Anchor

Part 18 - Running from conflict

    I was hoping no one would notice how rough I looked in the morning but of course Otto was the first to comment as I sat down at the breakfast table. I had thrown one of Ben's hoodies over the top off my pajamas which fell mid thigh.

     Admittedly I felt stupid thinking back on how I hadn't seen Ben, Saphrine, Otto or Gavin eating since I arrived. It's strange when you start piecing things together, like how Saphrine basically begged me to eat when I arrived and someone always seems to remember that I need food to survive... unlike them. This mornings group consisted of Stellan, Otto and myself. Thankfully, Ben was busy with something and dragged Gavin along with him. As for Saphrine, she was probably doing her own thing. Although I would have preferred if she had joined, I liked to think we could be good friends. 

    "Damn, someone looks like they had a wild night. Who ate the kitten last night then?" Otto grinned from behind his coffee cup, looking pleased from his raunchy joke. Unfortunately the person I wanted to eat it had slept on the floor a short space from where I slept. Not that I would do anything like that with someone else in the room, especially said persons sister. And of course there was the fact that Stellan probably wouldn't even want to do that... with me anyway. We hadn't spoke of our kiss. Pretty sure he had been swept up in our whirlwind of emotions for it to have meant anything serious. Still, I felt his lips on mine with every glimpse of him I got. 

    "Not all of us spent our night getting feasted on. Some of us drowned ourselves in alcohol and are now feeling like death... take the hint, Otto. I'm too tired to play." It was too early to indulge him. He was already in his suit so it was only a matter of time before he left for whatever work it is he did. I'm not saying I didn't like Otto, or that he annoyed me in any way but I was in no state to continue. 

    Stellan placed a plate of toast and Marmite in front of me and I couldn't stop myself from salivating. It's like he knew me too well, with the perfect ratio of butter to Marmite exactly as if I had made it myself. He grabbed a slice off of my plate giving me a wink before sitting next to me. Aside from my hangover, this morning was starting off perfectly. 

    "My bad. I only thought you got some after witnessing the s****l tension between you and Ben. Perhaps I should have had a drink with you guys... I could have pointed you all in the right direction," He wiggled his brows and took a sip of his coffee.

    "What did I miss?" Jodie strolled into the room and straight to the coffee machine. She had placed her hair in a messy bun and was dressed similar to myself, in one of Ben's hoodies. She pulled it off better than I and I couldn't help but feel like we were competing with each other. Her bare legs were long and were the colour of honey. I looked down at myself and my bare legs, there was no competition here, she was first place in looks for sure. 

    "Probably a lot less than I did," Otto's gaze ran over her body. The hoodie on her barely covered her arse as she sauntered around the kitchen fetching sugar and a mug. He shot me a look before continuing, "I was just explaining to Kitty that I assumed she'd be the one getting-"

    "Getting up late. I was pretty plastered last night, shocked myself getting up before everyone too." I scowled at Otto and he raised his brow in response. Luckily he caught my drift and followed me in changing the subject. 

    Stellan's phone buzzed and his facial expression spoke before he opened his mouth. "I've got to shoot off." He stood from his chair and pressed his lips to my head, kissing my hair. I looked up to meet his gaze but he was already looking away like he overstepped. "Jodie, I can drop you back home on my way to the station." 

    She leaned her back on the counter next to the coffee machine, quickly looking at me before ending her sights on her brother. "Actually, I was thinking of sticking around for a bit. I'll catch a ride back later with one of the others." I knew that look. As soon as he was gone, she would want to talk with me. All I had to do was avoid being alone with her. Stellan didn't look happy about leaving her but he had no choice, duty called. 

    He gave me a quick smile before he left. I was half tempted to follow him to the door and wrap my arms around him. Instead I finished my toast and continued small talk with Otto as Jodie went to shower. 

    "What was that about?" Otto asked. 

    "What was what?" 

    "Don't play dumb now, Kitty. You know what I'm on about."

    I did know what he was referring to but I couldn't say I had feelings for both Stellan and Ben. I wasn't too sure what it was I was feeling and talking about it meant acknowledging it. I could keep my head in the sand for a little longer. 

    "It's nothing, really. I don't want Jodie to think I'm messing around with her brother, that's all. Scratch that, I don't want her to know I'm messing around with Ben either." I whisper shouted. 

    "You do realise you said think when you were talking about Stellan but when you mentioned Ben you said you don't want her to know you're messing around with him... honey, you just dug your own grave there."

    Well the cat was out of the bag. 

    "Don't worry. Your secret is safe with me. We all have skeletons hiding away."

    Hearing that was comforting but I knew it wouldn't stay a secret for long, Ben already proved he couldn't keep his mouth shut. "Thanks," I half smiled at him. 

    "But I want all the details when you do get that D from one of those guys. Juicy, juicy details, Kitten." 

    I threw the crust of my toast at him and laughed. He was lucky my aim was terrible as it flew past him and hit the wall. 

    After Otto left for work, I sat in the kitchen alone for while and enjoyed the silence. There were people out there looking to kill me or whatever it was they planned on doing with me and my priorities were way off. I needed to spend less time lusting over the guys and more time learning how to protect myself. Yes, I was in a house with people capable of protecting me but what if something happened to them or whoever was after me got to me when I was alone. 

    I decided to get a crash course in fighting and as the guys weren't available and I didn't want to ask Jodie or Saphrine, so I went to the more fitting choice. 

    As I wandered the house searching for him, I came up empty handed. I almost gave up when I finally spotted him through the window. If he wasn't so intimidating, I would say I was betting on the wrong horses. He was magnificent, flexing and throwing punches like it was nothing. I should have guessed he would be working out, no one gets to be in that shape without pushing themselves constantly. 

    The sun reflected off the sweat coating his muscles and I found it hard not to ogle him. "Hey, Jule." I tried to act casual but he didn't seem to care for my presence so I stood back from him watching him take swipes at the boxing bag hanging from the tree. The force behind his punches were mesmerising. 

    "Are you planning on watching me all day?" And just like that I was back to reality.

    "If you had answered me sooner then I wouldn't have had to stand here and wait."

    "Did it occur to you that I might not have heard you? Maybe next time tap me on the shoulder or you know, shout." His punches finally stopped and he turned to me wiping the sweat from his brow with his forearm. It was the first time I had seen the extent of his tattoos, his chest was covered in mostly black and grey with a few splashes of colour here and there. 

    "Why would I shout when I know full well you heard me?" He crossed his arms and went to answer but I cut him off. "Look, can we move on from this? I need your help with something." I mimicked his stance and crossed my arms over my chest. "Please." Again, he was still intimidating. 

    "Can't you ask Ben?" He made it sound like talking with me was exhausting.

    "He's not around, and besides, I think you'll be better... equipped, to help me." 

    "I'm not f*****g you." 

    "What?!" I screeched. Did he really think I would flat out ask him to sleep with me? "No, that's... Christ, I'm... I wasn't asking for help with that! Thank you very f*****g much." I couldn't wrap my head around it. I wasn't desperate. He should have been asking me. Well no he shouldn't, but still. 

    "I wanted you to teach me to fight but now I see the error of my stupid ways so forget I asked." I huffed and turned to walk away when I felt his hand grasp my elbow. 

    "Wait. Firstly, you don't run from conflict, rookie mistake." He released my elbow and took a small step back. "Let's see what you can do."