The Swords of an Angel

CHAPTER 3: BREATHE ME

I blinked at the familiar prickling feeling at the back of my head.

"Actually, we had a break-in the other day. We found the front door wide open and the whole place was messed up. I'd feel better if I didn't have to go up there by myself."

I watched Jerome's face frown as he turned abruptly towards the steps that led to the entrance of Brassington Guesthouse.

"I'll go first," he said, and the magic was gone.

In the elevator, I couldn't help staring at his image in the mirror. Under the white light, How come I hadn't noticed before? I was about to ask him if he was feeling all right when the elevator door opened.

I followed him inside and threw my purse on the coffee-table.

"Do you want me to take a look around, just to make sure?" Jerome asked.

"Be my guest. Shall I fix you a drink?" I asked, but Jerome had already vanished.

"Water will be fine," he said from somewhere in the bedroom.

Turning around, I almost crashed into hard, warm, chest muscles. Didn't he just speak to me from the bedroom?

"Wow! You're really fast!"

Jerome's puzzled face was my only answer, so I thought I'd better drop it.

"Anyway, did you find anything interesting?"

He was standing so close, I could not breathe normally. Putting some distance between us, I headed for the kitchen.

"Everything seems fine... apart from the unbelievable mess in that room," he nodded somewhere behind me.

"That should be Blue. She's notorious for rejecting order and tidiness."

I got back to the living room with two glasses of water and left his on the coffee-table. Sitting on the daybed, I took a sip.

"Mmm, water feels fine," I said. "That margarita was too much for me and the shots... My head is already spinning."

Jerome sat next to me. His hand on the back of the daybed, he turned to look at me.

"It was deliberate you know. The sullen thing. The unavailable thing. Pretty much, everything. I meant to make that impression."

Eyes all widened up, I said "I don't believe you. Why would you do that?"

"I had to," he shrugged. "I prefer privacy. Broken hearts is not my thing."

I should have been shocked by his openness, but oddly, I wasn't. I wondered what the aftermath of our date would be. Was I ready to have my heart broken?

"I see. Commitment issues then." I shrugged. "It doesn't always lead to heartbreak, you know. Wait, you don't want to even hook up with a girl? Isn't that what guys usually want?"

"I wouldn't say I don't; rather... I didn't." Jerome looked into my eyes with anticipation and I felt a wave of heat overwhelm me. I didn't have to look at myself in the mirror to see that my face was flustered.

"So, things have changed?"

"Only recently." He moved closer. "So, are you sure about this?"

"About what?"

"About us, you and me. Here. Why am I here Madison?"

Feeling awkward under his intense gaze, I leaned forward to put my glass on the table. The familiar prickling sense at the back of my head came back stronger than ever. Sitting up again, I felt his hand in my hair, twirling my curls around his finger.