Read Online All of These Things by Anna De Mattea - Free Book Online Page B

with procedures, and hopefully more definite information on the men they towed out of here.
    “Are you sure the asshole didn’t go any further?” Sofie asks, suddenly breaking the silence.
    “Yeah,” I say. “I’m sure. Alec came in at the perfect time.” I look fondly over to him. I hope he knows how grateful I am.
    A curl of his lips tells me he does.
    “I may take a hot bath before bed, but I’m not sure I can fall asleep. So what do you say, Care... slumber party? I won’t punch you in the face like when we were kids. It’s a king size bed.”
    I look to Jay, and suddenly I’m desperate he stays the night with us.
    “Aren’t you staying over?” I ask.
    “I’ll sleep down here, or in one of the other rooms,” he reassures.
    I admire how resilient Sofie is with all that’s transpired. She takes the pressure off a bad situation with ease.
    “Yeah, okay. That sounds good,” I say, attempting a courageous answer, doing my part to lighten the tension.
    Barefoot, she meanders slowly to the back of the couch and kisses the top of my head.
    “Thanks, Alec. We owe you our lives. I mean that. Don’t go. Stay in a spare room and get some rest,” she says. I don’t think I’ve ever heard such an earnest request from her before.
    “Of course. Good night, Sofie.”
    Jason squeezes my shoulder before following Sofie upstairs. Alec moves to occupy her seat next to mine, leaving sufficient leg room between us. I’m agitated, repeatedly flexing my fingers and making fists. I’m embarrassed, knowing he saw bits of my writhing, naked body. I feel inert and dizzy with confusion. Things could have been worse. Things could have spiraled into disastrous circumstances.
    “Tell me again why you came back here,” I beseech.
    “Truthfully?”
    “Yes.”
    “I was restless. I was too disquiet for sleep and contemplated returning here to ask you for a walk. Needless to say, I’m very glad I did.”
    His revelation calms me, but I know I should be more alarmed.
    “If memory serves me correctly, Sofie drinks her coffee out on the porch every morning. So, I also thought you could find this when you joined her,” he says, standing abruptly and treading into the kitchen. He returns with a paper, rolled and tied with string.
    “What’s this?”
    “From me to you.”
    “For me? Really?”
    “Of course. But show me some compassion, love. I didn’t exactly have ample time to make it completely worthy. But I will. In the future, I will.”
    Future. I’m beyond curious, sliding the cord off and stretching the paper out. It’s a sketch; a beautiful drawing of... me .
    “Is this—”
    “You? Yes,” he cuts in. “You were radiant by the fire, and while I debated returning here, I drew the lovely siren I had the pleasure of meeting tonight.” He points to the sketch. “You might as well have been the only scenery, Caroline.”
    I’m flooded with warmth, and I’m suddenly aware of my heartbeat, as though it’s in my ears. He’s enchanting. I don’t remember ever describing a man as such, but Alecsander allures me. I’m enthralled, and his charm is arresting and commands attention.
    “This is beautiful,” I say. “She’s too pretty to be me, Alec. You’re imagining things.”
    “I didn’t imagine enough. You are even more unforgettable than I ever perceived.”
    I’m mindful of his accent, again. He’s handsome, yes. Quite handsome, actually. But he’s also eloquent, talented, and sensitive in a rough, unpolished way. Hardly unkempt, his appeal is a tousled display of simplicity and a sophisticated gentleman. I can’t look at him for too long, and I’m bothered by how he can hold a gaze.
    “You must be tired, love.”
    “You’d think, right? I’m not, though. I suppose it’s the adrenaline,” I say, and manage a laugh. “Alec, there was this period of time—albeit a short one—that my mother would leave me home alone and sometimes she forgot to come back at night, but nothing ever happened to