Shattered by Stef M Ensing

Author:Stef M Ensing [Ensing, Stef M]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Nez and Tay Books
Published: 2019-08-15T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Six

The knocking on his door pulled him out of his reverie. If the act of going through intense training positions while drinking could be considered reverie. Jarrett had stilled at the sound of it, uncertain he had heard it correctly the first time but the second utterance of it was unmistakable.

Weapon in hand, he cautiously approached, hugging the wall so he could peer out the window. To his surprise, he saw Payton standing there. Uncertain what else to do, Jarrett opened the door a crack, just enough to allow them to see each other.

“Uh… yes?”

Those luminously large blue eyes blinked at him and a smile stretched on her lips. “Hi. I… um… right. So, I know this is a total imposition and I haven’t got any right or… what I mean to say, Isiah got arrested last night because he’s a bloody idiot and Takara just released him an hour ago and I’m kinda trying to hide from him so he doesn’t get angry with me for his own stupidity and I couldn’t think of anywhere else that he couldn’t find me so maybe pretty please could I hide out here with you?”

He stared at her. She had spoken everything very fast and it was a whirlwind to try and comprehend it all. Apparently, he was taking too long because the hopeful look on her face fell, the smile became a bit forced.

“Nevermind. This was stupid. I’ll just go hide at Atherly’s.”

Jarrett stiffened, jerking slightly which inadvertently caused the door to open more. The action caused her to pause mid-turn. He would not wish a Malvathar’s company on anyone. Even one she apparently deemed as a “friend”.

Exhaling slowly, he pulled the door open the rest of the way. He lacked anything to say but it seemed his action was enough and he was rewarded with another one of her brilliantly bright smiles.

Payton slipped inside and let him shut the door behind her, hovering awkwardly in the tiny foyer beside him. He hesitated, uncertain what to do, before moving forward, leading her into the main room. If his lack of verbosity bothered her, she did not say anything. Her eyes were going over the nearly empty room.

He shifted his weight, uncomfortable with her scrutiny. He did not have much. Nothing but his overstuffed chair with repaired rips in the blue fabric, a table with a rickety pair of chairs, all of which were shoved back against the far wall due to his need for room as he practiced his swordsmanship. The only other furniture in the room was the bookcase that was built into the wall that held four pitiful books. Wine bottles were spread about on random surfaces – the mantle, the hearth, the shelves of the bookcase, the table, even lined along the wall, anywhere there was room and yet still out of the way.

“Starting a bottle collection?” she teased.

He could feel himself turn red in response. The mortification doubled when she discovered the half-drunk bottle resting on the hearth.

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