~~Young~~

Chapter Ten

   What else had she said? Had she mentioned anything about the things she had done, the burdens she carried? Gage was about to tell her something when the waiter came back she was sure. And she meant to bring it up, but she was afraid she’d break down again with her current state of mind. Would he even tell her if she asked? He was obviously close enough to hear her even if he had shot away when she woke. She had seen the red on his face when she had snapped at him, in anger maybe, because he was hearing something good and was pissed at being interrupted?

   Or was it embarrassment over being caught? She thought she had seen concern there in that moment when she startled awake, when his face was still so close to hers…had he been holding her hand?  

   She shook her head. Cracked, that’s what had happened. Not given up, not shut down emotionally, just lost her mental stability. She had finally cracked with that stabbing pain in her temples. Gage was just the last straw. Barely keeping it together as she was and he was going to insist on getting to know her. Seemed like he already knew an awful lot about her, things he shouldn’t know, things that no amount of investigation should ever be able to give up…it was all just too much right now.

   Even as she considered checking herself into a padded room she still couldn’t help but watch with avid attention as Gage swung his jacket back around his shoulders, covering the black silhouette of the raven in flight printed over the shoulder of his gunmetal grey tee. Now if only she could convince herself it was because she was looking for concealed weapons and not because the play of muscle beneath his shirt as it tightened over his chest had her wishing for him to keep the jacket off she’d be fine.

   Maybe she should have taken Duncan up on his offer of one last romp before they officially parted ways. It had been way too long since she had gotten laid apparently.

   It was because she had been contemplating this she had missed it as he picked up one of her bags. And though the thought had occurred to her to snatch it back, she didn’t want him asking what was in it that had her so protective so she let him “help” her. Seemed to be just his way, he mentioned he had been brought up in a different world…

   “Thank you,” he whispered in her ear.

   Again she had to convince herself he wasn’t the reason for the reaction in her. The goosebumps were from the cold air in the corridor, not because of his breath on her skin.

   Sure.

   “I didn’t do it for you.”

   Oh god, she didn’t say that out loud did she?

   “Oh, for yourself then?” Gage asked cheerfully as he hurried in front of her to open the door the waiter had just plowed through without thought of them.

   She closed her eyes in defeat, great job Sera, now what?

   She couldn’t look at him, was afraid to get caught by that smile again that was so evident in his words so she just stared at the metal platform under her feet.

   “No,” she said honestly, she just didn’t have it in her to lie right now and she knew he was waiting for an answer, “for the waiter…” but how much honesty did the situation call for? “I’ve seen that look before.”

   He would’ve asked her ‘why’ anyway, might as well just get it all out now because keeping mum just seemed to encourage him…the infuriating man that he was. Why couldn’t he be like everyone else? When she ignored them, made it so obvious she wanted no part of them or their conversation, they would give up. But no, it made him want more.