Page 27 of Smoke and Mirrors

“Holy shit.”

No wonder Kace looked so banged up last night. He must have been caught in the explosion? Or maybe he was the cause of it?

I don’t like where my thoughts are taking me. I’m so confused about Kace and who he is. Is he the good guy or the bad? I have no idea because he won’t talk to me. I have no clue what I’ve gotten myself into with him. I feel the need to speak with him, but now seeing this, I’m scared about what he’s actually involved in. Whatever it is, it’s obviously deep, and I’m not sure if I want to follow him into the abyss. I’m not sure I have the strength.

This is doing my head in.

Picking up the remote, I flick off the television and stand up, running my hands through my long blonde hair. Forcing a long breath out of my mouth, I nod my head.

I need to let off some steam, and there’s only one way I know how to do that.

I need to run.

After changing into my activewear and sneakers, I stretch my arms across my body and jog on the spot for a moment to warm up before heading to my door. My heart races a little faster as I click the door closed behind me and stride out into the hall, wondering if Kace might be already out here or step out while I’m here as he’s done before. Walking past his door, I can’t help but look at it wondering if he’s inside and what he might be doing. But I can’t think about that right now, I need to let off steam because of him, so stopping now would be pointless. I turn my head forward and start the jog down the hall toward the exit.

Making my way out onto the street, the cool air brushes my heated face, and I smile for the first time today, finally feeling like I’m free of the drama that is Kace Colt. The orange hues of the leaves in the trees let the sparkles of daylight through their branches as my feet pound the dusty pavement. The hum of morning traffic and the people walking and talking as I pass them makes me feel more like myself as I take in my surroundings.

However, even though I feel more at ease being one with Mother Nature, something is off, even though I’m used to the fact that Washington DC looks different since the attack last month. Now the streets are filled with a consistent haze, everything is gray except for the trees, and the dust seems endless. There’s a chill up my spine, the hairs on my neck are standing up on end, making me more aware of the fact that something feels not quite right.

Glancing over my shoulder, I look behind me to see if someone or something is following me as I continue running down the sidewalk. Suddenly, my body slams into a hard and firm object. And as I fall back in shock, I turn my hands, and he reaches out to catch my fall. Gasping from the contact, I notice a tall guy, very muscular in appearance, with short, dusty blond hair, blue eyes, a dashingly cheeky smile with dimples on each cheek, and he is Drop. Dead. Gorgeous! I choke slightly and start coughing as he grins at me, holding me upright and helping me stand even though my knees are shaking slightly.

He is really, really, good looking.

“Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry. I wasn’t watching where I was going, and then I ran into you by accident. I’m such a klutz, and honestly, I didn’t mean to bump into you. I really am so sorry to ruin your day. And… oh golly, look at me babbling on. I need to stop. So I’m just going to… stop.” My cheeks flush red hot as I look away, and he chuckles slightly.

His hands finally drop away from my arms, and even though he is drop-dead stunning, I can’t help but notice when he touches me, there’s no spark or chemistry like there is when Kace touches me. In a way, I wish there were because that would make life so much easier.

“Don’t worry, it was my fault. I noticed you weren’t looking and should have stepped out of the way sooner. You haven’t ruined my day… not at all. In fact, it’s looking all the brighter for you being in it,” he says. I glance up to see him smiling at me, his left dimple more prominent than his right.

I chew on my bottom lip and nod. “Well, thank you. I’m still sorry, though. I better let you get on with your day.” I attempt to walk off, but he steps in my way. It’s not in an intimidating way, more of a he-doesn’t-want-me-to-leave-yet kind of way.

“Are you from around here?” he asks.

I raise my eyebrow, tilting my head and smirk. “Umm… yeah. I live in the apartments over on McArthur Street.”

He nods and steps closer to me. “So, you were born around here, then?”

“Well kinda. I grew up in Stafford County but moved to DC to become a vet.”

He smiles wide and relaxes his stance. “You’re a vet? That’s so cool. I adore animals. I’d love to get a dog or maybe a horse.”

I giggle and shake my head. “There’s kind of a big difference between a dog and a horse.”

He chuckles. “Well, if you get a big enough dog, you can ride it, too, right?”

I grin widely not knowing if he’s joking or being serious.

He laughs and bumps his shoulder into mine. “Kidding… kinda. Those Irish Wolfhounds are pretty big, though, right?” he asks, and I smile and nod.

“They sure are, but not sure they’d hold your weight.”

With a giant smirk, he purses his lips and rubs his stomach, which I’m sure contains washboard abs. “You saying I’m fat?” he quips.

Chuckling, I furrow my brows and nod my head faking a serious look. “I think you could lose a few pounds.”

He brings his hand up to his chest and feigns shock as he gasps. “Why, I’ve never been so insulted.”

“Lucky you have a pretty face to hide all that flab around your tummy, then,” I say and then gasp at my own words.

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