Frostbite (Touch of Frost) (20 page)

No wonder I didn’t like hospitals.

Maybe I should just walk away from Zach. No need to drag him into my freaked-out world. He clearly didn’t like what he’d seen so far, even if I had saved his life. Hell, I even saved the lives of those two drivers in that car wreck. So I couldn’t be
that
bad, could I?

I inched forward. I would check on him, hopefully get him to promise not to say anything to anyone, then scoot right out of his life. School was almost done. He’d go to college. Georgia, Scott, and I would be somewhere new, hiding.

Ah, hell, I wasn’t fooling anyone, let alone myself. I wanted Zach. He was a dream boyfriend. Beautiful. Kind. And not to mention a wicked-awesome kisser.

Please let him understand.

I pushed the door open as slowly as I could. Of course it creaked louder than the one used in the opener to the
Thriller
song my brother loved so much. I ducked in and held on so it wouldn’t slam shut.

Zach lay on the bed, eyes wide-open and fixed on me. I released my grip, and the door swooshed shut. I flattened my back against the wall and wrung my hands. How awkward. He’d kicked me out earlier, and here I was, sneaking into his room.

Damn Georgia for telling me to do this.

“Hi,” I said. I was so lame.

“Hi.”

So far so good. He didn’t tell me to get out right away like before. Or barf. Or call me an alien. I retracted my curse over Georgia.

“What are you doing here?” he asked through a clenched jaw.

Curse reinstated over Georgia.

I picked at my blue fingernails. Stupid nervous habit. “I wanted to see if you were really okay.”

His face looked like he’d gotten into a fight with a rabid cat and lost. His arm was still mummified. An image of him lying in the ditch flashed through my brain. I’d done the right thing. He could have been seriously hurt beneath that bike.

He turned his head away from me for a second. “You picked up my motorcycle, Amanda.” He flicked the wrist of his good hand. “Threw it across the road. Normal people can’t do that kind of stuff.”

“I’m still me, Zach.”

“Only
not
.” His eyes closed. “Everything’s different now.”

Shit. “I know. I—well—I wanted to make sure you were okay.” I swallowed the tears and stood straight. “And if…”

“If what?”

I rubbed my sweaty palms on my jeans and propped myself against the wall again. “Well, if you can—or—Will you keep my secret?”

He raked his fingers through his brown locks. “Come here.”

Had I heard him right? I didn’t dare move. Not that the cold wall felt particularly warm and cozy through my thin shirt, but I didn’t want to scare him any more than he already was.

He waved me to him.

I reminded myself how to take a step forward. His eyes, focused on mine, didn’t waiver as I moved toward him. A few tentative steps later, I stood at the side of his bed, my hands clamped together in front of me.

My pulse throbbed in my ears. What was he going to say? Probably nothing I wanted to hear. My gut flopped.

“I’ll keep your secret.” He snatched my hand. “On one condition.”

I took in a sharp breath, preparing for the worst. I was sure the condition wouldn’t be a sweet, flirty bribe-date at Java Joe’s. I wished it would be that. I’d say yes in a heartbeat. But this was a little different than being late for a class.

There wasn’t a hall pass big enough for
this
situation.

I cleared my throat. “Condition?”

“That you’ll forgive me.”

“Forgive you? Wait, what?”

He nodded.

“I’m the one who’s been lying to you about everything and you’re asking
me
to forgive
you
?”

“Amanda. You came to my room and, like a jerk, I kicked you out. I was just so freaked. I didn’t know what I was doing. I treated you so bad.”

I restrained myself from reaching over and squeezing my arms around his broken body. “Does that mean? Um—are you okay with this? With me? With what I am?”

“About as okay as any guy can be, knowing his girlfriend can bench press more than him.”

A hundred pounds of weight slid off my shoulders and chest. “Oh, my gosh. I can’t believe it. What changed? I mean, you were really mad earlier.”

“More freaked out than mad. It’s not every day you see what I saw. My brain’s been on overdrive since it happened. I really
did
see you toss my motorcycle, right?”

I nodded.

“How?”

Still holding his hand, I sat down in the chair beside his bed. Despite my super-strength, I didn’t think my legs would hold me up much longer. My mouth went dry, and my palms got sweaty. Hopefully he didn’t mind the latter because I didn’t want to release my hold on him.

“Amanda?”

I smiled and rested my other hand on top of his. “I think you’ve earned the right to call me Mandy, don’t you?”

