Free Blood Eternal by Toni Kelly

she broke through the fog of confusion. “Now you’ve done it. Try telling that to...”
    “To?”
    “Nobody.” She waved a hand and sat on the bed. She wasn’t going to take such a dark path again. “Do you mind turning around? If you aren’t going to leave, I’d at least like to have some clothes on.”
    His intense gaze narrowed then he stepped back and turned away. “Did this nobody hurt you?”
    Yes , she wanted to scream, but a broken heart was probably not what he referred to. She tugged on her shirt and khakis. Two years later, and it still ached to speak of Ben. “I already told you, I hurt myself.” Scooting further back on the bed, she pulled her legs into her chest.
    “You do not speak the truth.” Luke sat beside her. “Did a man’s hand harm you?”
    “No.” She bent her head, giving up on avoiding him. He obviously wasn’t going to stop pushing and she wasn’t quite sure she wanted him to. Rubbing her neck, she hunched into herself. “It wasn’t anything like that. I argued with my ex.” When he didn’t say anything and looked at her expectantly, she continued, “I worked in a bar. Still do. He used to drop by after my shift ended so we could spend time together before going home. One night as usual, he came over. We were crowded. I grew tired of standing on my feet all day but he wanted to stay and watch a basketball game.”
    “You argued about a basketball game?”
    “Stupid, huh?” She shrugged, trying hard to pass the memories off as if they meant nothing, resulted in nothing.
    A deep crease formed between his brows. “A true gentleman should take into consideration a lady’s sentiments.”
    She laughed bitterly. “Yeah, um, Ben is not exactly your true gentleman. Too bad I didn’t realize until too late. I ran from the bar angry and didn’t look where I was going. I heard the screech of tires.”
    “You were hit.” He’d stated the words with gravity, his gaze searching hers.
    She nodded slowly and bit her lower lip. The room around her blurred. “I froze. I’m not sure if I could’ve moved fast enough anyway. It didn’t hurt at first, even as I bounced off the broken windshield. Pain came later.” And seemed to never stop.
    “Did he come after you?” Luke asked.
    “I don’t know, I don’t remember much until the hospital,” she lied, unable to say what she truly remembered. Nothing could erase the most dreadful and painful days of her life but there was no need to open closed wounds.
    “You stayed there for quite a period. In the hospital, I mean.”
    She attempted a smile she didn’t quite feel. “Long enough. If I can help it, I never want to see the inside of a hospital again.”
    He stood and walked over to the dresser, lifted a bottle of perfume. He turned the small bottle in his hand, as if contemplating his next words. “I apologize for the car chase the other night.”
    Her intention was not to make him feel guilty. “Don’t worry. You couldn’t have known—”
    “Please, accept my apology. I do not offer them frequently. You had a right to be frightened. I understand why now.”
    She cleared her throat. “Apology accepted.”
    “Thank you.”
    The gravely rasp of his voice sent sparks flurrying through her. Awareness flooded her limbs. She wore a shirt, but without her bra, the tips of her breasts thrust against the thin cotton. Even if she didn’t want him there, it was apparent her body did. She hugged her knees tighter.
    “You may take your time with your shower and dressing. We will depart after sunset.”
    “Oh? Where are we going?” And why did he insist on sleeping the days away?
    “You know, I have a garden.”
    She blinked at the topic change. “Did you say a garden?” He could be awkward at times.
    “I sense you grow restless during the day. If you continue down the hallway, past my quarters, there you will find a stairwell leading to the roof.”
    “And there’s a garden there? I don’t see you as a gardening