A Shattered Moment (Fractured Lives 1)

Bentley

Is there anything hotter than watching a girl lick something? Not that I could tell Mac that, but damn. With any other girl I would have made a move. Mac was different, though. I knew I needed to take it slow with her. She always seemed to be on the verge of fleeing, and I didn’t want to do anything to spook her. There was no rush. Though other parts of my body might disagree.

It was like Mac didn’t realize how attractive she was. I’m sure it had something to do with her disability, but that was all in her mind. I guarantee no other guy would see her the way she obviously viewed herself. I know I didn’t. It was a conversation I would love to have with her, but definitely at another time.

“Okay, now that the brownies are in the oven, it’s time to do some serious pumpkin carving.” I plucked the remaining uncarved pumpkin off the counter.

“Should I ask what this is supposed to be?” she asked, turning Chad’s pumpkin around.

“It’s the Halo symbol. That’s Chad’s work. I told you he was a total slacker.”

“And this one?” She turned another pumpkin around. “Is that supposed to be boobs?”

“That’s Michael for you.” I didn’t mention that I was the one who sketched the outline on the pumpkin since he had totally effed it up.

“I’m sure you and Chad didn’t have any input,” she deadpanned before cracking a smile.

“We may have offered a little guidance.”

“So, what are your plans for this one?” She patted my pumpkin, spinning it around.

“I’m more of a traditionalist. Triangle eyes and nose, a toothy grin. You know, classic. Do you want to work at the bar or the coffee table?” I asked, grabbing a knife from the drawer.

She eyed the counter and the high barstools before answering. “I think the coffee table works best.”

“Good for me. I’ll grab some newspaper and a marker. You can go grab a seat,” I said, noticing she looked like she was dragging a little. I felt like a complete asshole making her stand so long. I should have offered her a chair while we made the brownies. She was obviously the suffer-in-silence type. It was easy to forget about her leg because she never harped on it.

“So, where’s Sherman?” she asked, maneuvering around the coffee table and sinking down on the couch. A pinched look crossed her face as she absentmindedly massaged her leg.

“Probably plotting my demise.” I spread the newspaper across the coffee table.

“He can’t be that bad. After all, he’s nothing more than an overgrown lizard.”

“Trust me. That green bastard has it out for me. He’s lucky I haven’t fed him to the neighbor’s dog.” I set the pumpkin on the coffee table and plopped down next to Mac. If my close proximity bothered her, she didn’t let on. The same enticing smell of strawberries and vanilla that I had caught a whiff of when I carried her assaulted my senses. I was a fan of the fruity body sprays chicks liked to wear. It made exploring certain things more like a treat.

I spun the pumpkin around trying to find the best side to sketch out the face before we started carving. That damn body spray was distracting me. I had to be cool or I’d look like an idiot. It was all about mind over matter.

After a moment, my body finally started cooperating, allowing me to focus on the task at hand. “I figured we’d both contribute to the drawing,” I said, sketching a pair of triangle eyes with the black Sharpie. I eyeballed them to make sure they were symmetrical.

“Are you sure? I might ruin it.” She smirked at me. “It looks like you take your pumpkin carving seriously.”

“I take pride in my work. Even if it is just carving a jack-o’-lantern. I trust that you understand the importance of superior pumpkin carving.”

“I’ll try not to let you down,” she answered as I handed the pumpkin over.

She turned the pumpkin to face her, blocking it from my view. I smiled at the way her eyebrows came together in deep concentration as she studied it intently before starting to draw. I thought I took my pumpkin carving seriously, but Mac was all business the way she gnawed the corner of her lip as she worked. After a few minutes, she finally turned it around so I could see it.

I c

huckled when I saw that she had painstakingly drawn eyebrows and eyelashes above the eyes. Obviously my pumpkin was going to be a she this year.

“You know that’s going to be a bitch to carve out?”

“Surely not for a professional like yourself?”

“You’re right. My turn again.”

Taking her eyelashes as a challenge, I drew a curved nose versus the simple triangle I normally would have gone with before handing the pumpkin back to Mac. It took her a long time to draw the mouth, and I was more than a little curious. Finally, after several minutes, she handed the pumpkin back to me, looking quite pleased with herself.