Page 141 of Drown Like Heaven
But he didn’t come to stand behind me again, nor did he say anything about me touching him. We fell back into our work-routine.
Chapter 38
Dakota
The lab was nearly silent, only the soft hum of the distillation column filling the room as it cooled down. I stood at the bench top, fingers tracing a scratch in the black epoxy, nerves fluttering in my chest, while Dr. Killshaw leaned back against the wall, watching me with an unreadable expression. Nick had left an hour ago now, and I was fairly confident he hadn’t forgotten anything else at this point.
The air in the lab felt charged, shadowed,dangerous. I swallowed, heat pooling low in my stomach, but I didn’t say anything.
Micah stepped off the wall and my skin prickled with awareness, the world fading away, shrinking only to the look in his eyes, the ease with which he moved.
He was standing right in front of me now.
“I think we’re good to leave for the night,” he said. “Do you need a ride home?”
“Well, I—”
“Come with me,” he said, grabbing his keys and checking the equipment one more time.
I didn’t protest as I packed my things, then walked out of the room in front of him, the lights shutting off behind us. I couldn’t help but wonder incessantly what he was thinking, whathe wanted to do right now. I had a suspicion, but I was trying to keep my head on straight.
Outside, the night air was cool against my flushed skin.
Micah and I didn’t really talk as we walked across the dark campus, and thatalonewas making me…
We approached his old truck.
“I told my roommate I was staying late,” I started, lying. “So she’s expecting to take me home later. On med campus.”
“I’ll take you to med campus, then.”
It was an excuse. One that filled my stomach with butterflies.
“You don’t have to—”
“I want to,” he cut me off.
He unlocked the truck with a click, and I slid onto the bench seat, then he shut the door behind me, going around to the driver’s side. But he didn’t start the engine. Just leaned back, watching me in that patient, unsettling way, until I shifted under his gaze.
He looked at me. I looked at him. I didn’t say a word.
My body was wound so tight, so desperate, that I was barely clinging to my sanity.
Mason would jump off a cliff and drag me down with him. Micah would tell me to jump off myself, and I’d do it just because he asked. Neither one gave me anything to hold onto, to stop from myself from falling.
“Micah,” I whispered, feeling the forbidden shape of the word on my tongue.
One tense second passed. Another.Another.
Being with him made me feel helpless, hopeless, weak.
“What are you doing to me?” he mumbled.
“I’m not—”
“Don’t say you’renot. Don’t lie to me.” His eyes dropped to my lips.
“Okay,” I breathed.
