Page 10 of Slashes in the Snow
Even when I was deployed and crawling around the shittiest parts of the world, it was my dad who instilled the heart I needed to carry on. To find my bravery. My upbringing made me strong. Made me resilient. Made me clever. My upbringing is what kept me alive, and still keeps me alive. And whom do I owe that upbringing to? The man I despise. It tears me apart day by fucking day. Eats away at my soul. Even as I try to ignore it. Secrets, lies, and betrayal don’t sit well with me. Those three things are dangerous, and for a man in my position, they mean a trifecta of deception. Possibly even death.
Honor is all I have. What I can survive on. And when the person you trust most, idolize even, betrays you, it’s hard to come back from. Hard to forgive. Hard to move past. And staring at Kira, sitting in this house, I am constantly reminded of that betrayal. Hatred sneaks up on me around every corner. Considering it now, I don’t know if I can do this. Do anything she asks. I’ll become a buried landmine just waiting to explode.
Kira peels at the bottle’s label quietly, and the soft sound brings me back to her. Our eyes meet, hers dark and soulful, mine raw and callous.
“You wanted to talk,” she opens up a line of communication.
“That I did.” I lean forward and prepare to deliver the unfortunate news.
“You being here makes me feel safe.” Kira drops a bomb out of nowhere. I bite back my bad news. “Despite the fact that you don’t like me. And you were being a creeper earlier.”
“Who says I don’t like you? And I wasn’t creeping.” I defend myself, even though I’m completely in the wrong. I was totally creeping.
She shoots me a cynical look. She’s no dummy. She knows exactly what’s up.
“I won’t deny I’m not a fan of the people who live in this house.” I’m honest, if nothing else.
“Ilive in this house,” she points out.
“Yeah, but you’re hot, so I can overlook it.”
“That’s the only reason you're here? Because I’mhot?”
“Do I need a better reason?”
“I guess not,” she sighs.
“Who do you think is following you?”
“Stalking me.” She corrects.
“Okay, who do you think is stalking you?”
“I have no idea. I just know someone is. I can feel it.”
“Feel it?”I’m skeptical. “You want me to go off a feeling?”
Kira nods.
“And what do you propose I do?”
Kira shrugs demurely. She has abandoned words apparently.
“Stay here with me?” she finally offers.
“What, like a bodyguard?”
She nods again quickly. The idea even seems a little off-color to her.
“Snow,” I grunt. “I have a club to run. I can’t just up—”
“It will only be for a month,” she interrupts my pathetic attempt at an excuse. “Then I leave. School will be over, and I’ll be on a plane to Paris to meet my mom and Gerard.”Leave? A plane to Paris?Why does that aggravate me like an annoying itch? “Then you’ll never have to think about me again.” Kira drops her head. She’s so sweet. So fragile sometimes. “I just don’t want to be alone.”
Fucking hell. I’m soft for this woman when I sure as shit shouldn’t be.
“One month?” I test the timeframe on my tongue.
“One month, then I’m gone,” Kira promises.
