“I checked the weather, and there’s a break in the blizzard this afternoon, so I’m going out to see if any of the stores are open and get a few things. Do you need anything?”
Looking out the window, my brows crease in confusion. He’s not serious, is he? Yeah, the snow has stopped for now, but it looks like there’s at least six inches of new ice out there.
“Are you sure you should be going out in this? The roads don’t look great.”
His brown eyes finally connect with mine, and a small smile curves on his lips. “Careful, Sunshine. You might be mistaken for someone who cares.”
“Sunshine? That’s not it,” I sass back. “And although I may be vengeful, I don’t wish death upon you.” I leave out that the main reason for my concern is that I need someone to help me, and he’s all I’ve got.
“How kind. Don’t worry, though. I’ll be fine. Have you seen the size of the wheels on my car?” he jokes, trying to rid the room of the awkward tension that now fills it. He’s going to make me beg him to stay, isn’t he?
“Still. It’s bad out there.”
Not taking my concern seriously, he shoves on a pair of snow boots and a jacket. “Which is exactly why I need to go now. Otherwise, I won’t be able to get back. Is there anything you want in particular?”
“You back in one piece.”
“I’m flattered, Sunshine.”
“Only because I might need you to rescue me from the shower again.” I bring it up, hoping we can have some kind of conversation about it just to clear the air, but he doesn’t flinch. He just zips his jacket up, letting the sound do all the talking.
Zip it.
“Sure,” he drawls out, heading to the door. “Feel free to play some video games if you’re bored with all the sports. We’ve got a lot of different games to choose from, but you might want to stay away fromWorld of Warcraft.” He winks, grabbing his keys as he walks to the door without another glance. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“Okay.” I draw my lips into my mouth because even though I’m sitting here wearing Drew’s clothes, sitting in his house, eating his food, and he’s risking his life for me now, I’m still too stubborn to say thank you.
Drew gives me one final look over his shoulder and nods. When he shuts the door, all I’m left with is a deafening silence and knotted hair.
What the hell am I supposed to do now? Drew’s left me confused and embarrassed, choosing almost certain death over talking to me about my vagina and smushy boobs. That little fact should make me feel relieved because it’s not exactly something I wanted to talk about, but it almost feels worse now that the option’s been taken away.
Rummaging through my bag, I find all my toiletries and crawl to the guest bathroom, aka the scene of the crime. At least with him gone, I can pretend that nothing weird happened between us. Oh, and fix my hair.
Chapter 5
Drew
With the door slamming shut, I look out at the frosty scene in front of me. Bella was right, the snow may not be falling, but it’s thicker now, with a higher chance of hidden black ice. Potential death awaits me, but as I look between the snow and my house, I know I’ve made the right decision.
“Breathe, Drew,” I whisper, rubbing my hands together because I already feel the frigid air penetrating my gloves. “She’s just a girl.”
Am I inThe Shiningbecause Bella is driving me insane? I’ve provided her shelter, made her breakfast, and helped carry her around the house, but do you think she appreciates it? No. As per usual, Bella is rude and obnoxious. I’ve been waiting on her hand and foot, yet you’d think she was allergic to the word ‘thank you.’ The girl hates me, and it’s not that I’m trying to get into her good books or anything, but I really expected less hassle from her than this.
But then her big blue eyes and raggedy hair cross my mind. Vulnerable and hurt but trying her best not to show it, my annoyance starts to fade, turning into an entirely different emotion.
Affection.
Because no matter how hard I try, I see her for the insecure girl she truly is. No one has ever taken the time to know her, which is partly her fault. She’s rude and prickly, but it’s because she wants to give people a reason to hate her. I know, deep down, there’s more to her than that. She’s passionate about her clothes, and I love her quirky style. She’s determined when she puts her mind to something, and she stands up for herself. She knows her worth, but doesn’t want anyone else to see it.
But I do.
Crushing my eyes shut in frustration, I let out a growl that I’m almost certain Bella will be able to hear, but I don’t care. Let her think that I’m frustrated over her lack of manners and not the fact that even though she treats me like a pile of stinking shit, I can’t get her off my mind.
It was easy not to think about her when she was in London. Every now and again when she’d pop into my mind, I could switch it off because she was so out of reach. But her attending St. Michael’s and being stuck with her every waking minute now, means it’s not working. Now, it feels like she’s attempting a hostile takeover of my sanity.
All because she unknowingly upped the ante.
And the ante was her pussy.