Free There You Stand by Christina Lee Page B

Jude was at the bowl, but out of my side view I could already tell that he wasn’t. I recognized his moves and the lines of his body, which was pathetic really. Besides, Emmy didn’t know that this was the park I walked to almost daily and after her revelation about Jude, I didn’t want her to know how deep my crush actually ran.
    It also occurred to me that I knew so little about him that one day he might pack up and leave town and I would never be the wiser. Luckily that meant he’d be leaving with an unfinished tattoo. Somehow that thought brought me comfort, even though it was a tie to me that was flimsy at best. He could easily find another artist in another town to finish the work, or choose to do that anyway, if he got pissed at me. But at least I knew a part of me would always be on his skin.
    That’s when suddenly, I saw him. The air whooshed straight from my lungs as if I’d been holding my breath or something. Christ, I was something else. I couldn’t stop staring because he wasn’t alone like he normally was, unless of course, other skaters surrounded him.
    He was sitting on a bench with this tall and muscular man standing over him. Jude’s head slunk down and it was difficult to read his expression. The man seemed official looking, not because of how he was dressed, but because of his stature. He appeared to be lecturing Jude.
    I couldn’t help but wonder if the man was his parole officer because he had some type of manila folder in his hand. I was thankful that Emmy was off to the side picking up dog waste and depositing it in the trash can because it gave me free rein to watch them.
    Right at that moment, Jude’s head lifted and his eyes found mine. His eyebrows were hunched together in an angry caricature. He looked frustrated, sad, and furious all rolled into one, and I couldn’t help flinching as a flicker of fear surged through me.
    Again, the idea that Jude might be dangerous flitted through my brain. Not to me, but to others. But who the hell was I kidding? He could be threatening to me as well. He certainly looked it right then.
    Sliding his gaze away from mine, he catalogued each dog, as if searching for Chopper and Ace. He didn’t know that I volunteered at the pound so this scenario might’ve thrown him for a loop.
    His eyes scanned to Emmy, who was heading toward the street, and then back to me as the man standing near him reached for his shoulder to gain his attention. As if he could guess that I was equally as confused, he shook his head and turned away.
    Jude made me feel so damn conflicted. My skin was cold and heated at the same time, my emotions all over the damn place. I was so keyed up that I walked faster out of the park on Emmy’s heels, which made my limp a bit more pronounced.

Chapter Ten
    I avoided the park for a couple more days but I couldn’t get that look in Jude’s eyes out of my head. The way he seemed so annoyed yet despondent when he’d been with that man. On the surface I had felt afraid, but deep down, I didn’t think he’d do anything to hurt me, not after he’d been so tender with my injuries. It was the same kind of gentle selectiveness that he showed with his words.
    Did that make me an idiot? Probably.
    When Jude showed up for his appointment, I could immediately tell that he’d completely locked himself down. Shut me out. His eyes were flat green stones that had lost most of their shine.
    I decided that the best way to interact with Jude, at least for the present moment, was to keep it light. I wanted to know him and I think he was curious about me, too. But we’d get nowhere without mutual respect or trust.
    Once he entered the room, he closed the door. He was still free to leave it open, so he must not have felt that awkward around me. When he discarded his shirt, I held in my sigh. Would it ever grow old viewing his skin so intimately without being able to touch him in the way I wanted?
    Maybe my way inside with Jude was to be my jovial