Unraveling (20 page)

I leaned out into the hallway and called to Jared. “I’m going to take a shower!”

I closed and locked the door, and I swear, not two seconds later there was a knock.

I opened it and said, “What?”

“Your cast, you can’t get it wet,” he pointed at it.

“Crap, I hadn’t thought about that,” I put my head in my hands. “I want a shower
so
bad. I smell disgusting and it would just make me feel better.”

“Do you have
something else you can do in the meantime? I can run down the road to the drugstore. I know they sell something you can put over a cast,” he crossed his arms over his chest.

“You’re a life saver!” I cried.

He chuckled. “Glad you think so, I’ll be right back.”

“Get some money from my wallet,” I told him.

“I don’t think so, Katy,” he chuckled, walking away from me.

While he was gone, I finished packing my stuff and left my bag by the door.

Still hungry for some reason, I made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I was rinsing my plate when Jared knocked on the door. I let him in and took the bag from him.

I pulled out the box of cast protectors and laughed at something else I saw in the bag.

“Tampons?” I asked, pointing to the box in the bag.

Jared laughed. “Karlie needed some.”

“I thought guys were afraid of the feminine aisle?” I raised a brow in question.

“Only guys that are insecure in their manhood are afraid of tampons. They’re just weird little cotton things. It’s not like they’re going to eat you,” he pointed to the bag.

I laughed and handed him the bag.

I opened the box and pulled out the plastic thing I was supposed to wrap around my cast.

“Can you help me?” I asked Jared.

“Sure,” he said, expertly putting it on, checking to make sure no water could get in anywhere. I noticed, that when he had to touch my skin, he did so, lightly. He was easing me into his contact and that small gesture made me fall a little more for him. “You
’re good, go get your shower,” he smiled.

“Thanks,” I smiled back. I felt a little dazed as I walked back to the bathroom.

Jeez, now Jared was affecting my equilibrium.

I turned the hot w
ater on and opened the glass door.

The
water beating against my skin felt like heaven.

There was dried blood in my hair and it freaked me out a bit as I watched it swirl down the drain. I guess the doctors had cleaned the rest of the blood from my body, because I couldn’t find any, anywhere else on me.

I washed my hair and body, and was so relieved to smell like a normal person.

I dried my hair with a towel, brushed it, and pulled it back into a bun. I had already brushed my teeth, but I did it again anyway.

It was amazing how rejuvenated a shower and brushing your teeth could make you feel. I felt like a whole new person.

I found Jared, stretched out on my couch, with his arm thrown across his face. He let out a little snore and a part of me melted.

No one should ever be that cute while sleeping.

I shook his
boot covered foot and he sputtered awake. “Sorry,” he said, rubbing his stubble covered face. “I’m really sleepy,” he yawned.

“Me too,” I said.

He smiled and straightened his rumpled white tee. “Ready to get out of here?”

I nodded.

He grabbed my duffel bag and tossed it over his shoulder.

I locked the door
and my stomach lurched.

I was really staying at Jared’s house.

Oh, God.

I don’t think I could have ever agreed to it, if Karlie wasn’t going to be there.

On our way to Jared’s house, he stopped and picked up a pizza for Karlie and Holden.

He pulled in the driveway and told me to wait for him to help me.

He guided me down from the car, moving slowly so that my ribs weren’t hurt in the process.

He grabbed my duffel bag and the pizza and said, “I’ll come back for your other stuff
.” He nodded at the shopping bags.

Karlie opened the door
and the expression on her face was half-upset, half-pissed. I was sure she was at her wits end with Holden.

Jared handed her pizza and she scurried into the kitchen.

Grabbing some glasses from a cabinet and filling them with ice, she said, “How are you feeling, Katy?”

“Tired and sore,” I sat down next to Holden
on the couch.

“I bet,” Karlie said. “Would you like some water?”

“That would be great,” I said, adjusting a pillow so that I would be more comfortable.

“Jared?”

“Gatorade,” he said, taking the chair next to the couch. He rubbed his eyes.

“What about me?” Holden asked.

Karlie scoffed. “
You
can get your own,” she snapped.

Holden chuckled
and stood. “Whatever, kiddo.”

She glared at him. “I hate you.”

“You know,” he said, going into the small kitchen and brushing against her, “hate is a very passionate word.”

“Holden!” snapped Jared. “Leave her alone, I don’t feel like listening to you two
, right now.”

“Fine,” Holden grumbled, grabbing a can of Coke, and a plate.

He popped open the box of pizza and put four pieces of pizza on his plate.

Karlie gaped at him. “Pig.”

“Shrimp,” he grinned.

“Real original
, Sharky,” she rolled her eyes at him.

“One day, those eyes are going to roll right on out of your head,” Holden chuckled.

“I doubt that,” she smirked, stuffing a piece of pizza in her mouth. She carried a glass of water over and a bottle of Gatorade.

She handed me the glass
and Jared the bottle. “Thanks,” I smiled.

“No problem,” she went back into the kitchen for her plate and drink. She scurried past Holden and took the empty space next to me, on the couch, before Holden could.

“Real mature, Karlie,” Holden said, sitting on the floor.

“You snooze you lose,” she shrugged.

After that, they ate in silence. Jared dozed off, asleep in the chair, and I tried to get comfortable. The pain was starting to get unbearable and I dreaded having to take any more pain meds.

