Page 15 of Bound by Wreckage
5
Nox
She’s shuttingdown on me. Her eyes tell me all. They have so much expression in them when she doesn’t shutter them closed of emotion. When that void inside melts just a little bit, she comes alive. But as quick as it comes, the mask fits right back in place.
“That will never happen, Nox. Please go.”
I turn her direction. “It can happen if you want it to. If you want to get back to a life you were supposed to have instead of this. I can see with my own eyes how this has broken you. Let me make it better.”
“Broken? That’s how you see me.”
The shields move over her entire expression as it blanks. Reading people. It’s a skilland one my parents made sure I have. I went too far with my words, and she’s closing up on me. Shit.
“No.” I talk fast. “That’s not what I meant.”
My hand scrapes over my face as I huff out a breath. “Look, my sister had some problems, and I wasn’t there for her when she needed me. I just want you to know that I’m here for you. If you want. I’m not pushing. I just want you happy.”
“Nox, I’m not that girl anymore. I’ll never be her again. Some things in life, you just can’t snap your fingers and make them alright, but thank you.”
I need to shift gears here. She’s locking down. With a fire like what I’ve seen in her eyes, if she closes me out there’s no coming back. I can’t explain the pull, but I can’t deny it. I can’t deny her. “What ever happened to that frogcostume?”
It takes my breath away when her face lights up as the memories invade her. A flush comes to her cheeks, and that smile tries so damn hard to come out.
“Oh man. I completely forgot about that.” Her lips start to tip, but it’s subtle.
“That was hilarious freshman year when Mr. Davies wanted us to dissect a frog. Instead, you came in with the costume on and recitedI don’t know, a dozen reasons why we shouldn’t be cutting up frogs. All while giving the anatomy lesson to show you didn’t need to cut one open to learn what it had inside it.”
Her smile widens just a touch. “Mr. Davies was so mad at me. He tried to explain that it was part of the curriculum, but I didn’t care about any of it.”
“No instead, you croaked like a frog all during class.Did you pass that one?”
She shakes her head. “The assignment—no, but the class—yes. I still have never cut up an innocent frog.”
“For science,” both she and I say in unison, and that’s when it happens. A laugh. Quiet, reserved, but there nonetheless. It’s the Carsyn I remember from school. The one I’d see sitting across the table thinking whoever got her would be a lucky motherfuckerand knowing it would never be me.
She allows herself a beat, then the laughter dies. In a flash, the sorrow fills her eyes before she masks it.
“That was a long time ago.” Her voice is so damn quiet. I reach over and put my hand on her thigh and feel it tense. When it doesn’t relax, I move it away. She’s scared enough and doesn’t need me to add to the shit.
“Yeah,” I answer.“We’ve both changed.”
“Some of us not for the better.” She gets up from the seat, moves over to the dryers, opens one and feels inside. She then grabs a basket and pulls clothes out of it. I jump up, but I’m not helping. If it was her shit, I would, but no way in fuck am I touching any of those assholes clothes. They’ll be lucky if I don’t take every single piece out and burn it.
She busies herself with the clothes, folding, sorting, and stacking.
Our time is coming to an end, and I don’t feel like I made any headway whatsoever. Hell, I don’t even know what I want here besides her safe and away from Buck. It’s just this strange pull to her that I can’t break.
It’s not looking like she’s going to give me that opportunity, though. Fuck. I tread carefully asI pull out the phone that I got her from my cut and set it down on the washer. She looks at the phone like it’s going to bite her, then up to me. “If you need anything, I’m number one on that phone. Press it and I won’t hesitate to come and get you. It’s untraceable.”
“I can’t take that,” she says softly.
“I’ll hide it in your car where no one will be able to find it but you.”
She shakes her head putting the folded clothes back in the baskets. “It’s a risk.”
“Babe, everything in life is a risk. You just have to know when it’s a good one or a shit one.”
She gives a small nod, and I take it as a win. Hell, it took me a lot to get that fucker. Even though she’s very apprehensive, she’s putting just a slight bit of trust in me.
