Page 53 of Outcast
Straining to make out the words, I heard Jameson's annoyed tone, which surprisingly brought a smile to my face. The dickwad had pulled through.
"My father sent me back to let everyone know that we defeated the pack of Daimona, and my guard was down because of it. I didn’t expect one to have strayed so far from the others."
"How many were there? I'm concerned that their numbers are climbing," Seth inquired, though it seemed he spoke too loudly for Jameson’s liking, judging by the harsh shushing sound in response.
"We don't need to alarm Kira. She already has enough on her plate," he grumbled, as if annoyed that he cared.
Sounds about right. Deep down it warmed my heart though and sparked hope in me that he was coming around.
He's annoying.
Lux's thoughts made a giggle bubble out of me, and I quickly clamped my hand over my mouth, waiting to see if they’d heard me.
Sure enough, they stopped talking so I gave up and walked out to the living room, awkwardly holding my hands in front of me. They both just stared at me with tight lips, stress clear on their faces.
I'd let them think they’d spared me from the intel, if that's what made them feel better. I'd tuck the information away and let it fuel me in my quest for answers.
"So..." I trailed off, fidgeting, "How're you feeling?"
Jameson's eyebrows rose as he grunted, "Better."
Well, it wasn't necessarily a thank you or a long conversation, but he wasn't being vile towards me, so I'd take the slight improvement.
Nodding, I twisted my fingers together, unsure of where to go from here.
Seth looked supremely uncomfortable as he scratched the back of his head and asked, "Did you want to crash here tonight, Jameson?"
Jameson clambered to his feet a bit stiffly, wincing in discomfort with the movement. "Nah, I'll go home. Thanks though, man."
I found my eyes glued to his chiseled abdomen, the dips and curves of his muscles tantalizing despite the jagged red lines that remained etched across his skin.
Thankfully, he wore a pair of joggers now, so I wasn't faced with the uncomfortable scenario of staring at his goods. Because let's be real, I wouldn't have been able to not look. I only have so much restraint, and he was a handsome specimen, despite his character flaws.
Wrapping my arms around myself at the slight chill of the wind blowing through the cracked door, I shivered and bounced up and down a little to pump some blood through my legs to warm me.
Seth sauntered over to me and wrapped me in his embrace, lending me his warmth and kissing the top of my head. My head tilted to the side to see behind him, and I caught Jameson’s wistful glance back at us.
Popping my hand out, I gave him a little wave and called out softly, "I'm glad you're okay."
I almost choked on my spit in shock when he smiled at me before maneuvering around the broken door, leaving me and Seth alone once more.
Pulling back to look up at Seth, I let my mouth hang open for a moment, then filled him in. "Jameson justsmiledat me."
His eyes gleamed with amusement as he released one arm and ruffled my wet hair. "I guess when you save a man's life, the least he could do is give you a smile, eh?" he hedged.
Maybe I was overthinking it, but damn, it felt good to have a shred of hope to cling to.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Kira
Sleep had claimedme quickly last night while wrapped in Seth's arms, but I awoke a few times with a dull ache at the memory of how I’d left things with Milo. I had tossed and turned and pleaded with my brain to shut off, but to no avail.
The first rays of light began to seep through Seth’s blinds, landing directly on the spot where I lay in his bed. Giving up on the idea of getting any more rest, I decided to start my day and slid out of bed. Padding over to the drawer that Seth had cleaned out for my stuff, I pulled out a black sports bra and my favorite pair of blue leggings.
Lux, do you want to go for a run? I feel anxious.
I'd love to.
