Total pages in book: 36
Estimated words: 33745 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 169(@200wpm)___ 135(@250wpm)___ 112(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 33745 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 169(@200wpm)___ 135(@250wpm)___ 112(@300wpm)
Tears filled her eyes, and she tried to hold them back.
“He didn’t rape you,” he said.
Jade lifted her head back up and looked at him, a little taken aback. “He didn’t?”
“No. He didn’t get the chance.”
“Did … you stop him?”
Jade didn’t hear a response. She could barely move because of her head.
“Did you?” she asked again.
This time, the man in question stepped into the light. She stared at him for a few seconds and then did her best to offer him a smile as a thank you, before saying the words, “Thank you.”
“You’re not going to scream?” he asked.
“Why would I scream?”
He lifted a brow. The man before her had a couple of scars on his face. One went from the center of his forehead down the bridge of his nose, toward his lip. Another slashed across the cheek, and she also saw one from his jawline. Some might think of him as ugly, maybe even a monster, or perhaps a beast. But not to her. He had saved her. She didn’t care what he looked like.
“Why wouldn’t you?”
“I don’t know. It’s rude to scream at a man who saved you. Why would I be rude?”
He folded his arms across his chest. Whoever this man was, he was heavily inked and muscled as well. She had never seen him before in her life. He spoke softly, and yet there was a harshness to it. She got the sense he didn’t talk a lot.
“What was wrong with your date?” he asked.
Jade shrugged. “Same as with all dates. I’m not pretty enough to keep their attention, so their eyes wander to whatever woman they want to be with. It’s never me.”
“Why not?” he asked.
Did he need her to state the obvious? Was he trying to test her, or just being cruel? She wasn’t quite sure what his game was, but she wasn’t interested in playing. “What’s your name?”
She saw him tense up and had no idea why he did.
“I’m the one asking all the questions.”
“I’m not trying to be rude or unkind. I just wanted to know the name of the man who saved my life.”
He glared at her.
Did he not want her to know his name?
“Or not. It’s fine. I don’t have to know your name, but thank you.”
“For what?” he asked.
“For saving me. I know you didn’t have to.” This had to go down in her personal history as being one of the weirdest conversations she had ever experienced.
He continued to glare at her and Jade wasn’t quite sure what she had done wrong.
There was a beep and she turned toward it. He didn’t say a word, and moved toward a small microwave. There were no smells coming from it, but he grabbed two pots and then approached her.
“Food will help the painkillers,” he said.
She took the pot of noodles from him. Before she could ask for a fork, he was already handing her a plastic one. Jade had a feeling they were not in his home. She didn’t dare look around. That seemed to offend him more than the questions.
He didn’t take a bite of the food, but kept watching her.
Jade wasn’t sure what to do. The food smelled nice, and she didn’t want to seem rude. Why did she feel so tense just being in his company? This was so strange.
Placing the fork into the pot, she twirled the noodles around, aware of him staring at her. She wanted to ask him if she had any other cuts or bruises, but she was also afraid to ask. So, she stayed silent, twirled her fork, got more than a ladylike mouthful of noodles, and then shoved the whole lot into her mouth. If her mother was alive and saw her now, there would be such disapproval at the way she was eating. She was tempted to apologize. Instead, she said nothing. Words seemed to offend him.
She kept eating, curious about the man who had saved her life. He didn’t have to save her at all, and yet he had. She felt indebted to him.
Jade kept chancing a look in his general direction, hoping to figure him out, or to know what was he was thinking. She was used to figuring people out, but this man was a mystery.
He had saved her. Was he disappointed in who he had saved? Did he wish he had helped someone else? Someone prettier?
She was tempted to ask, but the polite woman her mother raised refused to ask such questions. She ate her noodles and tried not to feel uncomfortable about everything that had happened tonight.
Was it still tonight?
“How long was I out?” Jade asked, lifting her head, and looking at him.
“A couple of hours.”
“It’s still night?”
“It’s still night.”
He wasn’t one for conversation, clearly.
****
Braxton didn’t like company. He’d never been interested in making small talk, or attempting conversation. To him it had always been pointless, as most people who seemed to want to talk did so with their own agenda. It was never to enjoy a conversation; there was always a reason.