beautiful, intelligent man feel he needed to protect himself with a fort? How had he managed a multi-million dollar company with his illness? And, did he feel anything for me?
“You shouldn’t be here,” he sneered.
Tears stung my eyes at his bald-faced rejection. “Don’t push me away, please. Grayson, I really do care for you.”
“You don’t fucking know me! You don’t know what it’s like. You don’t know my fears—my thoughts, the things in my head!”
A thin breath shuddered from my lungs, whispering through my parted lips. My tears began to roll down my cheeks because I felt hopeless. He was right. I didn’t know those things, and I was afraid he’d never let me in. He’d never trust me. I could see him putting up a wall, another fort, keeping me out. “Then tell me. Talk to me. Help me to understand.”
His face was like granite, the planes as sharp as cut stone and just as cold. “Get. Out. Of. This. House.”
I winced, every one of his words stung like a lash. I shook my head. I knew I must seem pathetic, but I didn’t care. God, I’d never cried over a guy before, never felt like this before.
“No,” I said in one last defiant attempt to take a stand.
Rage rushed through his features, and in a move that shocked my heart to stillness, he grabbed the table he’d constructed, and flung it across the room. It crashed into the portrait of him, the wood shattering the frame and slashing the canvas. The noise reverberated through my body like an echoing gong.
“ GO! ” he roared.
Grabbing my backpack, I ran from the house. I ran all the way home with my heart melting in my chest.
Friday night there was revelry on campus. Most of the students were leaving for vacation or going home for spring break week. Those left behind were determined to have a ‘staycation’ and to start it off with a bang. There were parties everywhere. Kim and Diane were throwing a huge rave down the hall. By the time I got home from work, Anna was chomping at the bit to head out. She was thrilled to be going to a college party. I was exhausted. I’d finished my last midterm the day before, and was still feeling the aftershocks. I’d just changed out of my nurse’s uniform when Anna burst through the door to my room.
“Aren’t you ready yet?”
I turned from the mirror and looked at her. Her eyes were shiny with excitement and she’d curled her long brown hair so it hung in loose waves around her shoulders. She had a beautiful heart shape face and big curious brown eyes—too curious, I mused. Anna and I had the same build, thin with long legs and overgrown breasts. But where I did my best to minimize my assets, Anna flaunted hers shamelessly. When I turned, my gaze went straight to her bulging breasts and her barely-there, low cut blouse. I gave her a look our mother would give her.
“You are not going out with me looking like that.” The worst part was I knew she’d enhanced her bosom with a Victoria Secrets’ miracle bra. It would seem that Victoria wasn't too good at keeping my sister’s secrets, and the miracle would be preventing her double Ds from falling out.
“What? They’re tits. What’s the big deal? If you got ‘em, flaunt ‘em!”
I thought about what had happened with Mark and my throat constricted. “No way, sis. You’re sending out the wrong message in that top. You’re going to a party where there’ll be drunk, horny guys. It can be dangerous.”
I saw her in the mirror mocking me, making faces at what I’d said. I took a deep breath, trying not to let her get to me. “Wear a different top or put on a sweater.” My tone brooked no discussion on the matter.
“Geez, you’re such a downer. You’ve been a total bitch this week!” She flounced out of the room, the girls leading the way.
I sighed, staring after her. She was right. I’d been cranky and on edge. I was suffering a malady of the spirit since Grayson’s rejection. My heart had been heavy since
“You shouldn’t be here,” he sneered.
Tears stung my eyes at his bald-faced rejection. “Don’t push me away, please. Grayson, I really do care for you.”
“You don’t fucking know me! You don’t know what it’s like. You don’t know my fears—my thoughts, the things in my head!”
A thin breath shuddered from my lungs, whispering through my parted lips. My tears began to roll down my cheeks because I felt hopeless. He was right. I didn’t know those things, and I was afraid he’d never let me in. He’d never trust me. I could see him putting up a wall, another fort, keeping me out. “Then tell me. Talk to me. Help me to understand.”
His face was like granite, the planes as sharp as cut stone and just as cold. “Get. Out. Of. This. House.”
I winced, every one of his words stung like a lash. I shook my head. I knew I must seem pathetic, but I didn’t care. God, I’d never cried over a guy before, never felt like this before.
“No,” I said in one last defiant attempt to take a stand.
Rage rushed through his features, and in a move that shocked my heart to stillness, he grabbed the table he’d constructed, and flung it across the room. It crashed into the portrait of him, the wood shattering the frame and slashing the canvas. The noise reverberated through my body like an echoing gong.
“ GO! ” he roared.
Grabbing my backpack, I ran from the house. I ran all the way home with my heart melting in my chest.
Friday night there was revelry on campus. Most of the students were leaving for vacation or going home for spring break week. Those left behind were determined to have a ‘staycation’ and to start it off with a bang. There were parties everywhere. Kim and Diane were throwing a huge rave down the hall. By the time I got home from work, Anna was chomping at the bit to head out. She was thrilled to be going to a college party. I was exhausted. I’d finished my last midterm the day before, and was still feeling the aftershocks. I’d just changed out of my nurse’s uniform when Anna burst through the door to my room.
“Aren’t you ready yet?”
I turned from the mirror and looked at her. Her eyes were shiny with excitement and she’d curled her long brown hair so it hung in loose waves around her shoulders. She had a beautiful heart shape face and big curious brown eyes—too curious, I mused. Anna and I had the same build, thin with long legs and overgrown breasts. But where I did my best to minimize my assets, Anna flaunted hers shamelessly. When I turned, my gaze went straight to her bulging breasts and her barely-there, low cut blouse. I gave her a look our mother would give her.
“You are not going out with me looking like that.” The worst part was I knew she’d enhanced her bosom with a Victoria Secrets’ miracle bra. It would seem that Victoria wasn't too good at keeping my sister’s secrets, and the miracle would be preventing her double Ds from falling out.
“What? They’re tits. What’s the big deal? If you got ‘em, flaunt ‘em!”
I thought about what had happened with Mark and my throat constricted. “No way, sis. You’re sending out the wrong message in that top. You’re going to a party where there’ll be drunk, horny guys. It can be dangerous.”
I saw her in the mirror mocking me, making faces at what I’d said. I took a deep breath, trying not to let her get to me. “Wear a different top or put on a sweater.” My tone brooked no discussion on the matter.
“Geez, you’re such a downer. You’ve been a total bitch this week!” She flounced out of the room, the girls leading the way.
I sighed, staring after her. She was right. I’d been cranky and on edge. I was suffering a malady of the spirit since Grayson’s rejection. My heart had been heavy since
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