Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 63842 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 319(@200wpm)___ 255(@250wpm)___ 213(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63842 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 319(@200wpm)___ 255(@250wpm)___ 213(@300wpm)
I was so fucked.
Chapter Five
Rip
The storage room smelled like fabric softener. I stood in the doorway for a moment, watching Jade fold a stack of donated T-shirts into neat piles on a metal shelf. There was care in how she smoothed each garment before setting it aside. She hadn’t noticed me yet. Her hair fell across her face as she bent to a cardboard box, and she tucked it behind her ear with a practiced motion. I cleared my throat softly, not wanting to startle her. She flinched anyway, her hands freezing on a faded blue sweatshirt. Recognition crossed her face a second later, followed by that forced calm she put on like armor.
“Sorry,” I said, though I’d made noise on purpose. “Didn’t mean to sneak up.”
“It’s fine.” She smiled, resuming her task. “Did you need something?”
I hadn’t planned this out. Just found myself walking here after my shift ended, some half-formed idea pushing me forward. “Want to get out of here for a bit?”
She stilled again. I’d surprised her. “Out?”
“Of Haven. Just for a little while.” I gestured vaguely toward the hall, the exit, the world beyond. “Thought you might want some air. We won’t go far.”
Jade set the sweatshirt down carefully, like she needed the extra seconds to think. Her forehead creased. I could practically see the internal argument playing out.
“I don’t know.” Her voice was quiet but steady. “Where would we go?”
“Nowhere special. Just down by the water. It’s quiet there.”
She tucked her hair behind her ear again, and I fought the urge to reach out and do it for her. That wasn’t my place. Might never be.
“You can say no,” I added. “Just thought you might like a change of scenery.”
She looked at the stack of clothes, the dim storage room, the single window high up on the wall that let in a shaft of late afternoon light. Then back at me with a small smile. “OK,” she said, like she was surprising herself. “Yes. I’d like that.”
I waited while she finished the sweatshirt she’d been holding, placing it on the stack. “I need to let Hannah know I’m leaving.” She pulled out her phone, probably to shoot off a text to Hannah.
“I told Knuckles,” I said. “He’ll let Hannah know.” Knuckles had given me shit about it too, but in a way that meant he approved. Called me a “soft bastard” and told me to be back before curfew, like I was sixteen instead of thirty-five. “I told him we’d be gone a couple hours, if you agreed. Like I said. We won’t go far.”
She gave me a shy smile and nodded. “Thanks. A small respite sounds nice.”
We walked out together, not close enough to touch, but close enough I could smell her sweet scent. The longer I watched this woman, the more intrigued I became. She had a sharp intelligence she tried hard to diminish and a strong work ethic. In the short time I’d been observing her, she seemed to have a tender heart and genuinely wanted to help people. As evidenced by her sticking in there with Mia, teaching GED classes and rambunctious kids. No doubt Mia would prefer not to be reminded of one of her worst days. Jade had to be uncomfortable as hell too, but she did everything anyone asked of her without complaint. The more I watched, the more drawn to her I became.
I led her to my motorcycle, which I’d parked behind the building. The gleaming black paint job sparkled in the late afternoon sun. The Kiss of Death insignia was painted on the gas tank in matte black with just enough gloss to catch the light when you looked at it right.
Jade stopped a few feet away from it, uncertainty crossing her face.
“Ever been on one?” I asked.
She shook her head. “No, Rip.”
“It’s not complicated. You put your feet here” -- I pointed to the foot pegs -- “and just hold on.” I reached for the spare helmet I’d brought and held it out to her. “If you decide you hate it or don’t feel safe, we’ll come right back.”
She took the helmet, turning it over in her hands like she was weighing more than just its physical heft. “OK,” she said finally.
I showed her how to secure the strap, resisting the urge to do it for her. She needed to do things herself. I understood that too. I also didn’t want her to see me as a creeper who couldn’t keep his hands off her. Even if that’s exactly how one could describe me.
I swung my leg over the seat and started the engine, feeling the familiar rumble vibrate through my body. Jade hesitated for just a moment before climbing on behind me, her movements careful and deliberate. I felt her settle onto the seat, the slight shift as she tried to figure out where to put her hands.