Read Online Fight or Flight by Jamie Canosa - Free Book Online

was at a complete loss. Nothing he did ever seemed to be right with this girl.
    “Please don’t make me leave. I have nowhere else to go.” Em’s voice cracked, and though she remained silent after that, he could see the way her shoulders shook as she dissolved into tears behind a veil of hair.
    Dammit . He couldn’t stand seeing her cry. Especially, knowing he’d been at least partially responsible for the tears. His fingers itched to touch her—comfort her in some way. So he did, covering her small hand with his own. She flinched, but this time she didn’t pull away. Whatever had happened to her, whatever she’d been through, it really was worse than this. And that pained him to think about.
    “Hey. It’s okay. It’s all right, Em. Come here.” She didn’t like being touched—and maybe that had to do with more than just him—but she didn’t fight as he pulled her into his arms, rocking her gently. “Shh. It’s okay. You’re not going anywhere. You’re all right.”’
    Jay could feel her tears soaking through the front of his shirt as he held her, feeling utterly inadequate. He wished he knew what to do to make it better, but he didn’t even know what it was. Just that it was bad. Bad enough she didn’t want to talk about it. Bad enough that life here with him was preferable. Just bad .
    Eventually, Em cried herself to sleep and, knowing he’d have to get some rest himself if he was going to be any good to either of them tomorrow, he reluctantly laid her down across her bed of newspapers. More than anything he wanted to lie down beside her and continue to hold her close. The feel of her in his arms could easily become an addiction for him, but he knew that it probably wasn’t a good idea.
    He’d chipped away at her walls tonight, but after what had just happened, he knew they’d be back and fortified with a damn moat by the time she woke. It didn’t matter. He’d keep trying. Sooner or later, he’d break through to her. Doing the respectable thing, he slid into his own makeshift bed, and lay there, watching her sleep from across the room until the early hours of the morning.
    ***
    She was still sleeping when he woke again at first light. He couldn’t blame her; it was early and she’d had a rough night. She had a lot of those. He’d heard her thrashing around and crying out softly at least twice. Nightmares. Both times he’d called her name quietly—not wanting to make them worse by touching her—and eventually she’d settled down and drifted back to sleep.
    He debated letting her rest, but his mind was already made up. He was done trying to keep her hidden away until she gave up and went home. She couldn’t go back there. That was all she’d told him, but it wasn’t a statement made on inexperience. It was a fact. Whatever waited for her there, she couldn’t go back to it. And a sinking feeling in the pit of Jay’s stomach told him he didn’t want her to. That meant teaching her how to survive out here. It wasn’t much, but it was the best he could do for her.
    “Em. Em, wake up.” He couldn’t help smiling when she rolled over with an annoyed groan and buried her head in her arms. Not a morning person then. “Em, come on. We gotta go if you want breakfast.”
    “Breakfast?” Jay laughed. Apparently, food trumped sleep in her book. “What’s so funny?”
    “You are. Now get up if you want to come with me.”
    “What time is it?” Her gaze drifted to the dim light filtering through the window.
    “Just after dawn, and if we don’t hurry there won’t be anything left. Now, come on.”
    “You’re taking me with you?” She blinked away some residual sleep as her head seemed clear.
    “Do you want to come?”
    “Yes.” She smiled at him and he knew, without a doubt, that no matter what the day brought, he’d made the right decision.
    Outside, t he morning air was brisk. Em was still wearing her sweater from the day before. The only shirt of her own she had left, and