Page 13 of The Edge of Never

“What?” I barked, already exasperated by him and I’d barely been in his presence for a few minutes.

If he had something to say, he should just say it instead of staring at me as if I was completely nuts.

“Are ye done?”

I huffed.

“Yeah, I guess so.”

“Yer jumper is on inside oot.”

It took a second for me to wrap my brain around what he said. Then I looked down and saw he was right.

“Oh for fuck’s sake.”

I struggled to get my pack off and dumped it on the floor before stripping out of my jacket and tearing off my jumper. The room was chilly, which made me shiver. I ignored it as I turned my jumper the right way around. Pulling it over my head, I groaned as it got caught on my glasses.

“Why is this my life?” I mumbled.

As I tried to pull the jumper away from my glasses, I felt two hands on my arms, pushing them down to my sides. I froze as Thane carefully pulled my clothes down over my glasses. My face was hot when he came into view. There was a small furrow between his brows as he straightened out my jumper across my chest and stomach. I couldn’t speak when he picked up my jacket and helped me into it, followed by my pack. He tightened the straps for me before stepping back with a nod and a small smile playing on his lips.

I think I’ve died because why the fuck did this man fix my clothes after witnessing me be a clumsy fool yet again?

Every day I spent in Thane’s presence, I managed to do something idiotic. I got it out of the way early today, so I could only hope I wouldn’t do anything else.

I rubbed my heated cheeks and turned away from him, trying, and failing to regain my composure.

Thane made me feel too many things I shouldn’t. There was a need inside me to show him I was capable. It took me longer to get the hang of things, but it didn’t mean I couldn’t do them. But why did I need him to see that? He was annoying, constantly made me feel stupid and yet… I wanted him to see that I was good at this. Well, as good as someone with terrible balance and coordination could be.

Pity he can’t see me with a tattoo gun. He wouldn’t think I was such a stupid idiot then.

Maybe I wasn’t cut out for winter walking. Probably better off in the tattoo studio I worked at, but I needed my life to be more than my art. I liked the outdoors. I enjoyed walking and the sense of accomplishment that came with summiting a mountain. Not that I had done many of them, but I wanted to do more. This was my opportunity. And I needed something outside of Sienna that was truly mine.

I wouldn’t let Thane ruin this for me. Not when the past four days had been restorative for me. There was something about exhausting yourself physically. The bone-deep ache of tiredness that couldn’t be fixed by anything but sleep. I needed that badly, despite my brain fixating on Thane at night like he was the only man on earth. It was better than crying over Sienna. I’d take his grumpy arse any day compared to wallowing in misery.

When I finally looked at Thane again, he wasn’t paying attention to me. He stared at something across the room with narrowed eyes.

I let myself take him in. His hair was up in a bun with his side braids tucked into it. I wondered if the short hairs of his undercut would be soft if I touched them. Then I threw that thought away. What the fuck was it about him that had me all twisted in knots? I didn’t know what to do with my wayward imagination other than to tell it to get fucked.

My eyes roamed down his body, noting he was in all black apart from the small touches of green on the zips of his jacket and pack. Speaking of his pack, it was the largest I’d seen him wear. We were only going out on a day trip, so it seemed slightly excessive for the occasion.

“Are you carrying a dead body in that or something?” I asked.

Thane’s head whipped around. His green eyes landed on me with confusion and annoyance written all over his face.

“What?”

“Well, we’re only going out for the day.” I waved at his back. “Is whatever you have in there necessary?”

Before Thane had a chance to say a word, Callan slapped a hand on his shoulder. I hadn’t noticed him coming up to us.

“Dinnae mind Thane and his constant need tae be over-prepared for anything. Have told him a thousand times he doesnae need tae bring his whole kit up the mountain. This one doesnae listen tae a word I say.”

Thane’s scowl had me folding my lips into my mouth so I wouldn’t laugh.

“Shut yer mooth.”

“Am just saying ye should lighten yer load. Carrying the weight of the world on yer shoulders isnae gonnae help anyone.”

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