Free Unknown by Terry Towers

have my reasons.”
    “But you don’t want to talk about it?” It saddened her. She’d opened up to him, but he wasn’t willing to open up in return. She supposed she could call her mother and find out if she knew anything, had it been a few days earlier she wouldn’t have thought twice of it, but now it felt like it would be a betrayal to him. Hopefully, he’d come to see she could be as much of a rock for him as he was becoming to her.
     
    ~*~*~*~
     
    Connor held Samantha tight to him, taking comfort in the softness of her and the smell of her shampoo as they swayed to the music, allowing it to flow over and through them. Her questions were stirring up thoughts and emotions within him that he’d spent the past few years burying. It wasn’t her fault, she wanted to get to know him.
    Maybe I should just tell her, purge. Maybe talking about it would make it easier to accept .
    But he couldn’t pile more onto her and the truth was a part of him he felt he didn’t deserve to have unburdened. She already had her own demons to work through. He was seeing the changes in her and the anxiety it was bringing. God knew, he could relate to the experience of having your world pulled out from under you.
    No, I deserve to be alone. I don’t have the right to be unburdened .
    “Keith Urban , You’ll Think Of Me .” Her announcement was so out of the blue, he took pause.
    “What?”
    He pulled back and looked down into her dark eyes. A smile formed on her lips. “The song. It’s a Keith Urban song.”
    “And how do you know that?”
    She laughed and swatted at his shoulder. “I told you it’s my jam.”
    He cocked a brow at her, smiling down at her.
    “Okay, okay. I finally recognized the voice and took a shot at the title.” Her laughter stopped and her face took on a serious, concerned expression. “Is there something wrong?”
    “Nothing. Just thinking is all.”
    “You can tell me, you know. I know I’m a little fucked up right now, and maybe I’m not the best person for advice, but I can still listen.”
    He could see how much she was aching to help. But she couldn’t, he wasn’t ready for help; not yet anyhow.
     
     

 
    Chapter 9
     
    “Good night Sam,” Connor whispered, kissing her softly before leaving her in the doorway of her room and entering his, not looking back.
    Releasing the breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding, she entered her room, closing the door behind her. Falling back against the door, she closed her eyes and tried to steady herself from the emotions rushing through her.
    “This is silly,” she grumbled, pushing off the door and walking across the tiny room, stripping off her dress as she walked until she was left in her black lace bra and matching panties. He was bothered by something and she wished she knew what; what she did know was that he needed her just as much as she needed him right now. She understood the need to take it slow, but neither one was going anywhere.
    If I go into his room like this he’ll turn me away . Crossing her arms over her chest, she chewed at her lower lip considering. He came into the bathroom quick enough when he thought I was hurt…
    She sat down on the floor and pulled her leg up, her hands on her ankle. “Well, here goes nothing,” she murmured, pasting a look of anguish on her face.
    She screamed out and banged on the wooden floor under her and waited for her knight in shining armour to appear. As predicted less than a minute later Connor came storming into her room, wearing only a pair of black boxer briefs.
    “Owwwww. Oh. Owwww.” Holding her ankle she rocked back and forth, catching a look at him out of the corner of her eye. She felt bad for deceiving him, but it was just a little tiny white lie. No harm, no foul.
    “My God, what happened?” He raced to her side and went down on one knee beside her, batting her hands out of the way to inspect her ankle.
    “I fell.”
    “How?” He looked up from her ankle and into her