With the duffel bag slung across her shoulder and the newest cell phone clutched in her hand, Izzy strolled through the door to be confronted with a question. A question that made her lips twist into an amused smirk and her brow to arch high as she looked over Evan as he reclined.
âSuper secret stuffâŠ.â She replied vaguely. The last time she revealed secrets to the man in front of her, things hadnât ended well so she left it at that and wandered over, plucking her keys from the doorknob so she could shut the door behind her.
âOrdered some supplies. Got some clothes for you but to be honest, theyâll probably be of the lumberjack variety. Flannel, jeans, Carhart, boots. Not much in the way of stores up here andâŠ.â She trailed off as she made her way into the next room through an archway and into the large cavernous living room that spanned a majority of the first floor. It seemed she was one for open floor plans as the living room sort of melded into a dining room to the right hand side and passed that one could see a full kitchen with windows facing out in three directions into the forest beyond.
Evan watched her with a quiet despondency, his hands folding as he rested on his perch. He lifted both shoulders, smiling at her with the gap in his smile clear and noticeable, the small scar on his gums flashing above his curled lip.
âI like looking like a lumberjack,â he said, shrugging again, âso itâs cool.â
Stretching out, he observed his surroundings once more, taking in the open floor plan, furniture, and country charm of the building.
âWhy do you own so much property?â He asked, turning to gaze at her again. âItâs almost like a compulsion with you.â
They had an hour or so to kill before Leisl showed up with all of the items that she requested, so Izzy decided to attempt another venture into personal conversation with Evan.
Letâs see how well this worksâŠ
With a quick twist of her torso, she chucked the duffel bag onto one of the couches located in the center of the expansive living room and it was obvious that it weighed quite a bit. A swift exhalation left her lips, blowing her hair away from her face as she turned back towards Evan with a shrug and a faint smile.
âI left my home when I was little, right? Sent off to boarding school?â Her eyes averted from him as she slipped her arms across her midsection and paced slowly with the sounds of her boots against the hardwood floors being the only other sound in the entire cabin. âUnlike the other kids⊠I wasnât ever able to go home for breaks- Christmas, summer⊠I was one of a handful of kids that stayed at that place all year round and despite the length of my stay it never felt like home.â
âThen I slipped into the sort of business where having one permanent address was unheard of. The condo at the sea? Iâll probably sell it now. Itâs been compromised. Iâll funnel the money from the sale into a new place. Even while cycling through places to live, each place I pick is mine.â
Evan nodded. âThat makes a lot of sense,â he muttered, rubbing his chin. âBut, donât you ever want to settle down? Find somewhere that can be yours permanently, maybe fill it with another warm body?â
Well, now. Wasnât he a hypocrite?
Izzy immediately caught the hypocrisy and a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth as her pacing took her towards the front door. Staring momentarily out of the glass sidepanels to view the front yard, she turned back around and quirked a brow at him.
âWell, arenât you the pot calling the kettle black?â She murmured, spinning slowly in place so her back could rest against the front door. âI donât lead the type of life that fits into the whole white picket fence mold, if thatâs what youâre asking.â A rare bit of truth that was immediately dismissed as she tried to twist the conversation back in his direction but every thought that popped into her mind was either scathing or sarcastic and she didnât want to start yet another fight with him. Not now. She was exhausted and wanted a nice hot shower and perhaps a damn nap on a comfy surface unlike the hospital cot she had been given last night.
So, instead, she presented an honest question. âWhy the sudden interest in my future?â
Evan popped to his feet as she talked, leaning on a doorway as she presented her question - honest, sure. But how much honesty was he willing to answer it with? His fingers tapped against the hardwood, watching her with a nervous, fidgety manner that told of his anxiety.
Should he tell her her effect on him?
âBecause, you seem like you deserve more,â he said, holding up a hand to ward off immediate argument. âHear me out; youâre a woman whoâs clearly done well for herself. You have multiple properties, nice things, a hell of a beach front condo. It just seems to make sense to me to retire, settle back and find yourself... someone. I know my reasons for not going the picket fence route, but for you...â
Iâd want that for you.
