Chapter 20 Too Close
830words
If I wasn't mistaken, he almost looked offended. "How are they too flashy?"
"You even ask? Shiny vampires? Though they still have hope, fairies and mermaids are the worst. People glamorise them way too much. Oh look, I have wings and a tail!" I rolled my eyes. "Sorry, my mom is the reason I started hating this stuff. It's the reason my life has never been...Well, normal."
"I see," Kayn nodded, frowning. He scanned the small space. "How do you sleep in here?"
"I've learned to adapt to my surroundings."
He gave me an odd look. "Now we both know you're lying."
"Like you know me at all."
"I've seen how jumpy you are. You get startled by the smallest of things. So, that already tells me you're on edge all the time," he said. "My sister can't stress enough how uncomfortable she's with the idea of you sleeping out here on your own and she doesn't get scared. You, on the other hand…"
"I'm not scared of anything." I stared at him for a moment. "She talks about me?"
"She doesn't shut up about you. Look, she adores you, so help me, if anything bad ever happens to my sister because of you."
"Why would anything bad happen? Is this because of your...You know?" I hesitated, not sure if bringing up Kayn's dead sister would be a good idea. I sighed. "Why can't you tell me the whole story? At least I'd understand why you want me gone. If it's that bad, I could leave. How about that?"
He crossed his arms. "Telling you would put you in even more danger than you already—" his eyes widened a few inches above my head, right before I heard the hiss.
At the same time as I turned my head to face a snake, Kayn leaped forward.
It happened so fast I didn't have time to process it. All I knew was that I had a snake inside my living space; its body coiled around the handle of the cabinet above my stove.
I didn't know if it was poisonous. My knowledge of snakes was as good as knowing the difference between the brands of cars. Nothing. Squat. Nada.
A whimper escaped me, and the snake struck.
But Kayn was faster. In one swift movement, he grabbed onto its head and jerked it down from its position.
He glanced from the squirming reptile in his hand, to me. He stepped forward, now standing so close that I could feel the heat from his body.
I swallowed, realizing I had my back pressed against the door of my shower.
"Don't scare easily, huh?" he whispered. "You are aware that an adder is Scotland's only venomous reptile?"
I tried to shift my weight, but he was so close it would leave us in an awkward, way too intimate position if I did.
My lips trembled as I spoke "Lucky me."
"There's plenty of them in the water here. You should tell your mom not to go out on that big mission she's planning," he said. "There are worse things out there than these."
"Always these warnings but you never explain a damn thing, do you?" My eyes traveled to his lips. I didn't know why, but my body seemed to rebel against my mind each time I was around this idiot.
"Explanations will lead to an inevitable death."
"Always morbid, are we?"
"I would do anything to keep you safe."
My eyes met his. Did I hear him right? "You don't even know me. Why would you care what happens to me?" I asked. "And how is making me miserable considered keeping me safe? Why can't you tell me? If you're worried if I'd tell anyone, I swear I won't.
Especially if it could get everyone—" I cleared my throat to speak in a dramatic tone "Killed."
I tried hard not to concentrate on how close he was that I hadn't realized he had moved even closer, the tips of our noses almost touching.
He looked like he was in pain.
"Carly…" his hand reached to cup the side of my face and I shivered, not because I was cold, but the effect his touch had on me.
I wanted nothing more than to move in to be closer to him.
"I want to tell you...But I can't. I can't do that to you."
"You have no idea how conflicted I am right now."
He half-smiled. "You won't believe how well I'm aware of that."
A long moment passed as we stared at each other before he dipped closer, his lips inches from mine.
My eyes fluttered close, preparing for the kiss I knew was coming.
"What are you two doing?" A loud voice sounded from somewhere. Kayn jerked away so fast as if he got burned.
