Page 80 of Fragments

“No,” I scoff, too defensively. “Not that there’s anything wrong with it, I just…” I clear my throat again. “I’m straight, so…”

When he doesn’t say anything for a moment, I peek at him, and go figure, he’s still watching me. But a bit of the amusement is gone, and his blue eyes are getting this stormy look to them.

“So how have you managed to procure items in here?” His brows lift.

I’m shifting in my seat. “Um, I haven’t, really,” I lie, feeling like he can totally tell.I’m a terrible liar.Our eyes meet for a moment, but I look away fast. “I have a different skillset…”

“Like what?”

“He’s a tech wizard,” Parker butts in, and I seethe in his direction.Stop telling him everything, Parker! Dammit.“He can do anything with computers.”

Ren blinks at me like he’s mesmerized. “Really?” I nod reticently. “Wow… A hot nerd. I like it.”

He bites his lip, and I’m becoming very warm inside my clothes.

Okay… He’s definitely flirting.

I mean, it’s fine. I don’t care if he’s gay. It doesn’t affect me.

“Yea, well… it works for me as much as it needs to.” I push past the vexing compliment that’s flushing my cheeks. “Honestly, I don’t need much, anyway.”

Ren lets out a quiet breath. “I’ll get things for you. Whatever you want.”

My brows zip. “No, that’s not necessary. Thanks, though.”

“I want to,” he presses.

I shake my head slowly, gaping at him. “Why…?”

“Because I…” His voice drifts, and for the first time since we started this strange meet-n-greet, he seems a little flustered. Staring down at his hands, he begins fiddling nervously with his fingers. “I like you. I don’t want anyone to use you. You don’t deserve that.”

His eyes flit to mine, shining raw. Very different from the way he’s been looking at me, and I can’t tell if this is better or worse.

“Okay,” I mumble awkwardly. “That’s nice of you to say, but you don’tknowme. We just met…”

“That doesn’t matter,” he says with confidence. “I’m good at reading energy. And I can tell already that we’re going to beveryclose, Lexington.”

“I don’t know… You can’t seem to read the fact that I don’t like being calledLexington,” I mutter petulantly, stiffening with tension.

He cracks a smirk. “You like when I do it.” His hand slides onto my leg, and I jump from the surprise of it.

“Alright, that’s enough,” I grumble, moving his hand off of me. “You sound like the obsessive girl who mentions getting married on a first date. Take it down a few notches, crazy pants.”

He chuckles, clearly not offended by my words.Because they’re probably true.

“You’re cute,” he sighs. “I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone like you… I definitely didn’t expect to in prison.”

Man, this guy just isn’t getting it. He seems content to keep hitting on me, no matter how hard I try to brush him off.

There’s a new wave of frustration bubbling inside me, and it’s definitely his doing.

“Well, you don’t know everything about me from this one encounter. I deserve to be here too.”

“Hmm… I don’t know.” He purses his lips. “You didn’t kill anyone, that much is clear.”

I squint at him. “How do you…” I stop and shake my head. “Shut up.”

The rumble of his little chuckle is jacking my annoyance up into simmering anger.