âI donât know. Iâm just trying to figure you out, I guess.â
Izzy twisted her forearms around one another, folding her arms in such a way that each hand could clasp the opposite elbow and all while Evan answered, she studied him. He seemed restless and she tried to keep the sheer confusion off of her face as she tried to decipher his intent.
Amused, and using humor as a way to skate through topics which might otherwise be too uncomfortable or serious for her to answer, she grinned quickly. âOh, I see. So I have money and land so now I need to retire from the life of wanton murder destruction and find a husband?â
She shook her head once, eyes focusing on something in the distance for a moment before she added on, âIâve tried other professions before⊠Even teaching. Ever hear the phrase âa tiger canât change its stripesâ?â
Evan smiled at that, a quick flash of pearly whites, the gap in his tooth adding a slightly hillbilly-ish quality to his face, as if losing that tooth would make his I.Q. drop a few dozen points. He had probed it with his tongue endlessly, feeling a vague sense of loss that surely could only come with those who were painfully aware of how good-looking they were.
He had to shake his head at his own vanity. He had just survived torture from a madman, the girl he was partnering with was alive, and he was mourning a tooth.
âI guess youâre right. Still, you could just... stop, you know? Donât you ever get enough of the violence? The murder? Donât you ever want to take a few breaths, live life?â
He should probably stop - but the stupid train had apparently left the station, and the brakes took a while to slam on. He could practically feel the passengers of the thing fly forward in the colossal effort to halt the words before -
âI mean, this canât be the ideal life.â
Before he said something like that.
The corner of Isobelâs eye noticeably twitched at his closing statement and she realized that there was simply no way that they could ever live in a peaceful harmony. It seemed that every time they tried to draw close with one another and share intimate details about their thoughts, dreams or life in general, one of them usually said something idiotic and that person was usually Evan.
She drew her lower lip quickly between her own teeth, clamping down to prevent herself from launching into yet another fiery tirade. Sadly, that trick didnât last for long. âDo you not possess a brain to mouth barrier like normal human beings?â Her tone once more began to lace with an acidity known quite well to Evan but she stopped herself short and held up a hand, halting conversation for the time being.
Reminding herself time and time again, Weâre going to be confined to this place until we clear his nameâŠ
Pushing herself away from the door, she stalked passed him and moved out into the living room with long, purposeful strides.
He twisted his body to the side to allow her passage, but then followed, a frown etched over his face. âItâs not my fault youâre clamming up. Iâm sorry if I offended you, Izzy, but I feel like we should trust each other enough to not get pissed off anytime someone asks a question. You know a lot about me, and all I know about you is that you kill people who deserve it, you own a sweet car, and a billion houses. Help me out, here.â
âYeah because opening up to you has never led to anything horrible in the past.â Sarcasm was thick and evident in her tone as she cut a new path towards the kitchen. She might not have a lot of food in the house but she had liquor and right now seemed like a great time to indulge.
âAnd donât pretend like Iâm a closed book. I told you about my childhood and about how I discovered my powers. We havenât gotten further than that because of you.â Her search for a glass was quick. One of her oddities was that she had each house set up in basically the same way, right down to the kitchen. The glasses were always to the upper right cupboard above the unused stove and she took the crystal old-fashioned cup over to the waist high liquor cabinet to fill âer up.
âYou know what I know about you? Your dad died too young, your mom sounds like a Saint, your best friend is a dick and youâre a mailman. Ex mailman?â
Once more she went for the dark rum, selecting a top shelf label and pouring herself a bit.
He crossed his arms and ankles, leaning against the wall again, nodding to every point she scored. After she quieted down, he spoke up sharply.
âIâm sorry, but your profession shocked me more than a little, okay? It isnât every day that you come across a working hitwoman as a girl you thought was cute. You also tried to kill my best friend. Yes, you were right about him, but I think I can be fuckinâ forgiven for blowing the whistle on you.â
He walked towards her, shuffling, more like, trying to keep the towel in place. âSo, yes. Iâll pretend like youâre a closed book all I want to. Because you are a closed book. Anytime I say anything about your lifestyle, you look like I just shanked your puppy.â
As he went on his own tirade, Izzy kicked back her glass of rum in one shot, still loosely clasping the bottle by the neck so she could easily pour herself another if/when she needed it. âAre you serious? You were surprised I was a hitwoman? What did you think that I was?â She laughed, tilting her head back slightly as she did, indeed, pour herself another before placing the rum back upon the liquor cabinet.
