afraid
of him .”
“ It’s me who I’m afraid of ,” I mouthed
back. “ I’ve been feeling strange since he came.”
“ Define strange.”
I shrugged. How do I explain that I liked it
so much when he touched me. That I had the feeling I’d known him
all my life. That I belonged to him and he to me. That he was
mine.
“ I can’t.” Liv read from my lips.
“ It’s not logical .”
“ I’ll take you out for lunch tomorrow, and
we can talk ,” Livia said.
I shook my head. “ Not tomorrow. Jack’s
taking me to the mountains. Hiking .”
“Oh, dear,” she said again, this time
audibly. “Let’s make coffee and join our boys.”
LATER, JACK and I walked home in silence. It
was a cold night and I shivered. Without saying a word, Jack took
off his black leather jacket and wrapped it around my shoulders. It
had captured the warmth and scent of his body and I had the silly
thought of sneaking it into my room and using it as pajamas.
I glanced toward the sky. Waxing crescent. I
didn’t need to look at the moon; I felt its phases under my skin.
Or I didn’t feel almost anything, like now, but that was a sign,
too. Ten more days before the first significant discomfort and my
PWS, fourteen before the pain and darkness...
We reached my place. I wanted him to scoop me
up and carry me to his room.
“It’ll be all right, Astrid.” I heard Jack’s
voice dangerously close. His hot, sweet breath sent shivers down my
spine.
Instead, I took a step back. “Jack, please go
to your room and stay there till morning.”
“Unless you show me the path, I don’t think I
can cross your nightingale floor unnoticed, but I would be willing
to try.”
“There is no path across a nightingale floor.
I’m a wizard, only I can walk upon it without making a sound...
Jack, stay away from me, please.”
“I can’t, Astrid. But I can’t rush you
either.”
“Rush me? I don’t think I understand a word
of what you’re saying, but it’s been a long day. Are we still going
tomorrow?”
“I’ll wake you up at six.”
“Just knock on my door, okay? I’m a light
sleeper.”
“Don’t worry, Miss Spock. No harm will come
to you from me.”
I turned and walked to my room. As I sat on
my bed, I realized that I still had Jack’s jacket over my
shoulders. I lay down on the covers, wrapped myself with his warmth
and scent, and blissfully fell into a deep sleep.
Chapter Nine
IT SEEMED that no time passed between her
last conscious thought—about Jack’s scent trapped in his jacket—and
the smell of fresh coffee and grilled cheese sandwiches that woke
her up. Astrid glanced at the clock: ten to six. She rushed to the
bathroom, afraid that Jack could knock on her door any moment. She
quickly showered, dried her hair and got dressed.
She found him at his usual place on the sofa,
reading newspapers. His tousled brown hair was still wet and
smelled of strawberries. Astrid tried hard to ignore the other
scents that reached her nostrils. She sighed. It was going to be
another long day.
“Are you using my shampoo again?” She crossed
her arms on her chest and tilted her head.
“I’ve become rather fond of it. I hope you
don’t mind.” He folded the newspapers and stood up. “Breakfast’s
ready. You like grilled cheese sandwiches?”
“Uh-huh,” she confirmed and retreated to the
kitchen.
Jack put several pieces on Astrid’s plate and
poured her a cup of coffee. “Astrid, today we’ll talk, if you don’t
mind. I’ll ask you some questions, you’ll try to answer them. If
you’re uncomfortable with some of them, let me know. I’ll try not
to ask you anything that’s not relevant. Only what I need to know.
Try to cooperate, okay?”
“Okay,” she said and took a bite of her
sandwich. “Mmm... This is good.”
“Thank you. I packed some snacks to keep us
until lunch. There are a few nice restaurants in that area.”
He sounded distant and businesslike. The
magic of
of him .”
“ It’s me who I’m afraid of ,” I mouthed
back. “ I’ve been feeling strange since he came.”
“ Define strange.”
I shrugged. How do I explain that I liked it
so much when he touched me. That I had the feeling I’d known him
all my life. That I belonged to him and he to me. That he was
mine.
“ I can’t.” Liv read from my lips.
“ It’s not logical .”
“ I’ll take you out for lunch tomorrow, and
we can talk ,” Livia said.
I shook my head. “ Not tomorrow. Jack’s
taking me to the mountains. Hiking .”
“Oh, dear,” she said again, this time
audibly. “Let’s make coffee and join our boys.”
LATER, JACK and I walked home in silence. It
was a cold night and I shivered. Without saying a word, Jack took
off his black leather jacket and wrapped it around my shoulders. It
had captured the warmth and scent of his body and I had the silly
thought of sneaking it into my room and using it as pajamas.
I glanced toward the sky. Waxing crescent. I
didn’t need to look at the moon; I felt its phases under my skin.
Or I didn’t feel almost anything, like now, but that was a sign,
too. Ten more days before the first significant discomfort and my
PWS, fourteen before the pain and darkness...
We reached my place. I wanted him to scoop me
up and carry me to his room.
“It’ll be all right, Astrid.” I heard Jack’s
voice dangerously close. His hot, sweet breath sent shivers down my
spine.
Instead, I took a step back. “Jack, please go
to your room and stay there till morning.”
“Unless you show me the path, I don’t think I
can cross your nightingale floor unnoticed, but I would be willing
to try.”
“There is no path across a nightingale floor.
I’m a wizard, only I can walk upon it without making a sound...
Jack, stay away from me, please.”
“I can’t, Astrid. But I can’t rush you
either.”
“Rush me? I don’t think I understand a word
of what you’re saying, but it’s been a long day. Are we still going
tomorrow?”
“I’ll wake you up at six.”
“Just knock on my door, okay? I’m a light
sleeper.”
“Don’t worry, Miss Spock. No harm will come
to you from me.”
I turned and walked to my room. As I sat on
my bed, I realized that I still had Jack’s jacket over my
shoulders. I lay down on the covers, wrapped myself with his warmth
and scent, and blissfully fell into a deep sleep.
Chapter Nine
IT SEEMED that no time passed between her
last conscious thought—about Jack’s scent trapped in his jacket—and
the smell of fresh coffee and grilled cheese sandwiches that woke
her up. Astrid glanced at the clock: ten to six. She rushed to the
bathroom, afraid that Jack could knock on her door any moment. She
quickly showered, dried her hair and got dressed.
She found him at his usual place on the sofa,
reading newspapers. His tousled brown hair was still wet and
smelled of strawberries. Astrid tried hard to ignore the other
scents that reached her nostrils. She sighed. It was going to be
another long day.
“Are you using my shampoo again?” She crossed
her arms on her chest and tilted her head.
“I’ve become rather fond of it. I hope you
don’t mind.” He folded the newspapers and stood up. “Breakfast’s
ready. You like grilled cheese sandwiches?”
“Uh-huh,” she confirmed and retreated to the
kitchen.
Jack put several pieces on Astrid’s plate and
poured her a cup of coffee. “Astrid, today we’ll talk, if you don’t
mind. I’ll ask you some questions, you’ll try to answer them. If
you’re uncomfortable with some of them, let me know. I’ll try not
to ask you anything that’s not relevant. Only what I need to know.
Try to cooperate, okay?”
“Okay,” she said and took a bite of her
sandwich. “Mmm... This is good.”
“Thank you. I packed some snacks to keep us
until lunch. There are a few nice restaurants in that area.”
He sounded distant and businesslike. The
magic of
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