creaky bed. He lowered her onto the red ma

s backward, putting a sa

led out a faded gray t-shirt and a pair of worn sweatpants. He pulle

he rubbed her perfectly fine arm, h

oset. He dragged out a thin, scratchy

arm and grabbed the blanket. He

he couch," he anno

ed back. That was exactly how it started. He walked out that do

p from the

dered. Her voice was sharp

is head. His eyebrows pulled to

chest heaving, "every nosy neighbor in this building will know by t

hit the exact nerve Clara was aiming for. He hated gos

ense moment. The muscles in his

bedroom and threw the blanket onto the har

aid, his voice dripping with ic

anket over the hard wood. Frustration bubbled in her throa

ght. The room plunged into shadows, lit only by

ck, fully clothed, st

. Clara could hear the steady, c

inutes

asp, her hands flying to her abdomen as she

ing, landing on his feet in a low, defensive crouch. Hi

" he b

ch. "My stomach... it's a cramp. A horrible c

own at her, his chest rising and falling with heavy,

achache, Clara," he said flatly. "St

er. "I need you to stay in h

He looked at her, sitting on the bed in he

e said, his voice dropping to a deadly quiet register, "w

punch to the gut. All the air lef

vo

next to her and hurled it at h

she sc

off his chest, but the raw fur

ped right up to him, tilting her head

her finger jabbing into his solid chest. "I

Clara dropped to her knees. She crawled

and yanked it over her shoulders,

aring up at him from the floor. "The

the empty bed, then down at the woman fiercely guarding his lum

f his nose, letting out

und, walked to the large, empty bed