âQuite honestly, youâre one of the few people Iâve met in Wing City that isnât a killer, thief or a bastard and if you hadnât stuck your foot in your mouth time and time again around me, I might still have the same opinion.â The anger in her tone had died slightly but not enough for the verbal warfare to come to a complete halt.
âSo, what? You want to know my favorite fucking color? Turquoise. Is there anything else that inquiring minds want to know?â
âFor starters, yes.â Evan said, still stalking towards her until they were inches apart. âFuck knows why, but I find myself wondering about you. If you werenât so goddamn sensitive all the time, maybe youâd hear questions like that.â
He let out a chuff of laughter, then. âThe ironic thing is, my dad wouldâve absolutely loved you. Youâre the same sort of mindset; âthis is what I do, donât like it, fuck offâ mentality. What else you got for me? Whereâd you grow up? Who was your highschool beau? Whatâs your favourite sport?â
Apparently, something he said struck a chord with her and Izzyâs shoulders squared defensively. âLet me tell you a little secret, skirt chaser. The reason I am so goddamn sensitive all the time is because Iâve found out that people donât really give a damn. Youâve never gotten close enough to someone due to your illustrious moral code of never getting close enough to hurt someone with your death? Guess what? People donât have to die to cause you pain. They just have to get close.â
And Evan was close. Too close, in more ways than one and she tried to ignore him for a moment as she twisted to the side to set her glass down beside the bottle of rum.
âYou want to know why I will never fit the white picket fence mold? Because Iâve tried it. I quit the whole death dealer thing, had an honorable job, was with a guy that I thought would pop the question and weâd do the forever deal. Bastard was even pretty much immortal so the forever deal was unquestionable.â
She didnât even bother to wonder why she was telling Evan this story and the words tumbled from her lips quickly and without pause. âUntil an officer knocked on my door and informed me that he had been shot to death. On the beach. Outside of my condo. The police? Never got the asshole that killed him and to my knowledge, heâs still roaming the streets.â
A quick exhalation pushed passed her pale pink lips as she murmured, âI have many reasons for being the person I am today, Evan. I donât think knowing my favorite sport will get you to agree with my life choices any more easily than you have already.â
Evan watched her eyes light up with rage and passion as she explained herself, gave another piece of herself to him. He couldâve been thinking about the fact that he had misjudged her again. He couldâve been thinking about how sorry he was that she had such a horrible lot in life, felt anguish for the fact that he had, yet again, put a wedge between them. But Evan and his brain were apparently not communicating tonight.
Because he leaned in, quickly, and planted one on the corner of her mouth; quick and hard. His lips barely made contact before he jerked away, catching himself.
Turmoil and trouble wove within Izzy as the last of the words left her lips and whatever reaction she had been expecting from Evan wasnât the one that she received. He didnât backpedal and apologize; he didnât press further for information or berate her for cutting herself off emotionally from people.
What she wasnât expecting was the quick press of lips upon hers that she had imagined so many times throughout the scant amount of time that they had known one another nor did she expect the equally sudden retraction.
âWh-â She started, then quickly pressed her lips together to silence her rather inane question- What was that?
Instead, she struggled with a litany of reasons why they were horrible for each other and dozens of ways in which they would make each other unhappy but the only thing that actually forced her to take a step back away from him to avoid pursuing more was⊠Guilt.
She had dragged him into a life that he didnât want. He had been beaten and tortured and he deserved to be away from her⊠And happy.
Raking a hand through her wavy locks, she tried to talk over the rapid pulse which seemed to be lodged in her throat. âEvan, weâŠâ Yet her words trailed off again. Probably the first time in a long while that Izzy had been struck speechless.
When his face didnât immediately meet fist, Evan let out a shaky, insecure breath. He had seen that coming for a long time - not exactly in the middle of a rant by her about how much of an idiot he was - but heâd imagined her lips more times than heâd care to admit. The hardness of her surprise was definitely new, not a sensation that he was familiar with. He ran the tip of his tongue over his upper lip, thoughtful, before speaking.
