Page 57 of Heartless
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Iwoke up hungry.Thinthreads of sunlight were seeping through tiny gaps of the draped blackout shades.After a long stretch, I rolled out of bed, went to the bathroom, and splashed cold water on my face.My trip to the kitchen was a lot easier this time.I arrived under the archway to find Camila with her back to the stove, chatting quietly to Silas, who was at the kitchen table while Jake’s shoulder was slanted against the fridge.
When everyone’s attention landed on me, I staggered back.“S-sorry, I’ll come back later.I don’t want to make anyone sick.”
I pivoted toward my quarters.Someone caught my arm from behind, and I twisted to face Jake’s chest.
“You’re going to get sick,” I reminded him while pulling my arm out of his grasp.
“Sienna, you slept in my arms for hours this morning.”
Hours?
“Oh...Sorry about that.I—”
His hand curved around the side of my neck.“Sienna, look at me.”
I kept my gaze down and started explaining the reason why I’d zoned out earlier.“I’m sorry for this morning.I had a bath last night—”
“Stop apologizing, baby.Look at me.”
My fast heartbeat climbed up my throat, rendering my scratchy voice breathier.“Sorr...I wanted to read—”
His second hand joined the first on the other side of my neck.
“Sienna, I scared you.I...I fucking hurt you.”He paused, and his big chest rose and depressed slowly.“What I said to you was fucking filth, and it had nothing to do with you.”
My throat squeezed.“But my hair was—”
“Look up,” he whispered.
To my utter humiliation, a tear escaped from my left eye.“My hair...my hair was—”
“Sienna, baby.”
I shook my head.“I don’t want to see.”
His voice lowered, and he somehow got closer.“See what?”
A cold shudder snaked down my spine.“The...disgust.”
And the realization I was who Nigel and Gabby thought I was.An unsexy, boring girl, desperate for a family.A girl who thought she knew better, but did not have the first idea about romantic love.Or men.
His hands convulsed against my skin and his voice was gruff.“Baby, open your eyes.”
“I don’t...I don’t want—”
“Sienna.Please.”
Pinching my lips to stop the trembling of my chin, I did.He wasn’t frowning, but his intense gaze was locked onto mine.
Swallowing hard, I stared.He’d never looked at me like that.Never.It was almost as if he...I blinked and tipped my chin down.Jake Rhodes had too many facets, and I would stay away from that one too.
He touched his head to mine, and the rumble of his low voice fanned on my lips.“It wasn’t you, Sienna.”
Jake drew back to watch my eyes again, and I lowered them again.“It was me ...g-gushing over your fingers.”
His bass voice was a ragged whisper.“I’m a motherfucking asshole, baby.”
