Page 10 of The Burdens We Share
A hurricane disguised in a Chanel suit. Without saying another word, Selene turns on her heel and strides out of my office, most likely hellbent on wreaking havoc on someone else.
Once the door closes behind her, I withdraw the key from my jacket once more and make quick work of unlocking the drawer and sliding the file out. I place it flat on my desk and open it, my anger already fading as my eyes start scanning over the documents I’ve committed to memory.
Chapter 5
Ivory
Nate tucks me incloser to his chest, his chin resting on top of my head. His arms are solid, warm—safe. But they aren’t enough. I’m folded in his lap and he just holds me. After the fear and terror I felt yesterday, I didn’t feel safe being alone and I most certainly didn’t want my stalker to win by scaring me out of my own house. But he already is. He’s in my head. My bed. My fear. So I asked Nate to stay over and he did. We both slept on my couch in my home movie theater because I was way too scared to enter my own room. The memory of finding the note and the rose on my pillow terrifies me. The thought thathewas in that sacred, personal space, terrifies me. I’m so scared of it in fact that I have entirely avoided the entire upstairs of my house, hence why we both slept downstairs and not in one of my guestrooms.
Nate’s been bringing me stuff from my room because he knows I’m scared to go up there. When I called him and told him what happened, he was infuriated. He was so angry that someone broke into my house, that someone got that close. He was even a little angry at me because I didn’t tell him what was going on for so long. In my defense, I didn’t tell anyone.
Selene and I agreed last night not to tell Brody and Aria until we knew what was going on. It felt wrong not to include them—but necessary. Selene even managed to find a way to ensure the paps wouldn’t leak the photos they took of the police at my house yesterday. We aren’t telling the girls until we’re sure of what’s going on and I’m not entirely mad about it. My friendsare my support system, but I can’t deal with their panic on top of my own right now. I’m feeling enough of it for all of us.
I sigh into Nate’s chest and he rubs circles on my back, using his other hand to pull the pink, fluffy blanket over me. I tuck my hands into the sleeves of my matching—yep, you guessed it—baby pink sweatshirt and sweatpants set, when Nate whispers into my hair, “I can’t stay here forever, Iv. I have to meet the guys at the studio later. Maybe you should come with me so you don’t have to be alone,” he suggests.Alone? That’s exactly what I’m afraid of.
Being around people isn’t a very good idea right now. I shake my head, “I don’t think I can handle being in public.”
I can feel him frowning and I look up at him. Nate is handsome, there’s no denying it. He has strong features, and thick dark hair that curls onto his forehead. He’s tatted up like crazy, and he has a panty-melting smile. It’s a shame that I don’t feel attracted to him in any way. He’s gorgeous, but I don’t feel anything more than friendship for him. A guy like Nate would be so easy for me to be with. But then again, I don’t want easy. I never have.
He focuses his baby blue eyes on me and looks sympathetic, “I know, but it isn’t like your friends know what’s going on. The only people who can stay with you right now are Selene and I. And I doubt you want to shadow Selene all day while she works and sues people.”
I groan and throw my head back. He’s right. “Fuckkk.”
Nate laughs at me, “So just come to the studio with me.”
I’m about to agree, about to give in, but the door opens and I yelp, clutching onto Nate tighter. Nobody else is in my house. What if it’shim? Nate’s arms instinctively wrap around me tighter as if he can use his arms as a shield to protect me from whoever it is that just opened the door to my home theater, but when our eyes land on the person, or rather, people, who enter,we both exhale and our arms around each other loosen.
Selene stands in the doorway, her hands on her hips and an interested and very amused look on her face. I feel his gaze before I see him, but Dallas Carter stands behind her, a steely expression on his face like he wants to commit a murder. I shiver under the intensity of his stare. Dallas Carter is here…in my house. Dallas is in my house and he’s staring at me like he wants to kill me.
I feel my cheeks turn bright red under his gaze and his nostrils flare as his eyes move from my face to Nate’s arms around me and my body in his lap. He immediately makes me feel like I’m doing something wrong. I feel like I was just caught doing something I really shouldn’t have been doing. But that’s crazy. Nate is one of my best friends and he’s here to comfort me. Wait, why am I justifying my friendship to Dallas in my head?Stop it, Ivory Aslan!
I convince myself that my internal panic is just due to the fact that I’m emotionally stressed and exhausted right now and not because Dallas terrifies me. And also thatDallas is in my house!
“Selene!” I shout, “You could’ve knocked or rang the bell like a normal person instead of breaking in. You know someone just broke in yesterday so I’m a little on edge.”
Selene rolls her eyes and waves me off with a perfectly manicured hand, “It isn’t breaking in when you have a key.”
I sit up straighter, half rolling off Nate’s lap. “It is when I never issued the key in the first place.”
Selene huffs, “I think you should be more worried about the person who actually broke in yesterday instead of trying to crawl up my ass over me having a key.” She gives me a stony look, “And do not forget I have keys to all of your houses and all of your cars.” She refers to Brody and Aria.
Nate decides to finally speak, “Hey, Selene.” He waves at Selene.
Dallas and Nate exchange a silent death glare that has me anxiously looking at Selene for help. She doesn’t offer much assistance though because she looks amused and like she knows something she isn’t sharing.
Selene grins, “Hello, Nate. I didn’t know you were here.”
Nate keeps his eyes on Dallas as he responds, “Ivory called me because she didn’t want to be alone. I stayed the night.”
His explanation only seems to make Dallas look angrier and I’m not sure why. I don’t know Dallas. I’ve probably only ever spoken a few words to him. So why is he staring at Nate like he wants to rip his head off his shoulders? I turn my head to face Nate and he looks like he wants to do something equally as violent to Dallas. I need to say or do something before an all-out war starts between these two. Do they know each other already? Is there some kind of bad blood between them that I don’t know about? I’ll have to find out later. For now, I need to diffuse this disaster. “Hi, Dallas.” My voice comes out a little shaky from intimidation.
The truth is that Dallas freaks me out because he’s the only person who has ever successfully intimidated me. I’m not scared of anyone, but Dallas…he terrifies me. Maybe it’s because he’s huge and he could easily overpower me, or maybe it’s because he’s impossible to read. It could even be the fact that when he enters a room there’s a dark and foreboding feeling that follows him. Whatever it is, it just fucking scares me and I hate that about him.
His eyes immediately meet mine and they seem to soften, but it’s so fast that when I blink I’m almost convinced I imagined it. He raises his chin, “Hello, Ivory.” His voice is so low, so husky. Is it possible to be attracted to someone’s voice?
Selene interjects, “Nate, would you mind if we steal Ivory for a few minutes?”
Nate shakes his head, “Not at all.”