âWeâre people,â he said, wanting nothing more than to shove his hands into his pockets, settling for balling them at his sides, flexing each finger, one by one. âAnd Iâve wanted to do that for far, far too long.â
Though her heart and the fluttery feeling in her chest were telling her to say one thing, the words that actually came out of her mouth were quite different. She wouldnât agree that she too had been waiting to taste his lips since they first met or to skim her hand over the muscled expanse of his abdomen that she had caught a glimpse of that night at the ruins. Instead, she tried to intellectualize the entire thing and save them both the heartache that she knew would eventually befall them.
âYou said it yourself. Youâre not looking for someone to grow old with and we both know that even if you were, Iâm not the one youâre looking for. We canât afford for lust to cloud our judgment.â
It almost pained her physically to reduce whatever it was she felt for Evan into the term lust but she didnât quite seem to have a working brain to mouth barrier herself.
Evan nodded at that, running his hand through his short hair, his eyes trained on her legs. Sighing explosively, he turned away from her, walking a pace, before turning back. âOkay, okay. Youâre right,â he said, rubbing his hand over the hair again.
âWe probably donât need this whole thing. Itâs probably a bad... idea,â his voice dropped to a near whisper as he watched her, his gaze sliding to her lips for a long, full moment.
âBest bad idea ever,â he muttered, visibly shaking himself.
For once, Isobel wanted to break her self-made barriers and let someone get close . An internal war raging as she wondered which would be more distracting- if they were to give in or if they were to have this tension remain between them.
Her arms uncrossed and she stepped forward, closing the distance between them once again as her fingers rose to brush along the stubble lining the curve of his jaw. Light, tentative touches that seemed to test his reaction but before she could decide what it was that she truly wanted, they were interrupted.
Again?
The doorbell rang, echoing melodically throughout the cavernous cabin and at first, the mage looked surprised before she remembered where they were, why they were here and who was probably at the front door.
âI-â She started, her hand suddenly dropping to her side before rising once more to point lamely towards the entrance. âThatâs probably Leisl.â
Her gaze lingered on him briefly, as if she was about to add something else but she shook her head and swept by him as frustration welled within her. Though when she reached the front door, she checked to make sure that the visitor actually was her friend before throwing it open..
âLeisl!â Izzy exclaimed, emotionally switching gears since she was truly happy to see an old friend and she wouldâve even wrapped the petite redhead in a hug if she hadnât been currently lugging around a massive cardboard box filled to the brim with an assortment of boxed and canned groceries.
âTris! Long time no see. Glad youâre still alive!â The redhead abruptly shoved the box into Izzyâs arms before spinning on her heel to go back towards her truck to fetch the rest.
âThereâs more where that came from! Help would be appreciatedâ Leisl hinted over her shoulder and a tan pitbull suddenly bounded out of the back of the ugly blue pickup parked next to Izzyâs Vantage. The dog paused, sniffing and circling the blood mage excitedly for a moment before it spotted Evan and took off in a mad dash for the new person of interest.
If there was one thing that mailmen were wary of when it came to life in general, it was dogs. Especially dogs that had been specifically bred to fight. But Evan had missed a good deal of that training when going through his on-the-job booklets and instructions. Besides, there was something about a pit bull that he felt a strange connection with.
They were both bred to fight; born and raised with a certain skillset in mind. Besides, the little guy was adorable.
Evan knelt to both knees and outstretched his arms as the pitbull collided with him, its long tongue happily lapping at his chin, forcing him to chuckle and fall backwards slightly. The dog continued to pounce at him until he put a hand to its back, gently moving it away from him as he stood. He adjusted himself quietly, coughed, and moved to the doorway.
âHey, do you guys have any pants in there I could throw on, and Iâll give you a hand? Nice to meet you, by the way,â he said to Leisl, as the pit bull began tugging at his towel, fighting against Evanâs clenched fist in the terrycloth.
Leisl was on her way back into the house as Izzy moved to the kitchen with the box of groceries and with a sharp whistle, the pit bull finally moved away from his newfound friend and came back to trot along his ownerâs side.
