Page 6

Which makes it even more difficult to accept that I can’t stop thinking about his hazel eyes—those green rivers with flecks of gold. I can’t help sinking back into that moment when his stare met mine and the tension was so thick between us that words caught in my throat.

A lock of dark-blond hair fell over his forehead, and I wanted to know what it would be like to weave my fingers through it. To trace the path down his strong jawline, over the faint stubble. To skim the rippled scars on his neck and figure out what hurt him.

It’s a ridiculous thought.

Alex is a patient at Montgomery Psychiatric Ward.

He’s healing . And not just physically, since his scars are unchanged, and his muscles are proof he uses his workout equipment regularly.

But mentally, there must be so much to sift through.

Trauma I can’t begin to imagine. Pain so deep he refuses to speak to anyone.

I pause outside his door and take a deep breath, hating that I changed my clothes and fixed my makeup before coming here. Like he cares who I am or what I look like.

With a forced smile plastered on my face, I turn the corner into Alex’s room, prepared to see him sitting on the bed or at the window like he usually is, reading or writing. One time, he was digging through his dresser and listening to music. But this time, he’s not doing any of those things.

Instead, he’s running at full speed on the treadmill in the corner.

Alex’s white T-shirt drips with sweat, revealing the thick lines of his shoulders and every crevice of his chest. He’s solid muscle, which shouldn’t surprise me since there’s not much to do at Montgomery but read and work out .

But to see it in action turns my tongue to sand.

With every stride, his thighs work, showing off the definition in his quads. Patience said her brother played basketball in high school, and with legs like his, I can see why. There’s not one inch of his body that isn’t sculpted.

Fuck, I’m in trouble.

It takes everything in me to steady my breathing and stop staring at him like a lovestruck groupie who’s been starved of touch. Especially now that I’ve caught his attention.

My throat is thick when I try to swallow. “I hope I’m not interrupting.”

The smile I offer is so forced it hurts my cheeks. But I hope it at least hides the blood rushing to my face.

Lifting my chin, I school my features like I was trained to do since birth. Putting on a good show and maintaining appearances might as well be my superpower.

Alex’s expression doesn’t falter. His hazel eyes don’t leave mine as he hits a button on the treadmill to slow the speed. His focus stays on me until his strides become a slow walk, and when it finally stops, he pulls out his earbuds and steps off.

“Patience is busy prepping for a final with Violet, so she asked me to drop this off for you.” I hold up the book, and for some reason, it no longer feels like a good enough reason to be invading his space.

At least I manage to smooth the wobble in my voice as I walk into the room and set it on the nightstand.

Alex snags a towel off the treadmill and wipes it over his face. The motion tugs the hem of his T-shirt up just enough to show off the strong cut of muscle that trails below his low-hanging shorts.

Sweat drips down the veins in his neck, and my knees are suddenly not as stable. It should be illegal for him to have this kind of effect without so much as a smile.

“Anyway—” I clear my throat. “There you go.”

Alex glances from the book to me, nodding with the faintest thank you. I appreciate it when the only person I’ve seen him offer that much of a reaction to is his sister.

“You have an interesting taste in books.” I glance at the stack sitting beside the one I dropped off. A memoir. High fantasy. History. “The only way you’ll catch me reading half of these is if they’re assigned in school.”

I’m rambling. There’s no way he cares about any of this, but I can’t seem to stop myself when the very presence of him makes me nervous.

“Is that a manga?” I point to the open book sitting on his bed.

Alex nods again, stepping closer.

Or is the room shrinking?

There was at least ten feet between us, but now there’s less than five.

I swallow hard. “Well, if you get bored learning about world wars, psychological studies, or fantasy lands, I can recommend something with more recent technology and fewer clothes.”

It’s a bad joke, and I mentally scold myself for it. I’m so used to pretending to be nothing more than pretty and flirty that the defense mechanisms are automatic.

Alex holds my gaze for a second. He’s probably wondering why I’m still standing in his room when I should have dropped off the book and left.

Maybe I should.

But the faintest tick in the corner of his mouth stops me. A shift so slight I almost miss it as it pulls his lips into less of a frown .

Not a smile.

But the ghost of a smirk, if anything. And it has my heart racing.

Alex takes another step. Then another. He closes the distance, and I can’t breathe without being overwhelmed by him as he reaches behind me. He pulls the memoir off the nightstand, revealing a book underneath.

It takes me a moment to process what I’m looking at, and when I do, I don’t bother stifling the laugh that bursts out.

“Romance?”

The cover has flowers, vines, and a football. And the author is a name I recognize.

Alex shrugs. The faint quirk of the corner of his mouth travels a millimeter higher before falling away completely.

Almost playful.

“You’re full of surprises.” It’s impossible to tame my smile now. “And I stand by what I said: you have an interesting taste in books. But I guess if you have the time, you might as well mix it up and keep it interesting.”

Alex doesn’t react with more than the faint shimmer of amusement in his gaze.

People write him off as void of anything now that he doesn’t speak. But the longer I stare up at him, I wonder if they just aren’t paying attention to the endless depth in his eyes.

An abyss that claims me until he takes a step back, breaking my trance.

“Right…” I step back myself. “I should go so you can get back to your workout. Or a shower. Or whatever it is you were going to do before I showed up unannounced. I promised Teal I’d meet her after class, so she’s probably waiting for me. ”

I’m rambling again. Lying when I haven’t heard from Teal all day.

“Have fun with your books.” I wave, spinning on my heels before I make a complete fool of myself.

Only when I reach the door do I release the breath I feel like I’ve been holding since I first saw him running on the treadmill.

Alex Lancaster is off-limits.

End of story.

My reckless little heart needs to kick these flutters to the curb because no good will come from indulging them.