Page 6 of Shattered Love

Smiling cheekily, I leaned forward, gripping my calves and stretching further. After another pause, I looked into Rainer’s frustrated gaze. “How’s your day, Rainer?”

He tried to frown, he really did, but he couldn’t help when his lips turned up and a laugh bubbled from his mouth. Shaking his head, he said, “I have no idea what to think of you sometimes.”

Grinning, as if it was a compliment, I responded, “Well, I know exactly what to think of you.”

“And what’s that?” He asked, his thigh pressing tighter against mine.

“You want to keep us safe.” My teasing tone changed to serious and Rainer sensed the change, his back straightening and his lips flattening.

“Do you think we’re in danger?” His head turned from side to side, as if the danger was approaching at this very minute. Although, if Warner’s musing held any truth, the danger was right under our nose.

“I want you to remember that we all agreed leaving the woods was the right choice. And no matter what I tell you, I still think it’s the right choice.”

I waited for a rebuttal, but Rainer simply nodded, letting me know I could continue. Not wanting to throw Warner under the bus, considering he had no ties to any of us, I chose my next words carefully.

“I was thinking about the cottage we’re going to. And how it seems strange that Emmanuel and Elizabeth didn’t go there to begin with. And that maybe there’s something going on that we don’t know about.”

I waited for Rainer’s reaction. I expected some sort of outburst, maybe an insistence that we stay right where we were. But he continued to surprise me when he only arched a brow, his body relaxing.

Pulling his legs up to his chest, he slung an arm over them. “That’s it?”

Shocked at his reaction and maybe a little pissed he wasn’t taking it more seriously, I pulled my knees up as well, flinching when the movement irritated the wounds. Rainer noticed the face I made, grabbing my ankles and tugging my legs back straight.

“That wasn’t the reaction you were looking for,” he stated, slowly removing the touch from my ankles.

“I thought you’d be concerned. Maybe punch a tree trunk.” I shrugged and my irritation grew when he laughed at me.

His laughter was deeper than his voice, echoing against the trees and bouncing right back to me. “When have you ever seen me punch a tree?” He managed to sputter out between laughs.

“That’s not the point,” I snapped, and my tone finally had him sobering.

“Alessia, it’s not that I’m not concerned. But it was my first thought when Emmanuel brought up the cottage. Murphy and I already have a plan in case things go south.”

Dueling emotions coincided inside me and I couldn’t decide if I was frustrated that he was one step ahead once again or annoyed that he hadn’t had the audacity to fill me in. At least Warner had the good nature to warn me of his concerns.

Realizing that there was no use in being frustrated that I was the naïve one of the group, I settled on annoyance.

“And if it did go south? The two of you were just going to take off and leave the rest of us behind?” My voice raised as I spoke, growing louder and louder with each syllable.

Maybe I didn’t have a right to be so angry. We didn’t owe each other anything. But how many days and nights had I spent at that camp, waiting to get back to them? I could pretend it was all for the twins, but it was for me as well.

Rainer, intuitive as always, reacted to my words, reaching forward and grabbing my ankles once again.

“We weren’t going to leave you behind. You have to know Murphy would lose his shit if we did.”

I didn’t know anything, but I wasn’t surprised to hear the words. Murphy blamed himself enough for my first disappearance, it made sense he would struggle if something happened again. But Murphy’s feelings on the matter didn’t mean Rainer felt the same way.

“And you?” Even if there was some sort of understanding between us now, it didn’t wipe away the months he had been an asshole, all but pushing me away from the group.

Rainer turned away so I couldn’t see his face, shrugging his shoulders. “You’ve grown on me.”

My lips started to tilt up into a small smile when he continued, “Sort of like a rash you can’t get rid of.”

My mouth quickly slanted into a frown and I pulled my legs away, exerting myself as I stood up, grabbing the crutches on my way. “Glad to know where you stand,” I huffed out.

Walking as fast as I could with the crutches, I headed back toward the others, leaving Rainer to do whatever he needed to do. I was nearly out of sight when I turned back once more, spotting Rainer still sprawled out on the ground. And if I didn’t know the man better, I would have sworn he wore an ear splitting grin.

Chapter Four

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