it is, they won't let anyone else get close, and if they do, somebody always gets hurt.” My eyes sting as I blink them away. My phone chimes, and I pull it out, swiping at my eyes. A message from Jess flashes on the screen, and I sigh in frustration.
“Everything okay?” Garrett asks, and I show him my phone.
“Jess and I were supposed to go out tonight, since there’s no classes tomorrow.” I bite my lip as I try to find a way to blow her off without raising suspicion. If she finds out about last night, then she’ll go after Oliver without considering the danger she could be in, and I’ve seen how that ends. My chest aches as a familiar feeling rises—loneliness. Oliver did everything he could to separate me from anyone I love, and he was going to do it all over again.
“Want me to tag along?” Garrett offers, and he almost sounds hopeful.
“You want to go drinking, play pool, and dance?” I ask, and he grins.
“Absolutely.”
I bite my lip as I contemplate the idea, but if anyone tells Oliver that I’m out with Garrett, then he becomes a target. “Don’t let him take away your joy.” Garrett reaches up, gently pulling my lip out from between my teeth as he waits for me to answer.
“I’m going to get dressed. Are those people still coming to repair my doors?” I ask, and he grins, nodding.
“Yep, and you’re getting a fancy shmancy security system too. We will stop for that coffee I owe you before we go to class.” He walks with me back to his room and ruffles through his dresser while I dump my bag of clothes on his bed to dig through. Something tumbles from the pile, and he catches it before it hits the ground. Garrett makes a startled grunt, and he shoves hisarm towards me, refusing to meet my eyes. In his palm are a pair of lacy black panties, and I snatch them in embarrassment.
“Didn’t think you would stoop to grabbing my panties,” I jest, but my voice is soft, and he glares at me.
