Free Book One: The Girl (The Sanctum) by Madhuri Blaylock Page B

is not what happened,” Jools denied Wyatt’s version of events, wishing she could wring her brother’s neck, “at all.”
    Ryker didn’t move, watching Jools closely, wondering exactly what she wanted. He knew she was up to something because, as long as he had known her, Jools was not what one would call an early riser. But truth be told, he wasn’t interested enough to ask. In fact, after yesterday, Ryker just wanted to be left alone for a little while. Today was his day off and he planned to slip away from everyone and head upstate to do some hiking. By himself.
    None of his plans included Jools, standing in his doorway before sunrise.
    “Where are you going?” Jools asked as she craned her neck around Ryker’s figure in the doorway and spied a packed bag.
    Ryker kicked the bag further into his room, “nowhere.”
    “That right there,” Jools pointed at the bag Ryker wanted to pretend didn’t exist, “doesn’t look like nowhere.”
    “Jools, you’re not here to discuss my travel plans,” Ryker stated flatly, not interested in flirting at this ungodly hour. “What do you want?”
    Ryker never spoke to Jools so curtly and she didn’t quite know how to react. She was used to him doting on her, paying her special attention, but now everything about him screamed “leave me alone”, from his furrowed brow to his tense forearms.
    “Are you mad at me?”
    “You’re standing outside my door at the crack of dawn to see if I’m mad at you?” Ryker could not help but laugh at Jools. “Unbelievable.”
    “What?”
    "Your ability to make every situation about yourself is uncanny."
    This was not the way Jools envisioned things going when she set out from her room this morning. She planned on getting back in Ryker's good graces but apparently she was only making things worse.
    "I didn't mean it like that."
    Ryker just stared at her, waiting. And she hated it. She hated the way he was looking at her, like she was a nuisance. An annoyance. An early-morning irritation. She wanted him to smile at her. To laugh around her. To want her.
    To want her.
    She didn't know that when she left her room this morning with a burning desire to set things right with him. But now, looking at him standing in his doorway, she knew it and the reality hit her like a ton of bricks. And set every inch of her on fire.
    "I'm sorry."
    Ryker wasn't sure he heard her correctly.
    "Come again?"
    Jools looked down at her feet for a split second, afraid to look at Ryker. Afraid he would be mocking her with his eyes.
    "I'm sorry."
    She lifted her gaze to meet his and said it louder and clearer.
    "I am sorry. I am sorry for acting like an ass yesterday. I am sorry for berating you for no reason. I am sorry for making you yell. I am sorry for acting like a brat about Darby. I am sorry that the fact that you pay special attention to Darby drives me nuts. And I am especially sorry for going at you about anything to do with my brother.
    "Every time, I tell myself I'm going to hold my tongue and I never do. And then afterwards I tell myself that I'm going to apologize to you and I never do. And I don't want it to be like that anymore. I don't want to just be Wyatt's bratty little sister."
    She could barely get out that last sentence, scared of what it meant. Uncertain of how Ryker would react. But she had to do it. She had to lay it all out there for him and then deal with the consequences, whatever they were, good or bad.
    "So then what do you want to be?" Ryker looked down at Jools, finding himself once again charmed by her insane ability to throw him for a loop, wanting to keep her at arm’s length but not sure he was able.
    “I don’t know. Last night when I decided to come here and talk to you, it was all about just setting things straight between us. I had it all figured out, knew exactly what I was going to say and hoped I could win you over like usual.”
    Ryker continued watching Jools with keen interest, unsure of what was coming next,