Everything about you interests me. Except you still won’t let me in.”
My face flushed with heat again and I bent my head to look at my feet. I had on sandals that were outdated. I couldn’t afford new shoes so I had to wear those old ones. My pants mostly covered them so I hoped he didn’t notice. They weren’t exactly the highest element of fashion either. I really hadn’t bought any clothes in several years, other than a few items I’d scored from consignment shops, so those were dated as well. Not to mention I still hadn’t gained back all the weight I lost so I’m sure I looked haggard as hell.
“You look great Alexia.” He was always so fucking polite.
“Thanks Pearce. So do you. I guess I should be going. My group is going to wonder what happened to me.”
“Stay safe please.” He reached out his hand and touched my cheek. “Please call me. Please Alexia.”
I just smiled, turned and walked away.
********
PEARCE
I couldn’t believe it when I saw her across the room. I think my mouth dropped open and my jaw hit the table. I’m not really sure though because I shot out of my seat like my ass was on fire. I had to talk with her...a word or two, nothing more.
She looked great. Hell, she always looked great. Who was I kidding? She looked great to me the night she came in with stab wounds. Okay, a bit of an exaggeration, but that woman would look great in anything.
I could tell I made her uncomfortable but for the life of me I didn’t know what the hell I could do differently to change that. She was like a frightened rabbit around me and I couldn’t quite figure out why. I hadn’t done anything to make her that way...nothing that I could think of anyway.
We talked for a few minutes and she scampered off, just like a scared little bunny. I was going to have to figure out how to get that bunny to like me and to feel that she could trust me. I was a patient man and what she didn’t about me was I was relentless. I liked her...a lot. I wanted to get to know her...a lot. And when I set my mind to do something, I usually did it .
CHAPTER EIGHT
Christmas came and I never even put up a tree. No surprise there. I hadn’t put one up since Peter died. Christmas didn’t mean anything to me anymore. Why should it? No family, no one to share it with. I’d woken up early and volunteered at a local soup kitchen since I didn’t have anything going on at my home. I thought I’d put myself to good use.
Later on, Terri stopped by on the way to her parents’ house. She’d invited me over but I declined. I’d always felt that Christmas was family time and I wasn’t her family. She disagreed with that but I didn’t change my mind. We exchanged presents. I bought her a really cool leather cuff that I’d saved up for. She took one look at it and I knew it had been the perfect choice. Her eyes lit up like the Christmas tree I didn’t have. She bought me a new purse that I’d been dying to get. We hugged each other and I thought of how she was my only family. I felt my eyes tear up. My parents didn’t send gifts to me. They still blamed me for Peter’s death. Who could blame them...I still blamed me. Hell, it was my fault. They didn’t call or anything anymore. I never even told them about my attack. My sister didn’t call either. So much for my family.
After Terri left, I walked over to Lisbeth’s. I knew she would be having the entire Rutledge clan over so I wanted to make sure there weren’t any last minute things she needed. Everything was set for dinner. Her housekeeper would come for the meal and then leave. I told her I’d come to clean up. She wanted me to eat with them but there was no way I would do that. I was so out of my element with her family. They treated me well, but...square peg, round hole and all.
I had a little something for her too. I had found a pretty scarf and I knew she liked
My face flushed with heat again and I bent my head to look at my feet. I had on sandals that were outdated. I couldn’t afford new shoes so I had to wear those old ones. My pants mostly covered them so I hoped he didn’t notice. They weren’t exactly the highest element of fashion either. I really hadn’t bought any clothes in several years, other than a few items I’d scored from consignment shops, so those were dated as well. Not to mention I still hadn’t gained back all the weight I lost so I’m sure I looked haggard as hell.
“You look great Alexia.” He was always so fucking polite.
“Thanks Pearce. So do you. I guess I should be going. My group is going to wonder what happened to me.”
“Stay safe please.” He reached out his hand and touched my cheek. “Please call me. Please Alexia.”
I just smiled, turned and walked away.
********
PEARCE
I couldn’t believe it when I saw her across the room. I think my mouth dropped open and my jaw hit the table. I’m not really sure though because I shot out of my seat like my ass was on fire. I had to talk with her...a word or two, nothing more.
She looked great. Hell, she always looked great. Who was I kidding? She looked great to me the night she came in with stab wounds. Okay, a bit of an exaggeration, but that woman would look great in anything.
I could tell I made her uncomfortable but for the life of me I didn’t know what the hell I could do differently to change that. She was like a frightened rabbit around me and I couldn’t quite figure out why. I hadn’t done anything to make her that way...nothing that I could think of anyway.
We talked for a few minutes and she scampered off, just like a scared little bunny. I was going to have to figure out how to get that bunny to like me and to feel that she could trust me. I was a patient man and what she didn’t about me was I was relentless. I liked her...a lot. I wanted to get to know her...a lot. And when I set my mind to do something, I usually did it .
CHAPTER EIGHT
Christmas came and I never even put up a tree. No surprise there. I hadn’t put one up since Peter died. Christmas didn’t mean anything to me anymore. Why should it? No family, no one to share it with. I’d woken up early and volunteered at a local soup kitchen since I didn’t have anything going on at my home. I thought I’d put myself to good use.
Later on, Terri stopped by on the way to her parents’ house. She’d invited me over but I declined. I’d always felt that Christmas was family time and I wasn’t her family. She disagreed with that but I didn’t change my mind. We exchanged presents. I bought her a really cool leather cuff that I’d saved up for. She took one look at it and I knew it had been the perfect choice. Her eyes lit up like the Christmas tree I didn’t have. She bought me a new purse that I’d been dying to get. We hugged each other and I thought of how she was my only family. I felt my eyes tear up. My parents didn’t send gifts to me. They still blamed me for Peter’s death. Who could blame them...I still blamed me. Hell, it was my fault. They didn’t call or anything anymore. I never even told them about my attack. My sister didn’t call either. So much for my family.
After Terri left, I walked over to Lisbeth’s. I knew she would be having the entire Rutledge clan over so I wanted to make sure there weren’t any last minute things she needed. Everything was set for dinner. Her housekeeper would come for the meal and then leave. I told her I’d come to clean up. She wanted me to eat with them but there was no way I would do that. I was so out of my element with her family. They treated me well, but...square peg, round hole and all.
I had a little something for her too. I had found a pretty scarf and I knew she liked
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