Free Seeking Her by Cora Carmack Page B

low key, and I figured I could just station myself there for the rest of the night. I was close to the exit if I needed some air, but it was also a prime spot to wait for Kelsey.
    With distance from the bar and from her, I was able to think a little bit more clearly. Though that didn’t make what I should do any more evident.
    I hadn’t left myself with many choices.
    I was still thinking about them when Kelsey came barreling by a few minutes later. Bracing a hand on the wall as she walked, she looked upset, so I followed. Ahead of me, she stumbled out onto the street, sucking in air like she’d just run a marathon. Then she doubled over and was sick on the street.
    Fantastic.
    That was one way to help me stay away from her.
    Except . . . damn it.
    I stepped up and pulled the hair back from her face. It was the least I could do. When she looked back at me, though, she gave me a look that said I was the last person she wanted to see.
    “You okay?” I asked.
    “I’m fine.”
    She pushed away from me, her hair slipping through my fingers as she tottered out into the street.
    “Where are you going?”
    She didn’t look back at me as she answered, “Away. Just away.”
    She walked down the middle of the street, her hands out at her sides like she was prepared to catch herself if she fell. Follow at a distance? Or stick with her?
    Like there was really a choice there.
    “Hold on,” I said, jogging to catch up.
    As I overtook her, coming to a stop in front of her, she perched her hands on her hips. “Seriously?”
    I pulled my lips into a thin line, understanding her incredulity. I couldn’t believe I was doing this myself, but something about the image of her walking away from me had snapped something inside. I’d had enough of watching her from a distance.
    “I’m not letting you walk around by yourself.”
    Never mind that I couldn’t .
    She crossed her arms over her chest, and her surprise melted into agitation.
    “I told you, I’m fine .”
    I didn’t believe her. Hadn’t for a while now.
    “Bad things happen every day to people who are fine.”
    And didn’t I know it. You don’t go into the military expecting to escape unscathed. Hell, a part of me had always thought I’d be one of the ones to never come home. The reality had been much worse.
    “Listen, I get the whole protective thing,” she said. “It’s what guys like you do. And don’t get me wrong, it’s kinda hot.” That should not have made my blood rush faster. “But I don’t need a babysitter.” I barely contained my laugh. “So put the knight-in-shining-armor fantasies on hold for the night.”
    I channeled my laugh into a roll of my eyes. I was no knight. And between the two of us, she was the one covered in armor.
    “And I already told you that I don’t care what you think you need.”
    I was paid to ignore that.
    “So, what ? You’re going to follow me whether I want you to or not?”
    I smirked, because the universe definitely had a sense of humor. It was a dark one, sending me of all people to look after a girl like her, but it was a sense of humor all the same.
    “That’s exactly what I’m going to do. Someone needs to get you home.”
    She scoffed and skirted around me. “I’m not going home yet. So run along and find yourself another damsel.”
    I took a frustrated breath and hid it behind a smile. She reminded me so much of myself, it was like looking in a mirror. A mirror I wanted to shatter. She walked away, and I called out after her. “You’re a real piece of work.”
    I’d thought the same thing about myself on a daily basis once upon a time, until I’d had enough to drink to stop caring.
    She spun around, walking backward, with a giant smile. She stretched out her arms displaying how much she didn’t actually give a fuck and said, “You bet I am.”
    It would have made a great exit if she didn’t stumble on her next step. I darted forward, but she caught herself on her own. Without sparing a look at