A light knock sounds on the creaking door of my apartment. I’m so deep in thought that I startle and fall off the couch, knocking the small milk crates over that I use for a coffee table.
“Shoot.”
“Thea?” Kol’s raised voice will likely bounce throughout the hallways, and I don’t want that. Some people in this building can and have been quite mean.
“I’m coming,” I hiss as I silently chastise myself for not putting my stuff away and hiding the evidence of my quirks. “Hi.” I’m out of breath as I open the door.
“Morning, blue eyes.” His ear to ear boyish grin makes me want to sigh, but I fight the urge off with a kick to the ass and a stern internal talking to.
Walking past me, Kol strides directly to where my make-shift bed is. I turn and close the door, locking it to give myself a moment to collect my composure before I succumb to his judgment. Slowly spinning around to face him, I recognize his frown at the mess I made when he knocked, and I hold my breath, waiting for him to say something.
“I’ve got blueberry muffins, apple scones, and hazelnut coffee. I wasn’t sure what your flavor profile was, but this will knock a few off the list.” He covers his frown with a gentle smile as I accept the coffee.
Not being a huge fan of hazelnut, I sip it slowly and try not to make a funny face. “Thank y
ou,” I grit out.
Kol smirks as he overturns the crates and places the small towel I had laid over them on top and sets down the bag he’s holding. “That’s a no to hazelnut then.”
“Yeah,” I murmur, watching him, waiting for him to comment.
“Did I wake you up?” he asks instead, pulling muffins and scones from the bag. The blueberries are large and juicy as he offers me one.
Unable to resist, I tentatively accept it, trying to hide how hungry I am. I forget to eat or often lose my appetite when I’m stressed. “Thanks,” I whisper around a bite of the warm delight. It’s made perfectly with the top being on the good side of crunchy.
I’m halfway through the muffin before I realize Kol is watching me with curiosity. I can see the questions swirling through his mind. “Have you been sleeping?” His head tilts to the side at what should be an innocent question.
“Yes.” I lie. I feel confident he can see through it.
Brushing his hands off on his jeans, Kol steps over the crates and stands in front of me. Lifting my chin with a light touch, he rubs the bags I know are under my eyes with a soft thumb. “It doesn’t look like it.”
I cast my eyes away. I anticipate the next question but don’t know how to answer.
“What’s eating at you, Thea? What’s holding you hostage at night?” My eyes dart back to his at the accuracy of his question.
How can he possibly know?
Kol
* * *
From the moment Thea came into my life, I did everything I could to suppress the driving need to barrel into her space. To make her take notice of me. I held back, and in doing so, lost her. I won’t make that mistake again.
Waiting on an answer I know isn’t coming, I take the time to study her. Her blue eyes show hints of violet swirling in them when the sun hits just right. She has three tiny freckles under her right eye, close to the bridge of her nose, that I want to kiss. When she’s trying to hold back emotion, like now, she sucks her bottom lip into her mouth, and her chin dimples, wobbling just a little bit. There’s a small scar in her eyebrow that if I weren’t this close to her, I’d probably never have noticed.
“Talk to me, Thea.” My words are hushed as I try to coax her into opening up to me.
Averting her gaze, Thea takes a deep breath, and just when I think she’s going to respond to me, she sidesteps me. Turning, I watch as she gathers her blankets and pillow and walks down the hallway to toss them into a room before slamming the door shut.
“I don’t do relationships.” Her words are filled with sadness. “I don’t stay in one place long enough to even form friendships.”
“You did with Ember,” I point out. Em was thrilled to bring Thea into her life. She enjoyed the quiet girl.
“Ember was so kind,” Thea whispers, and the pain in her tone is palpable.
“She is. I bet she’d love to hear from you.”
Thea shakes her head, and when she finally looks up at me again with a smile, it’s not one of happiness. It’s filled with sorrow. “Em was the best friend I’ve ever had.” A tear slips down her face, and she wipes it away angrily.