Micah (Damage Control 1)

“And your parents?”

“I moved out.”

She did? When did that happen?

She jumps off the sofa in search of her discarded clothes and her cell phone, leaving me to stare after her.

Would she move in with me? Would Seth mind? Would she like it?

Oh shit. Too soon. I lean back and close my eyes. I’ll scare her. She barely knows me.

Too bad I’m not sure I can live without her anymore.

Chapter Twelve

Evangeline

When I leave in the morning, Micah insists he should accompany me, but I tell him no.

Truth is, I’m a bit worried about him. He looks good today as I kiss his warm lips and reluctantly pull away from his arms to go to work. But last night he wandered the streets for hours, frozen to the bone, and he coughed so badly. It scared me.

Besides, even after making love he seemed distant. Kind of disconnected.

He still doesn’t feel one hundred percent there. His eyes track me as I walk backward on the dim landing toward the stairs, but they’re flat like mirrors. What’s going on in his mind? Is he regretting being with me? What it cost his friend and the danger I put them in… Maybe he’s done with me?

But the way he clutched me to him, the way he pleasured me… The way he listened and acted like he believed me even though he has every reason to distrust me right now—the way he reacted, the anger on his face when I told him about Blake... He didn’t seem about to send me away.

Then why did he shut off afterward? He seems to be in a daze. Maybe the attack on Seth shook him worse than he lets on, and knowing what I know now about his past...

I shouldn’t have left him alone, I think as I hurry to work, smoothing down my wrinkled pants. Seth isn’t there.

He’s not a kid, though. He’s a grown man, and I’m not sure what I could do if I stayed home with him except drive him crazy. Still… Thank God tomorrow is weekend. It can’t come fast enough.

Cassie gestures at me to talk later, but customers keep us busy until it’s time for me to go.

“Are you okay?” she asks as I grab my stuff and get ready to leave.

“I moved out,” I say and laugh when she pumps her fist.

“Did you call Kayla?”

“I’ll call her now.” Someone is standing across the street, and fear curls in my stomach. Is it Blake or someone he sent? Does he know I reported him to the police? There’s so much I want to tell Cassie, ask her opinion, but more customers file in and she sighs, turning to meet them. “I’ll call you, too.”

“Yeah, you must tell me how it went!”

She puts on her bright smile and strides off to see what the customers want. I linger, unwilling to go just yet. I glance again at the guy across the street—and laugh.

This time it’s Micah.

I hurry over to him, and before I can speak, he wraps his arms around me and pulls me in for a long, hot kiss. The world brightens and then melts away as he buries his face in my neck and whispers my name.

I love him. God, I love him so much. I cling to him and the worry fades. Everything will be fine.

“Going for coffee?” he asks, and his warm breath on my skin sends me into a full body shudder.

“Actually I was going to call a girl to see if we can be roommates.” I draw back, and his blue eyes lock with mine.

“Ev, you know you can stay with me until you decide what to do, right?”