Read Online Still Waters by Emma Carlson Berne - Free Book Online Page B

instep. The room was perfectly silent except for a fly buzzing and bumping against the window. It must have come in with them. Outside, Colin slammed the car door. But even that sound was muffled in the heavy air that shrouded the room.
    Hannah suddenly felt the distance around them, the miles of woods separating them from the nearest house, from even one road. Her breath hitched and a wave of claustrophobia tightenedaround her throat. The rough gray walls of the room seemed to rise around her, enclosing her in a high box. What were they doing here? What had she done? Running away like this—lying.
    Quickly she moved to the near window and, twisting the stiff latch, shoved the splintery frame upward with all her strength. It resisted, and then gave with a groan. Hannah pressed her face against the rusty screen, inhaling the rich mud and grass odor that wafted in along with the rushing noise of the wind in the pine trees. The silence became more ordinary and the tightness in her throat slowly loosened.
    Hannah turned, blowing out her lips in a long exhale.
Okay, get a grip. It’s all going to be okay—Colin seems fine now. And the place is nice, actually.
She examined the room more closely. The wide gray board walls were unpainted and darkened with age. Overhead, the ceiling arched, crisscrossed with exposed rafters. On each outside wall, wide windows stretched, facing the lake, so that the water seemed like it was going to lap right up to the edge of the floorboards. Who cared if it was a little strange?
Hannah, you’re here, alone with your boyfriend for the first time, really alone, at Pine House, and nothing to do but just lie around, eat, swim, talk.
    Swiftly, before she thought too much about what she was doing, she crossed to the sofa, where
Middlemarch
sat open beside the stained coffee cup. In one motion, she picked up the book, slamming it shut, and shoved it under the couch. Anything to get rid of it fast. She grabbed the coffee cup and carried it through to the kitchen, where she dropped it into the sink. Then, back in theliving room, she plumped the couch cushions, choking a little on the dust, and smoothed them with both hands.
    She stood back and surveyed her work.
You’d never know anyone had ever been there,
she thought just as the outside door slammed. This was
her
house now—hers and Colin’s. Whatever had gone on here before was over.
    She looked up as Colin came into the room with the duffel bags over each shoulder. Sweat beaded his forehead. “Hot out.” He looked around. “There’s a nice breeze in here though.”
    Hannah smiled with satisfaction. “Where do you want to sleep?” The words sounded ordinary but she felt a shiver go through her as she followed Colin’s broad back down the hallway toward the bedrooms. A little giggle of anticipation escaped her like a bubble, and Colin turned around, smiling. His eyes gleamed in the shadowy darkness.
    “What?” His voice was low and teasing, as if he’d already guessed what she was thinking.
    “Nothing.” His face was very close to hers.
    “Nothing,” he teased, imitating her. He grabbed her around the waist with the suddenness of a snake strike. She giggled again, and he stopped the laugh by pressing his mouth to hers. Hannah leaned into the kiss. His arm circled her waist, pulling her in closely, and Hannah felt her heart quicken. His lips were firm and insistent. He pressed her against him, and she felt her head fall back. A doorknob was digging into her back. Feeling behind her, she twisted the smooth china knob. The door swung open, and they almost fell into the room beyond.
    It was the room with the big bed. Hannah, eyes mostly closed, let Colin press her backward onto the mattress. She felt him leaning over her. Smiling, she stretched her arms over her head, waiting for him to clasp her hands and kiss her again. But his body grew still.
    Hannah opened her eyes. Colin was leaning over her, but his eyes were fixed on the small window