Read Online No Time to Cry (Nine While Nine Legacy Book 1) by Stasia Morineaux - Free Book Online Page A

I know it’s horrible, and I’m sorry—so sorry. But it has happened, it is
happening. And now we have to deal with this Iliana,” he spoke in a gentle
manner, using my new name again. He held my face in his hands, staring intently
at me. His touch so warm on my still chilled skin.
    I was shaking my head, and he was making
it nod within the support of his hands. Such a silly, simple gesture, but it
made me laugh, softly, very softly and barely, but still a laugh. And then I
was crying. In his arms. Folded against him crying. The tears invisible against
his rain drenched jacket.
    “Please tell me that it’s faked. That
you hacked my account and posted all of those,” I hiccupped into his chest.
    “If you don’t believe those, check the
web. There are several websites that have write-ups on you, what happened. It’s
real Iliana.” He paused.
     His arms felt so good to be back
in, that I let the name use slide, though I hated it.
    “I’m sorry. I wish that it was just a
hoax, a very bad one, but it’s all valid.” He wiped his thumbs gently under my
eyes, wiped away the new tears. I tucked into him tighter. “It doesn’t have to
be awful. It is possible to start a new life, be happy with this new life.”
    “Gideon is horrible. He’s so cold.
Unfeeling. So nonchalant about the end of my life.”
    “Gideon’s…just Gideon. He’s done this so
many times, it’s just business as usual for him. It has to be.”
    “And for you? What about you?”
    “I’ve been doing this awhile,” he sighed
    “I wasn’t talking about your job . ”
I slapped my twenty down on the table and stood up; hurried from the
restaurant.
    All of this was beyond bad enough
without trying to figure out the whole snogging thing.
    “Come on Iliana.” He caught the tail of
my coat as I stormed up the sidewalk. The rain had lessened, was just softly
misting now. “Wait up.”
    I stopped and faced him.
    “So it’s real. So I’m dead. And now I’m
supposed to be some part of some…whatever it was he was talking about. And I
get to work for some unfeeling jerk at a job I don’t want and I have nothing.
And no one. And all the kisses meant nothing.” I moved on in the direction of
his apartment. “Or can’t mean anything…or…whatever. And maybe it shouldn’t, I
mean really,” I laughed.
     Hmm, did that sound borderline
hysterical?
    “What was I thinking? You tell me I’m
dead and I make out with you? That’s crazy. You we’re just doing your
job—soothe the newbie, keep her calm and under control. I get it. So don’t
worry about it. It’s done. Forgotten. Absolutely.”
    It felt mean and I felt a twinge of
viciousness as the words finished passing my lips.
    Because I knew the kisses weren’t just
nothing , not to me and not to him either. I’d been with guys who didn’t
care…and this had been different, had felt different. But still, I was hurting
and childishly I wanted him to hurt too. And it’s not as though he didn’t
deserve them with all of his push-and-pull indecisiveness.
    All the way to his place he was silent.
Very downcast and brooding as he unlocked his door.
    I was still full of indignation and not
quite finished. “And you know what? Gideon is just going to have to…”
    “Have to what, Sweetness?”
    Gideon.
    My heart jumped into my throat, wedged
like a lump of ice.
    Gideon was here.
     Waiting on the couch. I turned to
Liam, but he was already up the hall, his bedroom door slamming.
    “Nothing,” I lied. All the fire
dissolved from me again.
    “Ah. But we both know that nothing is always something.” He smiled that disarming smile, but his eyes were flint,
the smile didn’t touch them. “Sit. Relax.”
    “I’d rather stand.” I was without oxygen
again.
    He stared at me, his head cocked to one
side, his eyes narrowed. “So spit it out. What were you saying to Liam? I’d
love to hear it.”
    Should I say it? Tell him what I was
really thinking about him? Could he take this life