Page 39 of Divorced from Number Thirty-Eight
Her fingers tighten around mine, hard enough to send a bolt of pain through my hand, but I don’t say a word. “I talked to the fire crew yesterday,” I say softly. “They need to have an inspector come out and clear the structure before you can go in, but they think it’ll only take another day or two.”
“Okay,” she whispers, her hand still clutching mine. “Thanks.”
But her gaze is still pointed out the window.
And her voice…
“Red,” I murmur.
She jerks, head whipping toward me, eyes distant when they connect with mine.
I can practically see her building a wall around herself, slapping together brick and mortar in rapid movements.
Shutting herself away from me.
“Can I borrow your phone?” she asks, tugging at her hand.
I frown, don’t release her fingers. “Yeah,” I say. “We’ll go inside, get you somewhere comfortable and you can make as many calls as you need.”
“Great.” Another tug. “Thanks.”
I smooth my thumb over her silken skin. “You okay?”
“Yup.”
Short. Clipped out. Her shoulders hunching ever so slightly.
Of course she’s not okay.
“I need to make those calls,” she says, pulling at my hold again.
Something about the way she’s avoiding my eyes as she tugs has me asking, “Who do need to call?”
Another hunch of her shoulders but when she turns to look at me, her pretty brown eyes spark with irritation. “Does it matter?”
“That answer tells me it matters a whole lot, Red.”
Her lips press flat.
I lift my eyebrows.
Her nose wrinkles—and fuck, that’s cute, so cute I want to lean forward and kiss the freckled bridge.
I don’t, though.
I just wait.
And eventually, she sighs. “I need to call a taxi.” Her chin lifts. “And book a hotel room.”
My brows drag together. “Why?”
She jerks her chin at the charred remains of her house. “I need somewhere to sleep, Gray.”
The hint of sass in her tone has my dick twitching. “You’re staying here, Red.”
Her lips part on a shaky exhale, one that has me leaning a little closer, wanting to feel that puff of air on my skin, on my tongue. “I-I can’t stay here,” she whispers.
“Why not?”
