Page 13 (1/1)

The curtains were closed, leaving the cottage draped in shadow Ito trip The door creaked as Owen stepped inside and pushed it closed As heforward he reached past reen eyes bore intoaround the small room

"Ava?"

"Yes?" I licked my lips

"You’re safe here" He didn’t touch me Didn’t squeeze my hand or even s that he didn’t tell people that often And if he was tellingto do?" I said the words quietly He had offered me help, I’d have been a fool to not accept it Even if I was still wary

"Why don’t you change and I’ll get some food ready? We can talk while we eat"

"I don’t have anything with s

He lookedroos out I chewed on my nail as he walked back to ht over there" He motioned to a door next to the bedroom

"Thanks" I took the clothes and walked past him The bathroo of dust on everything that suggested it had been a while since anyone had used the cottage

I locked the door as quietly as I could It wasn’t that I thought Oas going to peek in, it was justinto bathrooms to see naked wo their panties for him

When I looked into the mirror I frowned ataround on the pave shot at hadn’t helped either I looked through the shelves in the corner until I found a wash cloth and used it to clean up I didn’t knoas going to happen next, but looking like I had just pulled an all-nighter at a club probably wasn’t a good idea

Owen had given e and a pair of jeans that were snug enough tothe around on the ground I didn’t want to lose my pants so sucked it in and zipped the around my face in clumps, so I pulled it all the way down and tried to work some of the knots out It was silly to care what I looked like, but it felt good to take a fewso normal

When I was finished I tookroo a pot on the stove, his jacket and tie discarded on the sofa There was a tattoo on his left forearm that curved up and around, but I couldn’t see exactly what it was I took a seat at the table, quiet so I wouldn’t interrupt I had no idea who he was talking to or what they needed to know, but I didn’t want to announceI can’t handle" He stepped away frorab tls from a shelf He stone-cold voice was so at odds with histwo versions of hi for reality "He kno to reachthe phone on the counter I watched as he worked, enjoying the co in the kitchen He was definitely at horaphs on the walls There was no hesitation when he reached for so, because he must’ve reached for it a hundred times in the past It oing toa dish towel over his shoulder and leaned against the counter "The clothes fit?"

As his eyes ran over iant sweater I felt like I ered onoff Instinctively I reached up and touched the spot he stared at, wondering what it would feel like to have his mouth there instead The moment seemed to draw out and I realized I hadn’t answered his question

"They’re fine" I cleared ?"

"Canned soup I don’t keep perishables here" He nodded toward the open cupboard Cans lined the shelf

"Not here often" It wasn’t a question

"No" He folded his arardedfor so I sat there quietly "How are you holding up?"

I shrugged What could I say? I’ a panic attack, but I also wasn’t co this pretty well" He turned to stir the pot again

"No I’" I folded oing on, I’er’s clothes, and all ofmy passport, are back at Tess’s apartment"

"Tess?" He turned around and looked back atfor her while she’s on her honeymoon" My stomach clenched I wasn’t sure why it hadn’t occurred to me until thatfor er"