âTucker, I swear you are worse than a kidâŠâ The redheadâs face was tilted downward for a moment but as she heard Evanâs voice, curiosity quickly took hold and her chin jerked up to focus upon the stranger, as well.
That was when Leisl burst into laughter, trying hard not to drop the box that she was carrying even though it was practically as big as she was. âThey let you on a plane in THAT?â More giggling followed and she canted her head to one side, trying to wipe her tears upon her shirt sleeve while walking forward and thrusting the box of goodies towards Evan.
âClothing. In here. Both yours and hers butâŠâ She made a gesture as if saying âget out of hereâ before falling into another fit of laughter. âI think you need them more than she does, at the moment.â
Evan chuckled, waving a hand. âThis little atrocity happened far after the flight, actually. Thanks again for doing this; Iâd be a goner without you.â
He clutched the box, juggled it to one hand and offered the other. âIâm Brad. Nice to meet you...?â
Leisl arched a brow in Izzyâs direction even though the blonde was currently making herself busy by putting the dry goods away in her cabinets. When she failed to catch her friendâs attention, Leisl turned back to âBradâ instead and slid her tiny hand into his, giving it a firm shake as her laughter finally began to die out.
âIâm Leisl. This is Tucker⊠Though you two have obviously become well acquainted and everythingâŠ.â She gave him the once-over while she spoke. That quick assessment a friend makes when they meet someone new and then it became obvious that Leisl spoke her mind because the next question out of her mouth was, âSo, youâre not a boyfriend, eh? What are you then? Where did you two meet?â
With that Izzy, finally turned, casting a look back at Leisl that was hard to decipher but instead of getting angry, Izzy laughed, shook her head and walked through the room so she could head back out to the truck and get more supplies.
âYouâre on your own, Brad. Both of you play nice.â With a pat of her hand upon her thigh, Tucker stopped looking anxiously between his owner and new friend and he skittered across the hardwood floor to keep up with Izzy as she went outside.
Evan shot a glare at Izzyâs head - quick and hopefully unnoticed - before grinning at Leisl. âGive me two shakes,â he said, jiggling the box, before ducking around a corner and taking a stab at where the bathroom was. Guessing correctly, he stepped inside and rummaged for a pair of pants.
Whoever this âTonyâ person was was apparently slightly larger around the midsection and a bit taller than Evan himself. Still, he made do by rolling up the pant legs, looping a piece of twine around his middle, and tossing on and half-buttoning a flannel shirt.
He stepped back out of the bathroom after his brief thirty second dress session with a serene grin. âThey fit great!â he said, examining himself.
âAnd no, not a boyfriend. Iâm just a dude that she keeps around to squash bugs and the whatnot,â he said, getting into it. Why couldnât he have a little fun with it? âWe met at a theme park - where I work. She nearly shot herself with a toy gun.â
He laughed pleasantly at the memory.
Leisl made a face as Evan came out of the bathroom, dressed in what looked like his older brotherâs hand me downs and as Izzy strolled back in with a few grocery bags of produce and fresher food she was greeted with sarcastic comments.
âWow, you surely do know how to judge a size there, Tris.â Leisl snickered and waved a hand towards Evan. âWhen was the last time you saw Tony anyway? Bradâs nowhere near his size.â Then, leaning conspiratorially towards Evan, Leisl whispered, âIâll bring you some better stuff the next time I come up this way. Promise.â
Izzy rolled her eyes as she deposited the bags in the kitchen and threw up her hands defensively. âA few years? The last time I saw you⊠When was that?â
Leisl snorted in response. â4 years? Jesus Mary and Joseph no wonder you donât know his size anymore. Heâs like 6â5â and weighs 200-something.â She shook her head, laughed again and spun around to head out front again. âWell, thereâs a ton more in the truck so we can sit around and lollygag when weâre through.â
As Izzy came to walk up beside her, Leisl grabbed her arm and pulled her close. âI find a half-dressed man in your house and you havenât hit that?! Youâre losing your touch, love!â
Snickering again, the petite flame-haired woman ran back out to her truck and they spent the next half hour unloading everything from toiletries to more food and when they were done, Leisl collapsed onto one of the large sofas while Tucker clambered up on her to rest his head upon her thigh.
