Page 55 of Together We Burn
“You’re far too inquisitive to have not read it.” He brushed along my hairline on my forehead. “But something didn’t feel right after I left. Call it intuition or whatever, but I turned around and, on my way back, I saw your car on the side of the road. A bright orange McLaren isn’t exactly subtle.”
I looked into his cerulean eyes, watching the way they flitted about my face like they were memorising everything. Turning to face the TV, I pulled the blanket tighter around my shoulders.
“Okay?” he asked, and I nodded. Not probing any further, he pointed the remote at the far wall and a huge flatscreen appeared from what appeared to be a mirror at first glance.
Choosing a random movie neither of us had seen before, he began playing with my hair as my eyes slowly drifted shut.
Chapter twenty-one
Jake
Icouldn’tstopwatchingStefany as she slept, her head nestled in my lap, chest softly rising and falling, the only indications she was alive. This girl could sleep like the dead.
I noted the way her lips parted slightly with every exhale, how she had pulled the sleeves of my hoodie over her hands and had them tucked under her chin, the tiny crinkle across her forehead as she dreamed.
Just like Kintsugi; damaged and broken, she’d managed to mend her pieces together and still be beautiful. Running my hands through her hair, I let the long strands flow between my fingers before falling down her back and onto my thigh.
Having her here, freshly bathed and fed, dressed in my sweatpants and old college hoodie, was something I’d never done with a girl before. I liked it. Even with Rocky’s loud snores from the floor beside us, it felt nice. Normal.
And Stefany deserved normal. Deserved happiness. And there was something I knew I could do to ensure she’d have that.
Carefully and without waking her, I scooped her up into my chest and walked her into my room. She buried her head into the crook of my neck and let out a contented sigh, her breath tickling my skin.
Moonlight spilled across the bedroom floor as I maneuverer the duvet down and gently placed her onto her side of the bed, facing the window.
Her side.
Reaching for the remote control, I was about to close the blackout blinds when instead, I sat the remote on the bedside table beside her and left them open. I’d noticed the last time she was here, the small smile she’d given as she looked out at the moon before falling asleep in my arms.
Rocky’s heavy paws sounded from the hallway as he padded along the hardwood and nosed his way inside. He walked toward the bed and put a big paw on the mattress.
“No,” I whispered, and I swear the miniature bear narrowed his eyes at me. “Not on the bed, boy. Here.” I went to my wardrobe, pulled out an old blanket and made a makeshift bed for him on the floor beside us.
The dog eyed it carefully, walking over with disdain–if dogs were capable of that emotion–and sniffed it before circling a few times until he dropped down and yawned.
Crouching down, I itched behind his ear and said, “Keep our girl safe until I’m back.”
Barrelling across the threshold as soon as Alex opened the front door, I pushed him back until he slammed against the wall. The bottle of beer he’d been holding dropped to the floor with a clang, landing sideways and spilling liquid from the top.
“What the fuck, asshole?” he slurred, his eyes glassy as he blinked a few times, trying to focus.
“What did you do?” I demanded, gripping his shirt collar and slamming him against the wall. His head knocked brutally against it, and he screwed up his eyes, shrugging one shoulder. “You made her fucking cry.”
He made a noise that sounded like a strangled laugh.
“Stevie doesn’t cry. She shoots things. She gets pissed and puts bullets in people or tyres. Not that she’d care. She cocked that fucking gun at me first, didn’t even give me a chance to make things right. She didn’t even tell me what was wrong, just went to typical Stevie; shoot first, ask questions later.”
Alex’s drunk rambling lit the short fuse I barely had a hold of. Fisting my hand, I pulled back as unadulterated rage fuelled my punch, connecting it with Alex’s jaw. Though I think the pain radiating across my hand hurt me more than it did his jaw.
Blood spattered from his mouth, down his shirt and chin. He looked at his chest, and when his eyes snapped to mine, he’d somewhat sobered.
Hatred blazed in his dark irises as he curled his lip up in a snarl, nostrils flaring, and launched himself forward, ducking his shoulder into my stomach, sending us both to the ground as he started to swing for me.
Landing on my back, I groaned at the tug from my stitches. This bastard was going to cost me another round with Stefany and her needle. But it would be so worth it to knock this asshole down a few pegs.
Bucking my hips and messing with his equilibrium, I managed to flip Alex to his back, getting one good hit into the side of his ribs before I found myself staring at the ceiling once more.
Knowing in what capacity Alex worked for his brother–the IT hacker geek–he sure knew how to fight. A lot better than I did.
