You Have My Attention

Twelve

« Winter's POV »

A grayness surrounds the car as it trolls along the road, rain spitting its wrath onto the windshield. Kason chews on his second Snickers bar of the day, eyes straight ahead with one hand on the wheel.

I nervously adjust in the passenger seat, trying not to make any painful movements. I can't complain about his driving skills. He looks calm, despite the slick roads and wind blowing he vehicle around. But I can't deny the chills I get from the way he looks. It's as if he doesn't even care if the car were to veer off its path. It's not that he's trying to get us killed, but more...he wouldn't mind it.

I try to break the silence. I even think about making a joke: Titanic: the biggest icebreaker. But then I decide against it. Kason isn't the joking type.

"So...you have a lot of Snickers bars in your apartment," I say. The obsession almost seems unhealthy.

He grunts in response and takes another bite of the bar, going against using his blinker to go into the left lane. I swallow once.

"Uh...why so many? Do you have like movie nights and Snickers or something? Because—"

"We're not talking about candy," he interrupts, angrily tossing the chocolate bar wrapper into the center console. "I killed a man yesterday. Are you not curious?"

I gulp. "Terrified, actually."

He rolls his eyes and turns right into the city. "He was going to hurt you. How could you not be tired of people hurting you by now? You should be grateful he's dead."

"I...you just didn't...you were so cold," I stutter nervously. "You didn't feel guilty or even slightly remorseful...you still don't, do you?"

He says nothing, the only response I earn being his jaw ticking. Eventually he speaks, but very lowly.

"He deserved it. Anyone who touches a woman like that deserves it."

The way he talks causes shivers to trail through my skin like worms crawling underneath it. It's dark. Ominous.

Haunted.

My heart races as I hesitate to ask my next question.

"What happened to you?"

He tenses up, slamming on the brakes. We lurch forward just after he'd pulled the car roughly over onto the side of the road. My mouth is set ajar as I heave nervously.

"You need to stop asking questions," he warns. "Getting to know me will ruin you, do you understand?"

My good hand trembles slightly from the jolt of fear-ran adrenaline. "Someone needs to get to know you, or you'll be the one to ruin," I say bravely. "Anyone can see you're hurting. You should let someone in, or you're going to self-destruct."

His eyes stare me down hard, studying me, scrutinizing me, analyzing me. My heart pounds furiously in my chest as his tough gaze softens into a more thoughtful one. Then, after moments of straining silence, he shakes his head as if having an internal debate end between him and himself. He says nothing as he pulls back onto the road, continuing to the hospital.

• * •

"Well, it looks good now that we reset the bone," Dr. Harp says. "I wish you would've come here first though. This could've been taken care of a lot quicker."

I give him a small, nervous smile. "Thank you."

Kason is sitting out in the waiting room. I'm glad he's not in here. I think he makes me nervous. He's just so darn scary...but comforting at the same time, I guess. Like "he's so scary that he could be the world's protector" sort of thing.