She nods slowly, studying the front that’s wrapped in white brick. “What do you want from me?” she asks, finally facing me.
Her hazel eyes shine with more unshed tears as she worries her lip between her teeth. I get lost in her stare, and it takes me a minute to even register what she’s asking. She looks terrified, and it fucking kills me.
One of the things that caught my attention about her was how fearless she was, but now, that’s gone. She’s seen the monster I really am, and it scares me that she’ll run and never want to see me again.
I know I need to keep her talking or reassure her. Something to make her stay.
I tip my head. “What do you mean?”
“You saved me. So, what do you want in return?”
A wave of relief washes over me. She thinks she’s in debt to me now, which means she won’t be going anywhere. As badly as I want to answer her and tell her, you. I want you. All of you. I don’t. Considering all she’s seen today, I need to play it cool for as long as possible.
If that will even be possible around her.
“We will worry about that later. For now, you’re safe. I’ll keep you safe.”
I feel the need to emphasize that it’ll be me because I’ll be damned if anyone else protects her. I can’t even imagine someone else watching over her, making sure she’s okay. No one can be trusted to take care of her the way she deserves.
Only me.
The words come out easy, considering I would never mumble them to anyone else, but this girl… she’s different. I can’t put my finger on what it is, but she makes me want to almost be a decent person for her.