love bites

Chapter 4

Copyright 2013 Joanna Bock  All Rights Reserved.

Chapter 4

Shayla

Shayla watched Jace turn a paler shade of white.

Had she put him on the spot, she hadn’t intended to, it was all too confusing and the question plagued her mind, but she didn’t want to make him uncomfortable,

“I didn’t mean to__” She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter if you don’t want to__”

“I did this Shayla.” He said interrupting her.

Shayla frowned.

He had blurted out his admission so fast as if the words wouldn’t come if he didn’t rush them all in a heartbeat, but why Shayla couldn’t understand, they didn’t make an ounce of sense. She couldn’t understand why he wanted to say such a thing.

Was it the fever playing tricks on her mind again, she felt good at that moment better than she had in days, so she disregarded the idea with reluctance.

“Jace you never did this, this is a result of spending the night wet and cold in the middle of the forest, do you hear me you can’t believe you caused this, I wont let you__ you probably stopped me from__” Shayla grimaced and changed the direction of her sentence “Lets say it could have been worse.”

She shuddered could she have died out there, she wasn’t sure but she was also glad she hadn’t had to have tested it.

Shayla felt a fire of determination, she wouldn’t let him feel this guilt, for something he had no control over, her voice was a little hasher than she had intended but he frustrated her, she wanted him to be happy and content in her company not remorseful.

Shayla lent forward and placed her plate onto the small side table and moved closer to Jace, she reached out and stroked her hand down the side of his face cupping his cheek and he closed his eyes and she could tell he was reeling in her touch.

Shayla smiled. She softened her tone before she spoke,

“Jace I feel so much admiration for what you have done for me I would do anything for you__ I owe so much to you so much that I could never begin to pay back; I wouldn’t even know where to begin__”

Why couldn’t she admit how she felt about him, he took her breath away but there was something holding her back something she couldn’t quite place, like a wall of glass, she could see his soul but to touch it was impossible, she wanted to scream out the words. What the hell was stopping her; was it fear?

“Shayla__ you need to listen.” He said taking her hand and holding it in his own.

Shayla nodded. His voice pulling her from the turmoil raging in her head. It was obvious he needed to get whatever was on his mind out in the open, so she gave him her undivided attention.

“I know why you are sick, and it isn’t the wet forest floor that did this.” He blew out his frustrations in a huff of air and she watched as he searched for the right words.