The Secret (North Woods University 3)
On the other side of that door, I find her sitting on the bed, her legs pulled up to her chest with her arms wrapped around them. How is it she looks so incredibly tiny on that bed? She stares at me in shock, her eyes impossibly wide, flickering with fear and dread.
“Fuck, damnit. I’m sorry. I should have knocked,” I blurt out as her sweet floral scent that has already filled the room hits me. It fills my nostrils and seeps into my lungs. I’m so intoxicated by it that I almost don’t realize how weird it is to see her sitting like that. Is she hurt? Afraid? In pain? Why is she just sitting on the bed, curled in on herself?
“It’s okay,” she murmurs once her initial shock has passed, the emotions flickering in her eyes diminish, and I think back to that night, how she felt in my arms, the panic that resonated in her eyes. I’ll never forget the way she looked at me, like I was going to hurt her. Never again do I want her to look at me like that.
“Why don’t you come downstairs? We can watch TV or I can make you something to eat,” I offer. “If you don’t want me to cook, I can order pizza. It doesn’t matter to me.” Again I’m carrying on, and I can’t imagine how pathetic she must think I am.
There is something wrong with me, seriously. I need to shut the fuck up. I’ve never had to try this hard with a girl before, never, usually they’re all over me, talking to me, flirting with me. Fuck, I don’t know how to handle this, her. I feel like I’ve crash-landed on a new planet.
“I didn’t want to bother you,” she admits, while perfectly straight white teeth sink into her plump pink bottom lip. The look is seductive as fuck and of course my cock starts to rise in my jeans.
Bother me? If only she knew how little of a bother she is.
“You’re not going to bother me, and I will not let you spend all weekend in this room. Come on, let me show you the rest of the house.”
Her brows furrow, scrunching together in confusion. She doesn’t move at first and for a moment I think she’ll refuse, but then she slowly starts unfolding herself and climbing off the bed.
Her movements are timid, unsure and her eyes never leave mine, as if she has a hard time keeping her eyes off of me, but not in a sexual way. It’s almost like she needs to know where I am at all times. I don’t understand her apprehension or fear, all I know is that I don’t like it. I want to see her smile because I bet she has a killer fucking smile.
“Is it just us staying here?” she asks out of the blue as we walk back through the house.
“Yeah, this weekend it’s just us. It’s just me and my dad normally and he isn’t here right now…”
She stops mid-step, taking me by surprise.
“When is he coming back?”
“Monday morning… why?” I ask, not missing the weird tone that takes over her voice.
“I’m just… all of this is a lot for me. My father didn’t tell me much when he sent me here. I wanted to go to college, but my dad was scared of sending me off on my own, then he told me that he found something that might work, but he didn’t elaborate. All he said was that he trusts the people I’m staying with. So I wasn’t even sure who exactly you were, and well, you know already, but I… sometimes I have panic attacks and honestly, I was scared of coming here…like really, really scared, but I didn’t think my dad would pay for my college if I wouldn’t do it his way…” Now she’s rambling, heat rising in her cheeks.
This strange feeling overtakes me, and I reach for her, cradling her cheek in my hand, forcing her to look at me. Her skin’s soft, so soft, and I gently move my thumb across the skin, across her freckles. Peering down at her it’s like I know what to do to make things better, what to say, which is strange because I’ve never felt more out of my element in my life.
Chapter Two
Emerson
His hand is cradling my cheek and like a lightning bolt, an electric current runs through my whole body, leaving the skin burning where his fingers touch me. I don’t understand why it feels this way, it’s definitely never felt like this before. Normally when people touch me, I freak out, start panicking, but Clark’s touch has a different effect on me, and one I’m not sure I like yet.
Staring right at me, he says, “When I told you I wouldn’t let anyone hurt you, I meant it.”