âWe have to get going soon⊠You guys need anything else before my next trip âround this way?â
Evan smiled, shaking his head as the woman made herself at home, leaning casually against a doorframe as he took both the new woman and Izzy in. âIâm good, personally,â he said, nodding to Izzy. âBut itâs her call.â
Remembering the quick kiss, he was torn between two impulses; to keep Leisl here as a shield, or to get her the hell out so he could continue what he started.
âYou could stick around, if you wanted. No need to rush.â
Well, there that went.
âAw, Brad. Iâm touched that you want to keep me around but Iâm a married woman.â Leisl laughed, holding up her left hand and using her thumb to tap the silver band wrapped around her ring finger. âPlus, Tonyâll be pissed if I get home late again. He thinks itâs unsafe for me to be traipsing around the mountain with nothing but Tucker to keep me safe.â A roll of her eyes was offset by the quick grin that flashed across her lips, showing that her reaction was playful.
âSo, you two kids have tons of fun! Nice to meetcha, Brad!â As Leisl pushed herself off of the couch, she went over to where Izzy stood and tackled her with a bearhug before stepping back to berate her. âAnd YOU, Tris! Show up more than once every few years. Youâre like a goddamned blue moon. We never know when itâs going to happen.â
Izzy laughed, giving the redhead a quick peck on the temple before letting her stroll towards the door. âBe careful, Leisl.â
The only response was a wave of her hand before Leisl and Tucker were out of the door, slamming it shut behind them and Izzy followed long enough to click the locks into place and watch them drive off.
It was obvious that the short visit from an old friend had lightened her spirits but then the realization that it was just the two of them again hit her. So she tried to turn the conversation towards a safe topic for the moment.
âBrad, hmmm?â She asked with a soft smirk as she turned back towards the living room. âAre you a super secret spy now?â
Evan smiled, but it died quickly as he pushed himself upright, walking towards her slowly, affecting a casual air.
âYeah, you know. Itâs all to do with my persona. Besides, you have an identity. Figure that you shouldnât get all the fun.â
He paused right in front of her, and gestured between them.
âShould we talk about this?â
Izzyâs lips tilted into a smile and she hooked her thumbs into her pockets, letting her palms hang loosely against her hips. âAhhh. See the thing about having a secret identity is that you need to know all the quirks of your new self. If someone asks you for your last name, you canât pause and think about it, yâknow. Itâd be a dead giveaway.â
Her tone was light and teasing though as he moved closer, she stilled and her eyes dropped to his hand as it motioned between the two of them.
Should they talk about this?
Their momentary breakthrough from before had opened a doorway for them and though she wanted to run away and find an excuse to do anything but talk to the poor man, she stood her ground.
Stood her ground physically, even though verbally she began to dance away from the topic as she tended to do so often. âWe shouldâŠâ She began, her baby blues rising to meet his flat azure gaze and she aimed for an amused look. âWe should also talk about how to find out the true killer of the 18 people that youâre being blamed for and we should talk about this deal with you losing 5 years every time you use your powers and we should talk aboutâŠ.â
He let her continue as his hands reached up to frame her face, smoothing back her hair with his fingers, bringing himself closer to her. Blue met blue; a vibration, electric, passing between them. Heâd never experienced this... raw need to be close to someone. He wanted to possess her secrets, store them away somewhere and hold onto them.
âWe should,â he said, his voice lowering a few octaves. âWe can. If you want.â
She kept her thumbs hooked in her pockets. Desperately worried that if she allowed herself to touch him that sheâd give in and until she figured out why she was so panicked about everything concerning Evan Brohm then she would retain control.
Attempt to retain control.
Even as she too felt the spark that passed between them, she tried to pass it off under a dozen different other reasons. Itâs just been too long since Iâve been with someone⊠Heâs a charmer. Knows what to say, what to do.
Yet she couldnât bring herself to believe any of those little thoughts as they swirled around in her head.
âWe shouldâŠâ She was surprised that her own voice sounded throaty as she repeated him and then she decided that she was so overwhelmingly tired of thinking everything through and acting logically. For once, she simply did what she wanted to and with a light press of her toes upon the floor, she raised herself up and closed that small distance between them to press her lips against his. Lightly, tentatively, as if she were afraid of either his reaction or her own.
