Page 24 of Shattered

“I need somewhere to put my clothes.” He hung up three shirts like he owned my entire room. My room!

“The duffel bag! Put them in the duffel bag!”

“That’s unsanitary.”

“I don’t care!”

He listened, at least. I hobbled to the kitchen, grabbed a glass, filled it with water, and drank it trying to cool the fire currently consuming my face.

Axel followed. Took the glass from my hand when I was done.

“What—”

He opened my fridge, and pulled out the orange juice I’d forgotten I bought.

“Juice helps you calm down,” he said, pouring a fresh glass. “Vitamin C. Better than water.”

He handed me the juice.

I stared at him. At his completely calm expression. At the way he’d just taken my empty glass, and replaced it with juice like that was a normal thing to do.

“You just…”

“Yes. Juice is better for you right now.”

I drank the juice because I needed something to do with my hands that wasn’t throwing the glass at his head.

He watched me with that same cool expression, like I hadn’t just spent ten minutes screaming at him.

“Are you done?” he asked.

“Done?”

“With the yelling.”

“I don’t know. Are you done invading my personal space?”

“Probably not.” He said it so seriously I almost laughed. “I still need to put my books somewhere.”

“Touch my bookshelf and I’m calling the police.”

“Noted.” He moved toward the living room. “I’ll leave them in the bag.”

“Good.”

“For now.”

“Axel—”

“Kidding.” He held up his hands. “The books and clothes stay in the bag.”

I finished the juice. Set the glass down so hard it was a miracle it didn’t crack. My face was still hot, my heart still racing from the mortification of purple bras, closet invasions, and the way he’d moved through my apartment like he belonged here.

“This is temporary,” I said firmly.

“Agreed.”

“And you stay out of my private spaces.”