- 2.
Jake lived in a pre–construction condo
complex. The building wasn’t even finished.
Construction workers milled around everywhere.
“I used to lay bricks here. Got a deal with the
foreman. Crashing here till it’s ready, saves on
rent.” He must have seen the question in my
eyes. The apartment was raw, industrial chic.
Empty except for a cot. The bathroom didn’t
even have a toilet, just a faucet for a shower.
Jake looked at me. “Second thoughts? You can
still run.” “No regrets.” I put down my bag.
“We’re sharing this tonight, right? It’s a little small.” Jake’s eyes narrowed. “It’ll do.”
That night, I lay on Jake’s cot. He’d spread some newspapers on the floor for himself. There were no curtains, and the moonlight streamed in. “Jake, are you asleep?” “Yeah.” Worried he’d catch a cold, I shifted over. “Want to come up?” The cot was small, but we could squeeze. After a few seconds, he replied, “If I come up there, you won’t be getting any sleep.” I clutched the blanket. “I don’t mind.” The
moment the words left my mouth, Jake was on me like a wild animal. I flinched, turning my head away. He got off, a mocking look on his face in the moonlight. “Don’t say things you
<
don’t mean. I’m a simple guy. I take things
literally.” He started to lie back down on the
newspapers. Seeing his intent, I grabbed his
shirt, my fingers tracing the lines of his body.
He shivered, his eyes darkening. “I mean it,” | whispered, and to prove my point, I ran my fingers lightly over his abs. His voice was husky. “Too late now.”
Unlike Ashton’s gym–built muscles, Jake’s were tanned and lean from years of manual labor. Hard and powerful. He finally stopped when I was crying uncontrollably. He roughly wiped away my tears. “Such a crybaby.” He sounded annoyed. My whole body ached, and instead of comforting me, he was scolding me! I turned away, refusing to look at him. He ignored me, getting out of bed. I hugged the blanket, feeling utterly miserable. I was Ashton’s bird in a gilded cage for ten years. Death was my only escape. I thought I’d been given a second chance. But
Jake was acting like a different person.
く
As I cried, a warm towel covered my face. Jake
was back, holding a basin and a steaming
towel. “Been crying?” “No.” He roughly wiped
my face and wrung out the towel. “What are
you doing?” “No hot water in this dump. Can’t
shower. This will have to do.” I was sticky and
uncomfortable. Forgetting my anger, I blushed,
reaching for the towel. “I can do it.” “Stay put.”
He ignored me, pulled back the blanket, and
started wiping me down with the warm towel. A
moment later, his voice, slightly awkward,
reached me. “Don’t be mad. I’ll be gentler next
time, okay?”
My face burned. I hid under the covers, a smile
playing on my lips.
