Read Online Shalia's Diary by Tracy St. John - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Tracy St. John
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recent landscaping has left only a few pretty posies dotting the spaces between weeds here and there. The greenery is doing okay. There is a big oak tree between two of the walls, casting plenty of shade over a few of the benches.
I’d overestimated my strength and underestimated the distance between Medical and the garden. I’d walked a little over halfway to my goal when I began to flag. I really should have turned back at that point, but I am so stupidly stubborn. I’ve been bugging Nayun to let me out of Medical for the last couple of days, and I was determined to show him I was ready to be released.
It was, of course, a mistake. I’d made it three-quarters of the way when I got really lightheaded. The sun was suddenly too bright and too hot on my head. The world started a gentle, slow rocking around me that made my legs wobble. I knew I was about to land on my ass.
Then, like a dark beautiful angel in his skintight formsuit, I saw Dusa trotting across the expanse of pine tree studded lawn. He smiled and waved at me, veering to head in my direction.
I smiled and waved back, my ego insisting I pretend I had my shit together. Unfortunately, I was physically incompatible with the task. The earth tilted really hard at that point, and I started to fall. The concrete walkway came at me in a big hurry to bash and bruise. There wasn’t a damned thing I could do about it.
I heard something similar to a rush of wind, and I was caught before I could finish my crash. Big muscled arms clutched around me, saving me from who knows what injuries. I looked up and there was Dusa, his face just inches from mine, wide purple eyes shocked.
“How did you get here so fast?” I said for lack of anything intelligent to utter.
“I ran. Are you okay?” He was crouched down where he’d caught me, holding me in his arms like a baby.
I felt my face flush. Can you say embarrassing? “I guess I overexerted myself a little. Thanks for catching me.”
“Let me get you back to your room.”
I cringed to think of the humiliation of Dusa carting my weak ass into the building like I was some wilting damsel in distress. Nayun would ground me for at least another week. So I said, “I really wanted to go to the garden. If you’ll help me, I can sit on a bench and get myself back together.”
Dusa hesitated. I could tell he thought I should be back in bed, so I gave him a smile and batted my eyes. Femme fatale, that’s me. “Please? I’ve been cooped up forever.”
Dusa relented. “I don’t think it’s a good idea, but all right. If you fade again, I’m taking you straight in.”
There was a little more discussion about whether I could walk myself to the garden (the lightheadedness had passed and I felt a lot better) or if he should carry me (humiliating!). Finally we settled on me walking with him holding on to support me. Call me the Queen of Compromise.
Leaning on my ever-faithful rescuer, I finally made it to the garden and we sat down on a marble bench under the oak tree’s shade. Dusa kept his arm around me, as if I was going to pitch off my seat in a faint. For a moment I found it amusing. I thought we might look like sweethearts to a casual passerby, all romantic and gooey in a cliché movie setting (if you don’t count being surrounded by the names of the dead).
All at once I became really aware of his arm tight around my waist, his hand cupping my upper hip. I felt all too well his strong, muscled body pressed to mine, side by side. I even noted how he smelled: raw and masculine with the hint of a sweetish-sharp spice. I stared up into that handsome face looking down at me, hovering so close to mine, and my heart began to hammer wildly in my chest. A funny warmth curled in my stomach, something I hadn’t felt since high school when I let Zach Smith kiss me behind the
I’d overestimated my strength and underestimated the distance between Medical and the garden. I’d walked a little over halfway to my goal when I began to flag. I really should have turned back at that point, but I am so stupidly stubborn. I’ve been bugging Nayun to let me out of Medical for the last couple of days, and I was determined to show him I was ready to be released.
It was, of course, a mistake. I’d made it three-quarters of the way when I got really lightheaded. The sun was suddenly too bright and too hot on my head. The world started a gentle, slow rocking around me that made my legs wobble. I knew I was about to land on my ass.
Then, like a dark beautiful angel in his skintight formsuit, I saw Dusa trotting across the expanse of pine tree studded lawn. He smiled and waved at me, veering to head in my direction.
I smiled and waved back, my ego insisting I pretend I had my shit together. Unfortunately, I was physically incompatible with the task. The earth tilted really hard at that point, and I started to fall. The concrete walkway came at me in a big hurry to bash and bruise. There wasn’t a damned thing I could do about it.
I heard something similar to a rush of wind, and I was caught before I could finish my crash. Big muscled arms clutched around me, saving me from who knows what injuries. I looked up and there was Dusa, his face just inches from mine, wide purple eyes shocked.
“How did you get here so fast?” I said for lack of anything intelligent to utter.
“I ran. Are you okay?” He was crouched down where he’d caught me, holding me in his arms like a baby.
I felt my face flush. Can you say embarrassing? “I guess I overexerted myself a little. Thanks for catching me.”
“Let me get you back to your room.”
I cringed to think of the humiliation of Dusa carting my weak ass into the building like I was some wilting damsel in distress. Nayun would ground me for at least another week. So I said, “I really wanted to go to the garden. If you’ll help me, I can sit on a bench and get myself back together.”
Dusa hesitated. I could tell he thought I should be back in bed, so I gave him a smile and batted my eyes. Femme fatale, that’s me. “Please? I’ve been cooped up forever.”
Dusa relented. “I don’t think it’s a good idea, but all right. If you fade again, I’m taking you straight in.”
There was a little more discussion about whether I could walk myself to the garden (the lightheadedness had passed and I felt a lot better) or if he should carry me (humiliating!). Finally we settled on me walking with him holding on to support me. Call me the Queen of Compromise.
Leaning on my ever-faithful rescuer, I finally made it to the garden and we sat down on a marble bench under the oak tree’s shade. Dusa kept his arm around me, as if I was going to pitch off my seat in a faint. For a moment I found it amusing. I thought we might look like sweethearts to a casual passerby, all romantic and gooey in a cliché movie setting (if you don’t count being surrounded by the names of the dead).
All at once I became really aware of his arm tight around my waist, his hand cupping my upper hip. I felt all too well his strong, muscled body pressed to mine, side by side. I even noted how he smelled: raw and masculine with the hint of a sweetish-sharp spice. I stared up into that handsome face looking down at me, hovering so close to mine, and my heart began to hammer wildly in my chest. A funny warmth curled in my stomach, something I hadn’t felt since high school when I let Zach Smith kiss me behind the
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