Read Online The Other Side Of Gravity (Oxygen, #1) by Shelly Crane - Free Book Online
Authors: Shelly Crane
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to see if I was telling the truth or not, but it was beginning to get unnerving. I huffed. “Why would he keep shavings, for one, and for two, why only the ones that aren’t silver?” I tilted my head at him. “I used a magnet to pick them all up from the floor and baskets. You can’t pick up silver with a magnet—”
“I know that,” he said, irritated.
“Good. Then it’s clear that I picked up everything but the silver, leaving him to it, and took the shavings of everything else, everything he was obviously going to throw away. So can we get off the whole I’m a thief kick and move on to something else. And fast. Don’t we need to get going?”
He stepped forward into my space once more. “Look,” he said. Barked was probably a more apt description. “I didn’t have to come back and save your gorgeous behind.”
He seemed surprised by his words and his outburst. I sure was. I skipped right over that, not dwelling at all . Okay, I would be totally dwelling…later.
“Then why did you,” I hissed.
He went over to the wall, opening some cabinets that were hidden there. They released with a click. He grabbed a few bottles of things and a bag from the desk, throwing it all inside the bag and then the bag over his shoulder. It was a black bag with a small circle on the bottom with slash through it. I’d noticed them before on the men walking around the streets and knew they were some type of messenger or carrier. But now I knew. They were black market. He turned back to the door and got ready for something. “Like I told you, you could have been my sister. You’re not my sister, but,” he grumbled, “you know what I mean.”
“It’s actually very sweet,” I managed to say. He looked back at me. Before he could say anything I rushed on. “Whatever happened to her, wherever she is, I’m sure she’s proud of you.” He actually leaned back on the wall like he could do nothing else in that moment, like he’d been physically hit with some knowledge. “I don’t know what happened, and I don’t expect you to tell me, but it’s a shame that she doesn’t get to—”
I stopped. I needed to stop.
Looking down at the floor was safe, but he got up and walked to me, taking one finger and raised my face up. It wasn’t some sweet, sexy gesture—trust me.
He looked haunted. “Tell me. Finish it.”
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have.”
“Finish it,” he ground out, and if I wasn’t a slave and hadn’t been yelled at by men my entire life, it would have scared me. I’m sure it would have scared a normal girl. But I wasn’t normal.
I took a breath, knowing what that breath cost in oxygen, and continued, “It’s a shame that she doesn’t get to see the man you’ve become, the man who saves girls in her place because she can’t be here.”
He gulped, his face tightening.
“Why are you doing this?” he said softly.
“What—”
“You know what.”
I looked at him, at his dark hair that was short on the sides but long on top and a little spiked and wild, like he’d run his fingers through it. His skin was tan, his lips full and…sigh-worthy. His neck—you could see how strong it was and his Adam’s apple was prominent. You could tell, even through his shirt, how strong he was, that he worked for what he had. That bird tattoo on his arm that looked out at me as it flew. I finally looked up into his blue eyes. They were so sad, but hopeful at the same time. He was jaded, yes, this life had changed him, sure, but there was still a spark in him that wanted to believe that life could offer him something, a challenge, an adventure, something worth living for.
“Because I’m like you, Maxton. If someone had found my mother when she was alive, I would have wanted them to help her. I’m just…trying to...” I shrugged.
“But no one did help your mother, did they?” I shook my head. “But you still want to help?”
“Come on, Maxton,” I said in
“I know that,” he said, irritated.
“Good. Then it’s clear that I picked up everything but the silver, leaving him to it, and took the shavings of everything else, everything he was obviously going to throw away. So can we get off the whole I’m a thief kick and move on to something else. And fast. Don’t we need to get going?”
He stepped forward into my space once more. “Look,” he said. Barked was probably a more apt description. “I didn’t have to come back and save your gorgeous behind.”
He seemed surprised by his words and his outburst. I sure was. I skipped right over that, not dwelling at all . Okay, I would be totally dwelling…later.
“Then why did you,” I hissed.
He went over to the wall, opening some cabinets that were hidden there. They released with a click. He grabbed a few bottles of things and a bag from the desk, throwing it all inside the bag and then the bag over his shoulder. It was a black bag with a small circle on the bottom with slash through it. I’d noticed them before on the men walking around the streets and knew they were some type of messenger or carrier. But now I knew. They were black market. He turned back to the door and got ready for something. “Like I told you, you could have been my sister. You’re not my sister, but,” he grumbled, “you know what I mean.”
“It’s actually very sweet,” I managed to say. He looked back at me. Before he could say anything I rushed on. “Whatever happened to her, wherever she is, I’m sure she’s proud of you.” He actually leaned back on the wall like he could do nothing else in that moment, like he’d been physically hit with some knowledge. “I don’t know what happened, and I don’t expect you to tell me, but it’s a shame that she doesn’t get to—”
I stopped. I needed to stop.
Looking down at the floor was safe, but he got up and walked to me, taking one finger and raised my face up. It wasn’t some sweet, sexy gesture—trust me.
He looked haunted. “Tell me. Finish it.”
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have.”
“Finish it,” he ground out, and if I wasn’t a slave and hadn’t been yelled at by men my entire life, it would have scared me. I’m sure it would have scared a normal girl. But I wasn’t normal.
I took a breath, knowing what that breath cost in oxygen, and continued, “It’s a shame that she doesn’t get to see the man you’ve become, the man who saves girls in her place because she can’t be here.”
He gulped, his face tightening.
“Why are you doing this?” he said softly.
“What—”
“You know what.”
I looked at him, at his dark hair that was short on the sides but long on top and a little spiked and wild, like he’d run his fingers through it. His skin was tan, his lips full and…sigh-worthy. His neck—you could see how strong it was and his Adam’s apple was prominent. You could tell, even through his shirt, how strong he was, that he worked for what he had. That bird tattoo on his arm that looked out at me as it flew. I finally looked up into his blue eyes. They were so sad, but hopeful at the same time. He was jaded, yes, this life had changed him, sure, but there was still a spark in him that wanted to believe that life could offer him something, a challenge, an adventure, something worth living for.
“Because I’m like you, Maxton. If someone had found my mother when she was alive, I would have wanted them to help her. I’m just…trying to...” I shrugged.
“But no one did help your mother, did they?” I shook my head. “But you still want to help?”
“Come on, Maxton,” I said in
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