At the delicate brush of her lips, Evan pressed back, enjoying the brief friction, smooth on smooth. Their lips parted briefly before he moved in again - innocent, light brushes of their mouths, his hand sweeping down her neck, sliding around her back. After their lips parted a second time, he leaned backwards, letting out a shaky exhale.
âOkay,â he said, grinning. âI donât think thatâs quite out of my system, but... we should talk. What does this mean? For you?â
âIt means thatâŠ.â Her mind blanked as she tried to draw a reply but then confusion knit her brow. âWait, what do you want it to mean?â She seemed honestly lost and her words made that more apparent as they proceeded to tumble from her lips.
Perhaps she was starting to catch Evanâs foot-in-mouth disease. âItâs not like Iâm plotting marriage so donât let that freak you out.â Or at least, that was what she assumed his issue was because of his history. Once a skirt chaser, always a skirt chaser?
Evan watched her for a moment, with hooded lids. âIâm not freaked out,â he said, simply. âI think... well, weâre obviously attracted to each other. I like you; and Iâm pretty sure you donât loathe my guts. So maybe we could... I donât know. See where it leads?â
âSee where it leads?â She parroted his own words, looking quizzically at Evan as she lowered herself back so that she stood flat upon her feet once more. âWasnât that what we were just doing?â
âYou confuse the hell out of me, Evan.â Forcing an exhalation, she did her best not to twist out of his arms. âWhat is it that you want? The attraction thing has been obvious since we first met but the first time we act upon it you pull away?! I donât get you.â
His eyes hardened slightly, searching for the words that could make her understand. âLook. I donât want to... I donât know, push you away, but this feels like a lot more than what I usually do, okay? I donât want this to be another... youâre not a girl in a bar for me.â
He pressed against her fully, trying to communicate with his eyes. âYou know that, right? I care... you know, right?â
âDo you?â
The words left her lips before she could halt them and immediately she regretted them. A defense mechanism of hers was to question everything and accept nothing at face value. So she tried to spin the simple statement so it didnât seem so harsh or unbelieving.
âWhat about the things I do? My job is the cause of every fight weâve had so far. Do you really think youâre going to be fine with it now?â
âYour job isnât you,â he said, simply. âAnd Iâm not much better, am I? Weâre in this together, Izzy; Iâm just going to have to get used to the fact that you do what you do. I donât expect you to change your life for me, you know?â
He watched the uncertainty in her, slid his hands down her arms, and leaned in to kiss at her cheek, just underneath her eye.
âMaybe weâre not ready. And thatâs okay. Iâm sorry for pushing it.â
He squeezed her elbows, once, and then released her.
So, that was it?
She wanted to laugh though she saw little humor in the situation and he tended to leave her more confused each time they talked. Maybe it was better that they never tested their attraction before today.
Her lips twisted, still befuddled at his reactions and though she was unwilling to drop the topic at first, her fight or flight instinct rose once again and for the first time since they had met she didnât choose to fight him.
She chose flight.
Taking a large step backwards, her arms crossed beneath her breasts and her gaze dropped down. Realizing that she was still in clothing from the night she had found him at the warehouse, she used that as a perfect means to escape.
Ignoring everything he had said and failing to comment upon any of it, she murmured something about going to grab a shower and bolted for the stairs.
The upper level of the cabin was where the bedrooms and a majority of the bathrooms were located. Though one bathroom was located on the ground floor, off of the living room, there were two more private baths on the second floor as well as a master bathroom attached to Izzyâs room.
Stepping into the master bedroom at the far end of the right of the stairs, she stepped inside, closed the door, then even locked it for good measure before raising her middle finger to it out of anger.
âGoddamn menâŠâ
As she crossed to the large oak vanity, she dug into her pockets to withdraw the items that she had stuffed into them over the past day. A lock of hair from the doctor at the hospital and two cell phones were tossed upon the smooth wooden surface before she finally fished out the pocketwatch that Evan had pressed into her hand at the hospital.
Using the tip of her finger, she traced lightly over the carving etched into the silver before laying the item delicately upon the vanity.
Then, with a soft sigh, she went to scrub away the events of the last 24 hours.