Beautifully Damaged(28)

"I thought I'd fold these for you since you were kind enough to wash my clothes."

I immediately folded my arms around the pile of my unmentionables, my face flaming red, as I started to my room.

"Thank you but I'll finish this later."

I dropped everything on the bed and noticed that Trace had made my bed. When I returned he was in the kitchen, scrambling up some eggs to go with the bacon.

"Are you hungry?"

I moved to join him as I reached for a mug. "Yes. It smells good."

He turned his head to me with a slight smile on his face before he said, "It's just eggs and bacon."

"Yes, well, when your normal breakfast is a granola bar, this is gourmet."

His smile in response was beautiful. He plated us each a mound of fluffy scrambled eggs and several strips of perfectly cooked bacon that he set at the table before he folded his large frame into the chair across from me. His eyes found mine and I smiled.

"This looks wonderful, thank you."

"Thank you for last night."

"How are you feeling?"

"Sore but I'll live."

"Do you want to talk about it?" I asked.

He didn't have to answer since his body's reaction to the question answered for him. No, he didn't want to talk about it.

"Can I ask why you came to see me instead of going to Rafe?"

He held my gaze for a moment before he replied, "It was instinct. I started walking and ended up at your front door."

My heart twisted in my chest as I replied, "I'm glad that you did."

After breakfast, Trace helped me clean up and I wanted him to stay -- really wanted him to stay -- but I knew he would go. He'd been here all night and in Trace's mind that was pushing it. I had the sense that he believed his time with me had a limit. He started for the door, grabbing his jacket as he went.

"Thank you, Ember."

"Any time, Trace, I mean that."

He held my gaze for a minute and then with a small smile, he turned and walked out the door. I walked over and flipped the lock as I turned and leaned up against the door as my heart tripped in my chest.

A week later Lena and Todd had invited me to join them for an evening out. I really didn't want to go but Lena had been making an effort to be less bitchy, albeit not a great effort but one nonetheless, and besides it was just dinner. Todd picked us up in his Mercedes and we drove to a popular eatery in the Village. It wasn't until we walked up the front path of the restaurant that I realized this was a setup because standing by the hostess podium was a man, who clearly knew Todd.

"Dane, I'm so glad that you could make it." I heard Todd say but I was too busy pulling Lena to the side to hear Dane's reply.

"A setup?" I was angry especially since Lena knew I was painfully shy.

"If you knew you wouldn't have come."

"No, I wouldn't have."

"Em, please. He's Todd's friend and he's new to town."

"You lied to me, Lena."

"I'm sorry but you'll stay, won't you?"

It's not like I had an option to leave without making myself look like a fool, or a freak, so I clenched my teeth before I said, "Yes, I'll stay."

Lena joined Todd and I followed behind her almost, but not quite, dragging my feet.

"Ember, this is my friend, Dane Carmichael. He's just relocated from LA and doesn't know a soul."

Dane was looking at me like I was a particularly delicious morsel and I had to curb the urge to look down at myself to see what he was ogling since I was dressed very conservatively in wide-legged black trousers, a burnt-orange sweater and black leather boots, so what was the look for? I realized he was still watching me expectantly so I forced a smile before I said, "Hello, Dane. It's very nice to meet you."

My heart was pounding and I felt a headache coming on. This was so not how I wanted to spend the evening. The awkwardness between Lena and Todd was bad enough but I agreed to dinner to try to smooth things over and instead I was going to have to sit through idle conversation with a stranger.

"Likewise, Ember."

As the hostess showed us to our table, I tolerated Dane's hand at the small of my back but I had to give him credit, he had manners as he pulled my chair out for me before taking his own seat. Orders were placed and then Lena and Todd started whispering which had Dane looking at me expectantly, again. I silently cursed my so-called best friend before I forced my eyes to his and asked, "How are you finding New York City? Is it much of a change from LA?"

"It is, actually, but I'm finding I like it very much. Are you a local?"

"No, I grew up in Philadelphia."

"Really so what brought you to New York?"

"I'm a writer."

"Ah, how's that going."