Read Online Strength (Mark of Nexus #1) by Carrie Butler - Free Book Online
Authors: Carrie Butler
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crying…
“Rena.”
I didn’t know what to say. He probably thought I was going to pass out again. Actually, that wasn’t a bad idea. Maybe I could roll my eyes back and go limp or something. I wouldn’t have to deal with this.
“I’m going to put you down now, okay?” His gaze bored into mine, trying to force the understanding. “Do you think you can stand?”
I nodded, hoping to avoid another embarrassing outburst.
He set me down with surprising gentleness, averting his eyes as I slipped my hands from around his neck.
My fingertips trailed through the beads of moisture that clung to his lapel, and reluctantly, I let my hands fall to my sides. “Thanks.”
“Don’t worry about it.” He let out a slow breath as he straightened, shrugged out of his damp coat, and kicked his boots off at the door. “You’re soaked, aren’t you?”
I hadn’t really noticed it until then, but he was right. I guess I’d assumed the reason I couldn’t feel my butt was because it was frozen. My memory was a little sketchy, but I distinctly remembered falling into a slushy mix of snow and ice. No wonder I was shivering. “Yeah. I think I fell.”
“Well, you probably shouldn’t stay in those clothes. I don’t want someone else to die in my room, hypothermic or otherwise.”
I nearly got whiplash, jerking my head back to stare at him. He was—
Kidding. He grinned, flashing a dazzling white smile in the dim lighting. “Relax.”
My knees nearly buckled as he crossed the room and began to search through the contents of his dresser.
“Easy for you to say,” I muttered, taking the opportunity to get a good look at my surroundings.
Just as I’d heard, he lived alone. There was only one bed, with a navy blue comforter strewn halfway off the mattress and a pillow thrown beside it. His phone was off the hook, dangling over the edge of his desk, and his trash bin was lying on its side. Had someone tossed the place or was he really that messy?
“I know they won’t fit, but they’re all I’ve got.” He turned around, looking uncharacteristically sheepish as he held up a bundle of clothing. “You can take a shower, if you want. It’s not dirty or anything. I cleaned it yesterday.”
I froze like a deer in headlights.
“O-Oh.” He was trying to be nice. Say something. Say something now. “You clean the shower?” Not that.
He nodded, leaning back against the dresser. “Yeah, I think we’re on a rotation now. We haven’t really discussed it, so I just clean on the weekends.”
I frowned and bent to unzip my boots, setting them next to his. “Aiden and Josh don’t talk to you much, do they?”
“No.”
Something clenched in my chest. “I, uh, wouldn’t take it personally, you know.” I carefully placed one foot in front of the other, moving across the room—one stumble and he’d probably take me to the shower himself.
The image presented itself in my mind, and I sucked in a deep breath, praying my face hadn’t turned beet red. “T-They’re just shy.”
“You think?”
Looking up at him, I couldn’t bring myself to sugarcoat the answer. “No.” The word echoed around the empty room as I took the clothes from him. “But they’re pussies, so you shouldn’t care what they think.”
His lips pulled back. “Why do you say that?”
I shrugged, backing toward the bathroom door. “Because they’re afraid.”
“And you’re not?”
I stopped and thought about it, feeling a ghost of a smile trace my lips.
“I’m here, aren’t I?” I took another step back, ready to part on those cool-sounding words, and ran smack into the door. Butterflies flitted about my stomach as I groped for the handle. “I-I’ll be back,” I muttered, slipping into the other room before he could reply.
Slick.
I hurried through the shower, lingering just long enough to let the hot water permeate my dulled senses. There wasn’t time to relax. At any moment, Wallace could’ve burst through that door, ripped
“Rena.”
I didn’t know what to say. He probably thought I was going to pass out again. Actually, that wasn’t a bad idea. Maybe I could roll my eyes back and go limp or something. I wouldn’t have to deal with this.
“I’m going to put you down now, okay?” His gaze bored into mine, trying to force the understanding. “Do you think you can stand?”
I nodded, hoping to avoid another embarrassing outburst.
He set me down with surprising gentleness, averting his eyes as I slipped my hands from around his neck.
My fingertips trailed through the beads of moisture that clung to his lapel, and reluctantly, I let my hands fall to my sides. “Thanks.”
“Don’t worry about it.” He let out a slow breath as he straightened, shrugged out of his damp coat, and kicked his boots off at the door. “You’re soaked, aren’t you?”
I hadn’t really noticed it until then, but he was right. I guess I’d assumed the reason I couldn’t feel my butt was because it was frozen. My memory was a little sketchy, but I distinctly remembered falling into a slushy mix of snow and ice. No wonder I was shivering. “Yeah. I think I fell.”
“Well, you probably shouldn’t stay in those clothes. I don’t want someone else to die in my room, hypothermic or otherwise.”
I nearly got whiplash, jerking my head back to stare at him. He was—
Kidding. He grinned, flashing a dazzling white smile in the dim lighting. “Relax.”
My knees nearly buckled as he crossed the room and began to search through the contents of his dresser.
“Easy for you to say,” I muttered, taking the opportunity to get a good look at my surroundings.
Just as I’d heard, he lived alone. There was only one bed, with a navy blue comforter strewn halfway off the mattress and a pillow thrown beside it. His phone was off the hook, dangling over the edge of his desk, and his trash bin was lying on its side. Had someone tossed the place or was he really that messy?
“I know they won’t fit, but they’re all I’ve got.” He turned around, looking uncharacteristically sheepish as he held up a bundle of clothing. “You can take a shower, if you want. It’s not dirty or anything. I cleaned it yesterday.”
I froze like a deer in headlights.
“O-Oh.” He was trying to be nice. Say something. Say something now. “You clean the shower?” Not that.
He nodded, leaning back against the dresser. “Yeah, I think we’re on a rotation now. We haven’t really discussed it, so I just clean on the weekends.”
I frowned and bent to unzip my boots, setting them next to his. “Aiden and Josh don’t talk to you much, do they?”
“No.”
Something clenched in my chest. “I, uh, wouldn’t take it personally, you know.” I carefully placed one foot in front of the other, moving across the room—one stumble and he’d probably take me to the shower himself.
The image presented itself in my mind, and I sucked in a deep breath, praying my face hadn’t turned beet red. “T-They’re just shy.”
“You think?”
Looking up at him, I couldn’t bring myself to sugarcoat the answer. “No.” The word echoed around the empty room as I took the clothes from him. “But they’re pussies, so you shouldn’t care what they think.”
His lips pulled back. “Why do you say that?”
I shrugged, backing toward the bathroom door. “Because they’re afraid.”
“And you’re not?”
I stopped and thought about it, feeling a ghost of a smile trace my lips.
“I’m here, aren’t I?” I took another step back, ready to part on those cool-sounding words, and ran smack into the door. Butterflies flitted about my stomach as I groped for the handle. “I-I’ll be back,” I muttered, slipping into the other room before he could reply.
Slick.
I hurried through the shower, lingering just long enough to let the hot water permeate my dulled senses. There wasn’t time to relax. At any moment, Wallace could’ve burst through that door, ripped
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