Tank
What does she mean she’ll be out of my hair?
That’s all I thought about all night. As soon as the words left her mouth, she went to sleep, so I couldn’t ask her.
She didn’t move all night, and when I finally went to my room, I barely slept. I listened to every noise in the house, waiting to hear a creak or something as if she’s going to sneak out in the middle of the night.
I’ve stayed close to the house all day waiting for a sight of her, hoping she doesn’t plan to sneak out.
I finished her clothes, making quick work of folding her panties and bra before stuffing them between her shirt and pants, and then I set them on the dresser in her room while she’s sleeping. I back out of the room and go sit for what seems like hours.
When I hear the creak in the hallway, I sit up taller in my chair and wait for her to come through.
She’s wearing the same pants she had on yesterday, but she’s still wearing my shirt. She’s brushing her hand through her hair, and as soon as she spots me, her face turns a pretty pink.
She looks outside at the setting sun in confusion. “What time is it?”
I smile at her. “It’s eight o’clock.”
She gasps. “At night? I slept all day?”
I nod just as her stomach makes a loud gurgling noise, and it hits me that I haven’t fed her. “When did you eat last?”
She looks at the ceiling as if she’s thinking. “I don’t know. It was before I got onto the train.”
“Ava, the train ride was 25 hours. You’ve been here almost the same amount of time.”
She shrugs her shoulders, and I stand up, walking to her. I lift her into my arms and carry her to the kitchen before setting her down in the chair.
She doesn’t resist me when I pick her up, but she does voice her opinion about it. “What is it with you that you think you need to carry me everywhere like I’m some child or something?”
Her words hit me, but hell, there’s no way I think of her as a child. I set her at the dining table and walk away from her, grabbing items out of the refrigerator. “Maybe because you’re acting like one. You obviously can’t take care of yourself. You didn’t eat for 48 hours. Are you trying to kill yourself or what?”
She stands up, and when she looks at me with a sheen in her eyes, I realize I’ve really fucked up. “Actually, I’m not. I’m really trying to stay alive. I spent the last bit of my cash on the train ticket. I have credit cards, but I didn’t think I could use them on the train because they would find me. I’m sorry if I’m not sure what to do here. I’m not used to having people trying to track me down.”
I set the carton of eggs and pack of bacon in my hand down on the counter. I’m barely hanging on, and when one lone tear rolls down her face, I know I don’t have a choice. I go to her, picking her up again and sitting in the chair that she just got up from. I hold her in my lap, squeezing her to my chest. My voice is gruff. “Ignore me. I’m stupid.”
It makes her cry even harder.
“Come on, Ava. Please don’t cry. I shouldn’t have said that. I’m mad at myself. I should have fed you last night.”
I rub my hands up and down her back. Her breasts are pressed against my chest, and I’m fighting my desire for her as much as possible. When her sobs slow down, I know I should get up, but I don’t. I keep holding on to her, only shifting her so she doesn’t feel the weight of my desire against her ass.
“I can get up,” she murmurs.
“No,” I tell her, holding her still. “You’re fine.” I lean back and lift her face up to meet mine. “I’m sorry. Do you forgive me?”
She nods, watching me.
The chemistry between us is undeniable, but before I let myself lean in and kiss her, I stand up and set her down, moving back into the kitchen. “Eggs, toast, and bacon okay with you?”
She’s watching my every move, and it’s good that I put the island between us. She feels it too. I’m older and way more experienced than her, obviously. She’s not even trying to hide her thoughts from me. The way she watches me and looks at me through her hooded eyes. And the way I see her pulse pick up at her throat when she’s near me. She wants me.
But one thing is for sure: She doesn’t have a clue what all that entails. I’m not all sweet and cuddly. I don’t think I could be with her. Fuck, sex with Ava would be life-altering, and I know it. That’s why I’m going to do my absolute very best to keep my thoughts—and my hands—to myself.