Rowan McBride Warm Rush 1 Chasing Winter

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.Who was I kidding? Better for me that he notknow.If he did, the thought of losing him would hurt so muchmore.I was so goddamned selfish.A chill sliced through me and suddenly I needed space.Space to breathe, space to calm myself down.I draggedmyself to my feet and began to walk off.Not in the directionof the sales lot.The harsh floodlights illuminating theinventory held no appeal.I headed in the opposite direction,toward the darkness.Keith looked up."Jesse? Where are you going?"I smiled, hoping he didn't know me inside out yet."Takinga walk to stretch my legs."262Chasing Winter [Warm Rush Book I]by Rowan McBrideHis eyes crinkled at the corners I'd been granted a smallblessing."Okay."I walked into the darkness.Away from the garage and lot, the stars above me wereactually visible.A canopy of twinkling lights.Perfect for stolenkisses, perfect for.I chuckled, feeling some of my tension ease out of me.Perfect for a great many things."Think, Jesse," I said to myself."You have a fuckingdegree in psychology.What's wrong with you?"A form of post traumatic stress syndrome, maybe.I'dexperienced a hell of a thing with the crash, and now thatexperience overshadowed everything in my life.Guilt.There's no reason I should be alive now, so why wasI? Some people didn't feel they deserved miracles.Not a bigstretch to think I was one of them.What else.What else.Fear.Maybe I was just too scared to trust that my life wasfinally all right again.Better than all right.On the verge ofdeliriously happy.Happy.I could be happy, couldn't I? That was something Ideserved.I'm not sure how, exactly, I ended up in the street.Thesurface beneath my feet didn't change at all.I didn't step offa curb.I don't think I walked down any sort of incline.I also have no idea how I could not have seen theheadlights rushing toward me.Maybe the car had justrounded a corner, or maybe I'd been just that lost in mythoughts.I don't know.263Chasing Winter [Warm Rush Book I]by Rowan McBrideIt all happened so fast, and I tried to run out of its way,totally forgetting that it was physically impossible for me torun anywhere.I stumbled to the ground, lost hold of my cane.Instinctively, I curled into a ball and covered my head withmy hands.The street was so cold.I was so cold.It was happening again.The sound of squealing tires, of glass shattering, of metaltearing apart filled my ears.It filled my ears.but it didn't touch me.Warmth surrounded my body.Was I dead? Or had Isomehow managed to escape again? I whimpered and shookas I realized I couldn't tell."Shh.You're okay.I was fast enough this time."My eyes snapped open.There was light, and I could seeKeith's face."Wh-What." He was crouched down on thestreet with me, holding my small form against his body."H-How."He stroked my hair."I've got you, Jesse."His voice was real, he was real, but the crash had beenreal, too.Comprehension came to me in a flash, and Iclutched at him, panicked."Oh God! You used your body as ashield, didn't you? Are you all right!"Keith chuckled, reached behind him and casually pushedthe crumpled car back from him."I'm fine."The headlights were still working; that's why I could seehis face.But his body had made a massive dent in the hoodand grill.The wreck hissed and spat steam, looking like amonster from my nightmares."Y-You saved me?"264Chasing Winter [Warm Rush Book I]by Rowan McBrideHe ran his knuckles up my cheek."Yeah."An unfamiliar voice shattered the moment."What the hellwere you doing, standing in the middle of the street!"Keith's face went hard as he shot to his feet.He spuntoward the speaker, and I caught a glimpse of his tatteredclothing before the headlights washed all details of him away.He was just a silhouette now.One that seemed familiar, andnot because I knew it was Keith.The familiarity was deepersomehow, more profound."How about asking if he's okay, asshole?"The man kept shouting, which told me he must have beeninsane."He was dressed entirely in black! What kind of idiotdresses in black and stands in the middle of a street atnight?"Still curled up in the street, I saw the silhouette's fistclench.I knew Keith was balanced on the edge of realviolence, but I couldn't let go of my thread of thought.Whydid the sight of him, right here, right now, strike this chord inme?"You fucking ran into two people with your car! Don't youcare at all about that?"The man's tone shifted, but not with fear."You're fine.How am I going to explain this to my insurance company?"Not just insane.Certifiable."Your insurance company?" With one hand, Keith grabbedthe edge of the car and flipped it sideways onto its hood.Thecar crumpled as the hood collapsed, but somehow the lightsstayed on."Explain that to your insurance company!"265Chasing Winter [Warm Rush Book I]by Rowan McBrideFinally, the man started to realize his situation, and hisvoice became much, much softer."What the hell?""Get the fuck out of my sight, or I'm gonna pick it up againand drop it on you."Keith's silhouette blocked my view, but I could hear theunmistakable sound of footsteps pounding pavement."Fuckin-A," said Keith.He tore his ruined shirt off his body,his broad back still turned to me."Can you believe that guy,Jesse? I should run after him and grind him into pulp."Dazed, shaken, incredibly confused, I stared up at him andsaid the first thing that came to mind.It turned out to betotally inapplicable to his question."I-I can't stand."His huge frame turned, and he held out his hand.And then it hit me, why he seemed so familiar.I could onlysee the outline of his body, but the rush of joy I felt at thesight of him was more than enough to jog my memory.Ihuddled into a tighter ball.I couldn't reach out and take thathand.I'd done this before.I knew how it would end.With coldand pain and a broken body.His gentle voice washed over me."It's all right, Jesse.Iwon't let you fall this time."Those words.soothed me.Trust had always been hard.And having trust in myself, trust in my friends, trust in lifehad been almost impossible these last few years.But I didtrust Keith, body and soul, so I tentatively reached out andplaced my hand in his.His long, powerful fingers closed around my hand, and hetugged me to my feet."See? I've got you."266Chasing Winter [Warm Rush Book I]by Rowan McBrideMy thoughts were still disjointed, and I struggled to brushaway the nonsensical ones so I could obtain answers to theimportant questions."What did you mean when you said, 'thistime'?"He crouched, and I could finally see his strong, handsomeface again."How are you feeling, Jesse?""Disoriented." Focus.I placed my hands on his broadshoulders."Tell me what you meant."His gaze traveled over my body I imagine to check fortorn clothing and scrapes."I love it when you lean on me.""Keith, something important has just happened, hasn't it?"My trembling hands went to his face."Tell me."A soft smile played on his lips as his gaze met mine."Iwasn't going to tell you about this part."Our lives.It was a puzzle, I realized.I still needed morepieces to understand it, but Keith already had it all figuredout [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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