Free How to Save a Life by Amber Nation Page B

were off. I couldn’t seem to keep my smart ass comments to myself.
    Roseanne was still playing on the TV, I was really caught up in the old episodes. It gave me back a sense of life before the railroad collision also known as Pate came into the picture. Sadie immediately ran to his side and I just looked up into his eyes without saying anything at all. I wanted him to have the first word to judge what his mood was like.
    “Hey," he breathed out still holding my eyes. He turned to look at the TV, “Still watching this, huh?"
    “I’m addicted now, and plus there wasn’t anything else on to watch," not that I really took the time to look, but he didn’t need to know that.
    Cue the awkward silence.
    He perked up and snapped his fingers, “I just talked to my buddy Brock down at the garage I work at. He said that Sheriff Mitchell is wanting to sell his 2005 Chevy Monte Carlo, he’s trying to get everything situated around here so he and his wife can move up to Virginia to help out his sick sister in law. It now needs a new transmission and a few other minor things, but I think it would probably be easier if I rebuilt it, not to mention much cheaper. Have you talked to the insurance company yet?"
    Cue my dumbfounded expression.
    “Why are you being so nice to me?" I didn’t mean to speak out what I was thinking, but it was too late to take it back now.
    He crossed his arms over his chest and widened his stance, which made my lady parts scream with lust. By him standing like that, it made his muscles in his forearms protrude out, and I was ready to beg for him to wrap those meaty arms around me as he has done before.
    Where the hell was all this coming from?
    He leaned an ear forward, “I’m sorry?" It wasn’t an apology, he was wanting me to further explain.
    I kind of shrank back into the couch before I began explaining, “I just… You don’t know me at all and here you are looking for a new vehicle for me, offering me to stay in your house, eating your food," I pointed towards the TV, “watching your TV Sometimes you act like you’d rather I not be here at all and other times you are just so nice to me, I was just wondering why."
    I explained my reasoning as best as I could and I hoped he understood where I was coming from.
    He uncrossed his arms from where they were perched on his rock hard chest and continued to glare at me. Apparently I didn’t say the right thing and he was pissed, I could see the fire flaring in his eyes from my spot on the couch several feet away from him.
    “You know what, stay here as long as you need to, but stay the fuck out of my way. Who are you to question why I’m trying to be hospitable, the least you could say is thank you."
    And with his parting words he stormed off out of the living room and went towards the kitchen. “Sadie, come!" he screamed. Then mere seconds later I heard the back door slam.
    What do I do now?
    I didn’t mean for him to take offense, I just wanted to know why he was being so nice to me because many people in recent years hadn’t. I’d forgotten what it was like to have decent human beings in my life aside from my parents of course.
    I felt the tears begin welling in my eyes as I was just basically scolded like a misbehaving child. I thought I had gotten away from feeling like this. I would stay because I really needed to watch my money and I still hadn’t called the insurance company; that would be the first thing on my to-do list for tomorrow.
    I would somehow show Mike how gracious I was for him letting me stay here. He wouldn’t have to lift a finger while he was at home to cook or clean, but I would respect his wishes in staying pretty much out of sight.

Mike
    It was a cool and dreary day, the sun had ceased to exist. It looked like at any moment the sky would open up and soak everything in a torrential downpour.
    Mother Nature was pretty much matching my mood as of late. I was in a total funk and didn’t know the first thing about how to