“Can’t? Or won’t?” My eyes drift briefly to his neck when I see him swallow, then flick back up to his face. “Please. Why did you save me?”
Finally, he just shakes his head, almost in defeat. Such a contrast to the stiffness of his body, the intimidating stance of his strong build. “I . . . don’t exactly know.”
The vulnerability of his answer hits me hard, for some reason. This man, so unyielding and centered, with enough strength to steal my soul with a single look. Yet in this moment, he seems so . . . uncertain? Cautious?
He takes one slow step back, away from me. “Next question.” His back’s almost pressed up against the wall now, nowhere else to go.
My eyebrows knit together, my eyes tracing the set of his jaw, the way his lips tighten as he watches me.
Wait,am I making him uncomfortable?
Just in case, I follow his lead and take a few steps back myself. His broad shoulders relax ever so slightly, just enough to confirm my suspicion. I keep my observation to myself and decide to take advantage of this time he’s giving me.
I can’t help it when my questions come tumbling out all together, rushed. “How do you do that? Just appear out of nowhere? And what happened to my hand the other day, when I reached out for you? How come sometimes, like now, I can see you, but other times I can . . . feel you? And why are you solid one minute, but then almost, like, fading away the next?”
He’s shaking his head, fist clenching, clearly frustrated at something. At me? It doesn’t reach his eyes, but that doesn’t stop the tightening of my stomach. What he does next though almost makes my jaw drop, and I can’t help but stare in fascination. He licks his lips, gently biting down on the bottom one, then rakes his fingers through those thick, wild strands of hair, like he’s contemplating something.
I don’t realize that watching him has me biting down on my own lip until it starts to hurt. I quickly release it and lift my chin, expression bold. It’s my you-didn’t-see-that pose.
When his dark gaze latches onto mine again, it’s resolute. Some decision has been made.
“What?” I ask, still feeling thrown off and flustered.
“That’s a lot of questions,” he murmurs, a trace of irritation in his voice. He’s still mostly guarded, though, unreadable through his eyes. “As far as the last one, it’s simpler just to show you.”
“Um . . .” What does that mean, exactly? Before I have time to respond, he’s distanced himself by moving across the room, into the corner farthest from where I stand.
“I don’t understand.”
“Just wait.”
A second goes by.
And another.
Then I notice it; how the wavering of his form increases, the way his chest and torso start to blur like the outline of his body. I open my mouth, not sure how this explains anything, and he catches my eye. He’s focused entirely on me, his gaze like a penetrating thread connecting me to him, willing me to stay patient. With each second that passes, he fades a little more. I can make out the off-white colors of the wall behind him, flickering in and out of sight.
Without warning, he’s crossing the room, taking long, steady strides until he’s standing right in front of me.
“Touch me.” His command is low, a rough timbre that sends a shiver down my body.
I’m frozen, willing the nerves that are suddenly fluttering in my stomach to settle. Slowly, I reach out and bring my fingers to his taut chest. The heat of his skin burns straight through his shirt and into me. A light stroke, a brush of his warmth beneath mine, and he’s already becoming more solid. I gasp and my head tilts up so I can meet his eyes. I know what I see, the way his form solidifies when he’s near me, but I still don’t understand. How could that be? Why?
He’s looking down at me, dark lashes casting half moons above his cheekbones. Unreadable.
I let both my gaze and hand wander. My fingers slide up his neck, taking their time. I stroke the hard edge of his jaw with my thumb, before drifting up and into his hair. It’s softer than I thought it’d be, thicker too. Slowly, carefully, I smooth the strands falling messily over his forehead, bringing them over to the side, only for them to fall back disobediently. I’ve almost forgotten about the reason I’m doing this in the first place, and when I realize how this probably isn’t what he meant, I drop my hand.
My throat’s thick, and I clear it before returning my gaze to his. But what I find isn’t the blackish grey I expect. There’s a shimmering deep green at the edges of the iris, just like that first night in the lake.
“Your eyes,” I breathe.
Some sort of recognition seems to spark in them, and he gives his head a small but firm shake. Just like that, the green is gone, leaving not even a trace to be found. He takes a slow step back, the sudden movement cracking the hypnotic trance he has over me. I let out a long breath.
Looking him over from head to toe, I notice he’s now as solid as I am. Realization dawns. “That day on the sidewalk. That’s why you blocked me in against that tree when you started to disappear. To close the distance between us, so you’d be able to . . . stay . . .”
He doesn’t say anything, just watches me. His guard is up even more now. Eyes, mouth, and jaw hard. And I know that’s all I’m going to get from him today. His patience with me has reached its limit.
“Can I ask just one more question before you go?”
