Read Online Pieces in Chance by Juli Valenti - Free Book Online

worn off somewhere between having her ribs rewrapped and being brought back to her room. She was exhausted – mentally and physically – yet she’d never yearned to be awake and aware more than she did now. She wanted to see the smiling faces surrounding her; she wanted to know who’d planned the gathering; she wanted Officer Marks to keep her company. More than anything, she didn’t want to sleep and wake, only to find it had all been a cruel dream.
    A stab of pain as she took a deep breath pulled her back to reality. See, you aren’t dreaming – if you were, that wouldn’t hurt so bad, her subconscious chimed in helpfully. She shook her head slowly and met his gaze once more, surprised to find he’d moved closer.
    “I forgot.”
    “Do you need help? I can see you’re hurting.”
    Drew was so enthralled by his lips, fascinated, it took her a second to grasp what he’d said. She glanced around, appeased no one else was paying attention, and let her body relax some, no longer working so hard to hide her hurt.
    “Is it that obvious?” she asked aloud, hoping she was whispering. A part of her wanted not to talk at all, self-conscious of what she sounded like, but her instincts, and pride, kept her from doing so. Besides, she felt safe, comfortable, talking with the policeman, even if she didn’t understand the feeling. Moving even closer, he propped himself on the side of her bed and took the cake from her lap.
    “Not to everyone, but to me, yes,” he answered before dropping his eyes to the cake and cutting a bite. Extending the fork to her, she tried to take it, attempting, and failing, to hide the strain on her face as she lifted her arm. To her amusement, he shook his head and opened his mouth, clearly instructing her to do the same. Nervous, she surveyed the room again before doing as he asked.
    Their eyes locked as he delicately placed the small piece of cake into her mouth. She watched his gaze drop to her lips as she closed around the fork, stray smudges of icing escaping her. His hand raised almost immediately, his thumb wiping the frosting away before placing it in his own mouth to lick it away. Drew’s stomach flipped, her breath catching.
    Stop it, Drew. You’re just a kid and he’s only being nice. Plus, he’s a cop – he wouldn’t be interested in an attempted murderer. Despite the truth of her thoughts, she still couldn’t shake the feelings coursing through her. For a moment, like so many others in her life, she wished she was someone else. This time for a different reason, but the wish was the same. If only she were older, perhaps someone important and certainly less damaged.
    His hand came to rest on her leg, the heat of his palm warming her through the thin blanket that separated them. She knew a blush was beginning to color her cheeks, giving herself away, and she prayed he couldn’t see it through the bruising on her face. Just as she was about to say something, anything, he suddenly straightened. As soon as the weight of his hand lifted she missed it.
    Confused by the sudden change in the man, she looked around him, finding her twin moving toward them. It was ironic that she wanted to tell him to go away so she could steal more of the confusing private time with the man beside her. Dean had always been her refuge, the person she ran to. Right then, though, she wished he was anywhere but there.
    Officer Marks turned back to her, placing the barely eaten cake on a small rolling tray beside her. Reaching out, his fingers gently traced her chin as he tipped her face up to meet his. Kiss me, she mentally pleaded. Please? Kiss me. It was absurd, her desire for him to kiss her – she’d only just met him. She knew nothing about the man except that he was a cop in Chance, that he’d been there after she’d set the fire. Other than that, he was a complete mystery, a beautiful stranger she’d noticed around town a few times. She’d never spoken to him before, never been this close to