Free Behind the Pitch, a novella: Seeking Serenity 1.5 by Eden Butler Page A

fight back, but then I saw the quick glisten in her eyes and that crackle of energy that was fecking everywhere when we were together, and it ripped away anything in my head but the need to touch, to take.
    My hands moved forward, reached for what I knew was mine, nearly touching, but she was surprised, shocked maybe that I’d try to hold her and she stumbled, ended up on her arse in the middle of the basement floor.
    “Shit. Oh, shit.” Autumn said, pulling on her ankle, immediately slinking away from me when I try to examine her injury. “Stop. I don’t need your help.”
    “Let me see, you big baby.” I made quick work of getting to her foot, moving her boot and sock out of the way, but it wasn’t bad, not something of any real concern. “It’s not swelling. Probably no worse than a sprain.”
    “Yes, I know, thanks.” She seemed compelled to pull out of my touch, inching back and my heart clenched at her reaction. I barely noticed that I was still holding her leg.
    “Do you want me to take you to the infirmary?”
    “No. I want you to go back upstairs and do what Sayo told you to do. I can manage on my own.”
    “Why are you being like this? I want…I want us—”
    Her. That’s what I wanted. Just her.
    “I don’t really care what you want. I could give a flying shit about what you want, Declan. Just get out of here. Leave me alone.” She didn’t mean it. That much was written on her face, hidden beneath her anger, her need to push me away. But, my ginger angel was a spitfire, dangerous when she was hacked off and for a second, I forgot that. She jerked again, slipped back and when I didn’t move fast enough for her liking, she took to throwing books at me like a woman possessed. I weaved around them, managed to avoid the spines and corners, before she started raging right at me. “Get. Out.”
    Then, she hid from me, turned around so that I couldn’t see how upset she’d gotten, couldn’t see her wiping at her face. My anger fled, disappeared as though it had never made an appearance and all I wanted was to hold her, clear away this entire mess until she was wrapped around me again.
    My fingers moved on their own as I knelt behind her, working through her hair and she let me. “I’m sorry, love. I really am.” She smelled so sweet, delicious as I buried my face in her hair.
    “Was it me?” she said and I could just make out the crack of consonants between her words. God, it killed me that she thought I didn’t want her. Fecking killed me.
    “Course not.” I’d had enough of this and ignored her small protest when I sat beside her and pulled her onto my lap.
    “It was too fast, right?”
    “I pushed, remember? I’d have likely pushed harder if I thought you’d let me get away with it. It’s not you.” Autumn was beautiful with her cheeks all red from her anger, but I didn’t like the tears, couldn’t stomach seeing her upset, so I wiped them away. “You’re right, something did happen, but I can’t say—”
    “Are you married?”
    Where had that come from? “What? God, no.”
    “Do you have a kid you just found out about or are you dying?”
    Some of the tension that had built between us, eased and I released a breath. “No, McShane, it’s none of those things.” Her leg was firm, solid under my touch and I was glad that she was there, letting me hold her somewhat. It made the ache in my chest less biting. Fuck me, did I want to tell her, but I promised Joe. Swore that his secrets would remain his until the time was right. Why the hell had I agreed to something so stupid? “It’s not my secret to tell. If I could, I would tell you and you’d know and everything would be grand, but I can’t. I just can’t.”
    “Don’t you trust me, Declan?”
    Trust her? I think I’d known for a while that I more than trusted her. I think I’d known for longer than I wanted to admit to myself that Autumn was likely the only person I’d ever trust, save Joe, maybe. But I