Holden and Karlie finished off the pizza and cleaned their
plates.

“I’m heading out to the gym,” Holden said. “If you need me, call me, even you.” He pointed at Karlie.

“I wouldn’t call you if I was bleeding on the side of the road.”

“
Angel, I’m hurt,” he put a hand to his chest.

“Get out of here, I’m sick of looking at your face,” she pushed his shoulder.

“I think you’re sick of looking, but not being able to touch,” he grinned cockily.

Karlie paled and then looked down at her hand on his shoulder. “I’m touching you now, so your argument is invalid.”

“I didn’t know this was a debate,” he chuckled.

“It is now,” Karlie smirked.

He laughed, shaking his head. “I’ll see you guys, later.”

I waved as he grabbed his keys.

Jared let out a snore from the chair.

“I’m going up to my room,” Karlie said. “Do you need anything?”

“No, I’m good,” I pointed to my half full glass of water.

“If you need me, just yell. Jared could sleep through the apocalypse so it won’t bother him,” she bound up the steps.

I grabbed a green blanket off the back of the couch and draped it across my shoulders.

I hoped to fall asleep, but the pain in my ribs was not conducive to sleep, and neither was the couch. Since it was leather, my body kept sliding off of it and I had to catch myself before I fell to the floor.

Finally, I grabbed up the remote and turned the TV on to distract myself. Hopefully, a mind-numbing reality show would be able to distract me from the pain in my ribs.

An hour so later, Jared woke up.

“Damn it, I keep falling asleep,” he rubbed his eyes.

“You’re tired,” I shrugged.

“So are you,” he stood, stretching. “I wanted to get you set up in my room before I took a nap.”

“Your room?” my voice spiked. “You never said anything about me staying in your room!
” My need to run was kicking in and in about ten seconds I was going to be out that door.

“Relax, Katy,” he bent down, hands on the arm of the couch, so that we were eye level. “There’s only my room and Karlie’s. We don’t have a guest room for you to stay in, and I’m certainly not letting you sleep on th
e couch. You’ll stay in my room and I’ll sleep here. I knew you wouldn’t be comfortable with that, Katy, and I’d never, ever, push myself on you. You know that, kitten.”

“I-”

“Don’t say anything,” he shushed me. “No arguing.”

“But-” he pressed his finger against my lips and I nearly jumped out of my skin at the shock of his touch and the heat flooding my body.

“No buts, Katy. I’ll be fine on the couch. I feel much better knowing that you’re here, with me, and not in that tiny condo, fending for yourself.”

My cheeks colored and I looked down. His finger dropped from my lips, taking the heat with him.

He grabbed my bag and started up the steps. After about three, he turned and saw me, still sitting on the couch, stunned.

“Come on, Katy,” he grinned. “My room is up here.”

Like an obedient dog, I followed him.

“Karlie’s room,” he pointed to a closed door with a pair of ballet slippers hanging on
the knob. He walked a little bit further and pointed to a door on the opposite side of Karlie’s room. “Bathroom. There’s a powder room downstairs but this is the only full bath and let me tell you, it sucks sharing a bathroom with your little sister,” he winked at me, over his shoulder. “And this,” he opened the door at the end of the hall, “is my bedroom.”

The room was surprisingly neat for a twenty-four year old
guy. There were some dirty socks on the floor, but it wasn’t overflowing with trash like I had thought it might.

The walls were painted a charc
oal gray and the furniture was black.

The only color came from the blue-gray comforter and orange pillows.

Jared stood back, watching my face. “Not what you were expecting?”

“No, I guess not,” I shrugged.

“What were you expecting?” he asked.

“I don’t know,” I said honestly. “I never really imagined what your room would look like.”

He chuckled.

“What?” I asked.

“You are so different than other girls,” he said, softly.

“Is that a bad thing?” I asked.

“No, it’s a good thing. I like that you’re so honest,” he licked his lips.

I sat on the edge of his bed and tested the springiness.

“Well,” Jared put his hands in his pockets and awkwardly swayed back and forth, “I’ll –uh- leave you to it.”

“Okay,” I smiled, finding his awkward demeanor, endearing.

“I’m just going to let you sleep, if you get hungry, feel free to raid the fridge.”

“Okay,” I said again, this time laughing.

He waved and then closed the door.

What the heck?

I don’t think I had ever seen Jared so… unhinged. He’d only gotten weird when I sat on his bed. Did he want me to leave?

I was tem
pted to go running out the door and ask him, but the bed felt so good.

I could already feel my eyes growing heavy.

A little nap wouldn’t hurt anything, right?

I laid back and closed my eyes.

That’s when the nightmare started.

20

“Katyrina,”
Preston said, coming up behind me and wrapping his arms around my shoulders. He pulled me back against him and smacked a loud, wet, kiss against my cheek. “I’ve missed you, baby.”

I giggled. “Preston, it’s been, like, two hours since you saw me.”

“It feels like forever,” his lips ventured down my neck and I relaxed against him.

“I thought you wanted help with your homework?” I asked.

He chuckled. “No, I just wanted to see you. When will your mom be home?”

I snorted. “Late, like always.”

He released me and turned me around to face him. “Your room?”

I took his
hand and led him up the massive marble staircase. It felt cold against my sock covered feet, but the heat from holding Preston’s hand, warmed me right up.

My bedroom door was open and I guided him inside. He closed the door and did something he hadn’t done before. He locked it.