Page 27 of Shattered By the Currents

Surely she wouldn’t need that. No one attacked someone at eight a.m.

She put her hand on the doorknob, only to curse, turn back, grab the gun, then walk out to the main room with slow, measured steps. When she got to the door, she didn’t open it right away. Instead, she shouted through the thick wood, “Who’s there?”

“Connor.”

Air rushed from her lungs. Out of every scenario—Lottie, Ferris…Xander—Connor was by far the best option.

“Um…just a second.” Quickly, she raced back to the office and stowed the gun, feeling beyond stupid for overreacting. Faster than she’d possibly ever changed in her life, she tugged off her sweats and sweater—yes, she’d slept in layers—and changed into jeans and a pale pink sweatshirt.

After flattening her hair, she rushed back to the door and tugged it open. “Sorry.”

The easy, relaxed expression on his face dropped so quickly, she almost missed it.

Then he was stepping into her space, his earthy scent teasing her nose. “What happened?”

“What do you?—”

He reached up and ran his finger over her forehead. When he pulled it back, there was blood.

Oh God. She’d been in such a panic, she’d forgotten about the cut.

“I fell.” She cringed, because it was the most cliché lie someone told when they were hiding something. But she wasn’t technically lying, shehadfallen. Just off the couch…while sleeping in her office…dreaming about the worst night of her life.

The darkness on his face almost had her stepping back. He looked like a stranger, and for a second she got just a glimpse of the dangerous Navy SEAL he’d once been.

Then he seemed to physically pull himself out of it. His frown eased into more concern than fury, and he set a hand on the small of her back as he closed the door. “Come on. I’ll help you clean it up.”

He led her to the office and guided her to the couch. She didn’t miss the way he scanned the space, like he was searching for the person who’d done this to her.

It’s me. I did this to me.She almost wanted to put up her hand like she was in school. How she’d forgotten about the cut, she had no idea. The first aid kit was right there on the desk.

Had she called herself stupid yet? Because she felt pretty stupid.

He grabbed the kit before kneeling in front of her. “How’d you fall?”

“I’m not sure. It happened so quickly.”

Well, that one was most definitely a lie. The same nightmare had plagued her sleep so many times it was impossible to forget. She’d just never had it while sleeping on a couch.

He took out an antiseptic wipe. His jaw was set, like he was angry. “This might sting.” Despite the way he looked, his tone was gentle.

He hesitated before swiping it across the cut. And yes, there was a small sting, but she was too distracted to react. By the green of Connor’s eyes, which were mossy and too beautiful for her to look away from. The faded scar beside his right eye, which made her wonder how he got it. And by the way the muscles in his forearm tightened as he dabbed the wipe across the wound.

“I haven’t seen you around town much in the last week,” he said softly. “And you’ve barely been responding to my messages.”

She swallowed. She’d barely been talking to or seeinganyoneother than her parents. Not Maggie or Polly. Least of all Connor. When things got hard, she turned into a hermit because hiding from the world felt a bit safer.

She fiddled with the edge of the couch. “I’ve been busy.” Yeah, busy wondering where she was going to live. There was nowhere affordable available right now, and she didnotwant to drain the little money she had left on an Airbnb or motel room.

“Too busy to respond to a text?”

“I’m sorry.”

“I’ve been worried about you.”

Her pulse fluttered. Other than her parents, no one had worried about her for a while. “I’m okay.” Kind of. Sort of. She was surviving.

His hand paused at her temple, wipe hovering. And he looked at her like he saw through her lie. Through the armor she’d so carefully set in place. But that wasn’t possible. He barely knew her.