Page 32 of Hidden Gem
Just before she hit the ground, he caught her.
Jason scooped her into his arms. All the uncertainty and awkwardness washed away like a thick layer of dirt as she collapsed against his solid chest, inhaling the scent of laundry powder and sweat and lemon – no, wait, that was her fingers. His heart pounded fast under his shirt. He must have been running right behind her. Marnie curled her aching hands around the fabric of his T-shirt, hanging on as the world spun.
“I’m sorry. I haven’t eaten in two days,” she rasped into the white cotton, trying to regain balance.
“Why?”
“Can we go inside? I need to tell you something.” She felt his breath slow down in sync with hers as his arms propped her up, kept her from falling.
She followed Jason through his garden, up the steps to his back porch. He unlocked the sliding door and led her into the lounge. She sank into the leather couch as he turned on a set of frosted-glass wall lights, transforming the room into a cosy haven. Private. Safe.
Marnie spotted the kitchen at the other end of the space and asked for a glass of water.
Jason circled the kitchen island to reach the tap. “It sounds like you need some food.”
She shook her head. “I can’t. I’m fasting.”
He filled a glass from the tap and brought it over, his forehead wrinkling in confusion.
She grabbed the glass and downed half of it, burrowing her fidgety heels against the plush grey carpet, gathering courage. She had to tell him, before anything else happened. Marnie squeezed her eyes shut, surprised by the big fat tears that escaped. “I have arthritis, the aggressive kind, so I’m fasting to reset my body or something like that. I don’t know if it’ll help. I’m sorry. I should have told you.”
Silence fell between them. Marnie opened her eyes but kept her gaze on the water glass, afraid of his reaction.
He sat next to her, slid his arm around her lower back and nuzzled her hair. “I can’t believe you’re here. I found you.” His words, full of bliss and wonder, flowed down her back like a cascade of bright light. Too bright to look at.
“Did you hear what I said? About arthritis...”
He sat up and cleared his throat. “Yes, sorry. That sucks. But you’ll get through it. Don’t worry. I can help you find the best doctors and...”
“No, you don’t get through it! There’s no cure.”
His eyes widened with compassion. “Are you in pain?”
Marnie swallowed a lump. “Not right now.” She could only feel the hot sensation of his hand resting on the small of her back. “Those guys were filming us. They were filming you.”
Jason stiffened. “I know. I didn’t notice until it was too late. It’ll be in the Herald tomorrow.”
Marnie shifted on the couch, every nerve misfiring at the thought of it. “What you said... It’s not true. I never thought that. I never thought you were selfish. I wish you hadn’t said it.”
Jason shrugged. “I wasn’t great. I’ve been so tired, so messed up. But I want to be better, for you.”
“You look tired. Do you want to go to sleep right now?” She studied his face in the moody lighting. The darkness under his eyes was even more pronounced.
“Sleep”—he yawned—“that’s not what you do when you finally find the woman you’ve been looking for.”
Marnie raised her brow. “Looking for? I gave you my phone number.”
“No, you didn’t.” He shook his head. “Don’t you think I’d have called, instead of having my assistant track down every woman at that party?”
“I left my number on a sticky note on your nightstand.”
Jason stared at her, his brow knitted. “There was no note on my nightstand.”
Marnie’s heart fluttered. “That’s strange. I assumed you didn’t want to see me again.”
“Oh, my God! I’m officially never buying sticky notes again! I’m banning them from my life. The only way people are allowed to leave notes is by magic marker, on my forearm.”
Marnie smiled, but she couldn’t relax. Her insides swirled like she was on a carousel. Maybe she needed to eat something. She was finally with him, in his house, and felt like her poor brain couldn’t keep up with what was happening and what he was saying. She could try fasting again later.
