BELLS TWO
BELLS
TWO
The hallway outside Adam’s apartment is quiet, which is unfortunate. A small part of me was hoping for a distraction. A fire alarm would have been good, maybe even a sudden building evacuation.
I stare at his apartment door. The exterior door downstairs was propped open with a rock, so I welcomed myself inside. I probably shouldn’t have done that. He’s not expecting me.
He might not even be home.
This is ridiculous.
I’m a grown woman. I’ve gone to medical school. I’ve stitched wounds while somebody screamed in my ear. I’ve done so much.
I can handle one flimsy conversation with my mate.
Still, the thought of knocking on Adam’s apartment door fills me with dread.
I raise my fist. Then drop it.
What exactly am I supposed to say? Hey, sorry I treated you like a contagious disease for the past few weeks. Can you please resume stalking me? I kind of like it.
I grimace. This is fucking stupid. I should leave. Adam would never know I was—
The door opens.
I nearly jump out of my skin as Adam appears in the doorway. He looks just as startled as I feel, but he quickly recovers. His eyes narrow and shoulders bunch as he peers down at me.
For a long moment, neither of us speaks.
Adam is taller than I remember. His dark hair is messy like he’s been running his hands through it, and he’s wearing a simple T-shirt and sweatpants. He looks comfortable. And normal.
He’s nothing like HPAW warned.
“Bells.” His gaze flickers over my shoulder. “Is everything alright?”
I nod. “Yes. Hi.” I’m not off to a great start. I clear my throat, then force myself to continue. “Things are fine. I’m okay. I’m here of my own free will.”
Adam stares at me.
I shove my hands into my pockets.
“I’m here to talk,” I admit. “Can we?”
Adam presses his lips together, then steps back and opens his door wider. “Come in.”
The last time I was in his apartment, things didn’t go over so well. I trashed his place, then tried to escape through his window. I almost died in the process, which I’m sure he remembers. But I didn’t come all this way just to stand in the hallway like an idiot.
I step inside.
His apartment is clean. It’s not spotless, but it’s organized. Books line the shelves, and there’s a stack of papers on the table that looks like graded assignments.
“Sorry,” he says, following my line of sight. “I was working.”
“Am I interrupting?” I ask.
“No.”
His answer is immediate, which feels refreshing. I shift awkwardly, then walk into the middle of the living room as Adam closes the door behind me. It’s not until he silently gestures to his couch that I take a seat.
“I owe you an apology,” I blurt out.
Adam stills. “For what?”
“For…” I wave vaguely toward him. “For everything, I suppose.” I let my gaze sweep his apartment. “Especially for trashing your place.”
His expression softens. “You don’t have to apologize. I came on strongly.”
He did, but still.
“I heard you’ve been helping Sera,” he says.
Is he changing the subject? He takes a seat in the chair opposite me.
“Everybody has been making it a point to talk to me about you,” he continues. He looks vaguely annoyed as he blows out a breath. “Especially Evelyn. She’s incessant.”
I smooth my hands down my pants. What am I supposed to say to that?
Adam swallows. “I’ve been told that you’re especially good with Emma.”
I shrug. “I guess.”
Adam looks at his hands. I can’t help but eye the skin on the back of his hand. He bit off his marking to protect me, before he even knew who I was. Would he do it again, now that he knows who I am? I doubt it.
His skin has healed over, but his marking is gone. There are a few small edges visible, but not enough to make out the design. Still, I can’t look away from the delicate white edges.
My marking is dark. It has been for years.
I shove my hands beneath my thighs, hiding them.
“I worked for HPAW,” I admit. Adam looks up. “I reported on Evelyn’s condition, and I helped the people who hurt you.”
Adam furrows his brows. “You didn’t know what they were doing.”
“That doesn’t erase it.”
“No,” Adam quietly agrees. “But it matters.”
I should be truthful with Adam. What’s the worst that could happen? He rejects me? He tells me he doesn’t care to hear my problems and kicks me out of his apartment? I’ve survived worse.
“I’m embarrassed,” I force myself to say. “I’m embarrassed that I believed HPAW. I see everybody with their mates and how happy they are, and I feel stupid for pushing you away.”
I swallow.
My next words are rushed. “And I don’t know if you still want me.”
I dig my feet into his rug and clamp my mouth shut. I’ve said enough. It’s Adam’s turn to speak.
His response is quiet, practically whispered. “Of course I still want you.”
Adam sinks to the floor, dropping to his knees before me. I can’t look him in the eye, not even as he pries my hands out from underneath my thighs and forces my mark out into the open.
I look around his apartment instead, taking in the quiet, comfortable life he’s built for himself.
He brushes his thumb over my marking. “What are you looking for, Bells?”
“I’m not ready for everything,” I say. “But I’m not going to jump out of any more windows.”
Adam chuckles. “So, you want to take things slow? I can do that.” He stands, pulling me to my feet in the process. “Am I welcome to visit you in the common room, then?”
I nod.
“And am I welcome to purchase you a phone and contact you through it?”
I nod again.
Adam smirks. “Am I welcome to send you dirty images of myself?”
My jaw drops. What? Would he really? I mean, I’m not against it, I just wasn’t expecting him to ask me so—
Adam releases my hands and taps the underside of my chin with his pointer finger, urging me to shut my gaping mouth.
“I’m teasing you,” he says. “I won’t send any dirty images that aren’t explicitly requested.”
Heat floods my face so fast it’s almost painful.
Adam’s grin grows. The corners of his eyes crinkle, and he looks lighter than he has in the few weeks I’ve known him.
He brushes his thumb along the underside of my chin, clearly enjoying the rare opportunity to touch me. I haven’t given him many.
His smile falls, but his expression remains soft. “I want this, Bells,” he says. “I want to make things work between us.”
The tightness in my chest loosens.
“I almost chickened out of coming here,” I admit. “I was about to leave.”
“I know.”
“You know?”
“I heard you pacing outside my door for five minutes.”
Horror crawls up my spine. Why didn’t I think of that? Shifters can hear everything.
Adam’s fingers dance along my jaw, his touch featherlight but so distracting. We’ve never touched like this, and it feels good. It feels right.
I glance around his apartment again, taking in his books, the papers on the table, the soft lamp light filling the room. Adam lives a quiet life. Do I really want to be a part of it? I think so.
I was wrong about the shifters, and is it so bad to wonder what life with my mate would be like?
“Do you regret coming here?” Adam asks, drawing my focus.
“No.”
My answer is immediate. I’m scared, but I’ve put a lot of thought into this. I see how the other humans are adjusting, and I want that for myself.
I inhale slowly, then step back. “I should go.”
Before I get carried away. This conversation was a lot, and I need time to take it all in. Baby steps.
“Already?” Adam frowns, pausing to think through his next words. “Can I come to the common room tomorrow?”
“Yes.” I nod. “I’d like that.”
Adam walks me to the door, not pushing for more. I hesitate to leave, then throw caution to the wind. I grab his shoulder and dart forward, pressing my lips to his.
His lips mold around mine, and his fingertips graze my waist as I pull away. The kiss is quick. Warm.
The best one I’ve ever had.
“Thank you.” I clear my throat. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Adam nods, looking mildly dumbfounded as I step into the hallway. For the first time in a long time, I’m looking forward to tomorrow.