Free Young Love (Bloomfield #4) by Janelle Stalder

electric shocks are shooting through my body.
    Slowly, I turned my head to see him leaning against the opposite wall just a little ways down the hallway, watching me. Our eyes locked and held, just like they did at the bar. I could feel my cheeks heating as his stoic gaze ate me up. He pushed off the wall, walking toward me.
    “Well?” he said, stopping in front of me.
    “Well?” I repeated, my voice barely above a whisper. What had he asked again?
    His lips twitched. “Why are you standing out here looking at yourself as if you don’t know the person in the mirror?”
    “Oh,” I said, my cheeks flaming now. “Uh…” I looked back at the mirror and then him again, trying to figure out an explanation that didn’t sound lame and pathetically sad. “I, uh, thought I felt a pimple coming, so I was just stopping to check.”
    Holy. Shit. That did not just come out of my mouth.
    I should have just gone with the truth. Wondering about your own personal attraction was a lot less embarrassing than talking about skin problems to a guy who looked like sex incarnate.
    Actually, this could explain exactly why guys didn’t flirt with me like they did other girls. Apparently, I was a complete idiot.
    Awesome.

Chapter 10
     
    Grey
     
    I’d been running late to get to my parent’s place. My last appointment at the shop had gone longer than I’d expected, so I knew I was going to have to rush my dinner if I was going to make it before Mom and Dad went to bed for the night. A quick stop at the local small grocery store had eaten up more time than I wanted to as well.
    So when’d I’d taken the stairs two at a time, my only thoughts were on throwing some dinner together and getting out again as quickly as possible.
    But then I saw her.
    My feet had frozen on the dense carpet, thankfully muffling the sound of my approach. Not that she looked as though she’d notice me anyway. For some reason, I couldn’t look away as I leaned against the wall to watch her with interest.
    Honor stood in the hallway, staring at her reflection as if she didn’t recognize the girl staring back at her. A small line formed between her furrowed brows, those plump lips of hers turned down slightly at the corners. I watched as she absorbed every part of her face, that crease ever remaining as she did.
    I had no idea what was going through her mind, but suddenly my protective instinct had reared from where it had lain sleeping, and all I wanted to do was erase that look of confusion from her face. Whatever she was thinking, whatever she was seeing when she looked at herself, I knew it wasn’t what it should be.
    No one as smart and beautiful as Honor Jacobs should stare at themselves with that level of insecurity.
    I couldn’t take it anymore when I finally spoke so she’d know I was there. As I stood in front of her, closer now, I watched as her mouth opened and closed as she tried to explain what she was doing there.
    It was obvious she didn’t want to tell me the truth. I understood wanting to keep things private, so I decided to let her off the hook.
    Kind of.
    I wasn’t going to push, but I also wasn’t going to let her retreat into her apartment to continue whatever inner conflict she was having. Before I could think better of it, I spoke.
    “What are you doing now?” I asked.
    She seemed surprised, her mouth snapping shut, her eyes narrowing slightly. “I have to teach a class in a couple of hours.”
    “Then you’ll need to eat something first,” I said, walking around her. Unlocking my door, I looked back to see her still standing in the same spot, watching me. I jerked my head. “Come on, I was going to make dinner before I need to go out myself.”
    “Oh,” she said, moving slowly. “You don’t have to –”
    “Get your ass in there, Honor. It’s just dinner.”
    She hesitated for a second before stepping past me into my place. Stopping just inside, she looked around as I closed the door behind me. It was a good thing I