TWENTY-FOUR

“Y
ou want some water?” I poured myself some from the plastic pitcher on the table beside his bed.

He shook his head. “How is all this even possible?”

I took a gulp.
Well, here goes.

“Genetics.” I set the cup down on the little table then sat back.

“Your mom was strong like you?”

“Yep.”
And then some.

He sank into his pillow and drew in a deep breath. “I can’t believe I saw you toss that cycle like it was nothing.”

“I had to get that thing off you.”

“Thank you. Did I say that yet?”

I smiled. “I’m really sorry you got hurt. You were out there because of me.”

“It would have been worse if you weren’t there to get that thing off me. And that car behind us, we’re lucky it didn’t—wait, what happened to that car?”

“Um…it drove away. I think maybe there were some drunk students in there.” I shrugged, watching him close to see if he bought that.

“Dumb asses.”

“Are you okay with all this? I mean, for real?”

“Come up here.” He scooted over and peeled back the thin blanket covering him, making room for me to lie next to him.

My pulse spiked. I glanced at the door, then to him. I wanted to, seriously wanted to, but it’d be stupid. Already I’d taken things way too far with him. Scott, Georgia and I needed to get out of this town.

He patted the space beside him.

I climbed onto the bed. I didn’t want to hurt him, but boy, was I happy to be up there with him. Inches from his face, I lay on my side. Hopefully, my breath didn’t reek. I rested my head on his bicep. Warmth radiated from his body like my own personal space heater.

“Tell me everything.” He kissed my forehead.

“You need your rest.”

“No, I don’t. I’m fine.”

Probably doped up on drugs. That was why he was being so understanding. Had to be. Ah, hell. Maybe he wouldn’t even remember this conversation.

“There’s more than the strength.” I gulped. I felt like I was at the top of a cliff, looking over the side. Should I leap off and plunge into the water below? Would I belly flop or land a perfect swan dive?

I’d probably belly flop.

“Tell me.”

“Get ready, then.” I reached behind me, grabbed the cup of water I’d set on the little table, and sat up.

Within seconds, my fingernails flashed. Zach sucked in a sharp breath. I didn’t dare look at him. I might lose control or start crying again. The water turned slushy, then to solid ice. His body tensed next to mine, but he didn’t say a word. He might have even stopped breathing.

His eyes popped wide, and his mouth gaped.

“My mom could do this, too.” I set the cup onto the table and faced him. “Up until tonight, I had no clue why she had this power. I’d only seen her do it once, and she was murdered right after, along with my dad. Scott and I have been living with different names, moving from town to town so no one would find us.

“I’ve just been trying to figure out my powers. They exploded the night before last, when you and I really started hooking up. They seem tied to emotions, and I’m kind of going bonkers right now.”

He smiled and waved me back down to my little nest beside him. “How’d you discover your powers?”

“I almost killed Scott.” I closed my eyes for a second, chasing away the images flashing in my mind. “After my folks died, he was hugging me, trying to calm me down, and I went nuts. Unleashed this power on him and he nearly died.”

Zach hugged me tighter.

“That’s when I tried to get these darn powers under control, but I’m still not very good at it. Not even close. When we were at the movies, I froze my soda, that’s why I got up and left. Oh, and at Java Joe’s I almost froze my water.”

“And at Jess’s house. It got cold. You did that, didn’t you?”

I nodded. “Emotions get me going. And when I saw my mom on that screen I lost it.”

“So, you watched the video.”

“Some of it.”

“The freezing and the strength, is that all you can do?”

“I think that’s enough, don’t you?”

He chuckled, then flinched.

“I should get going.” As comfortable as I was lying next to him, I needed to get off that bed. But it was so difficult, especially now that he accepted me. Still wanted me despite my frosty tendencies. Of course he didn’t know the
Coats
nearly killed him tonight.

That might change his opinion of me in a hurry.

“Don’t go. I’m fine. My arm aches a little, but I don’t want you anywhere other than right here.”

Against my better judgment, I snuggled in closer and rested my hand on his chest. The paper-thin hospital garb let me feel his heart drumming a steady rhythm.

“How did you walk away without a scratch?”

“You saw me get bucked off, right?”

“Don’t remind me.”

“I shot out some snow from my hands midair and landed on it.”

“You can do that?”

“That’s relatively new. Actually that’s only happened one other time.” I smiled. “After you kissed me on the stairs of my apartment. I was so hyped up, snow and slush shot out from my hands.”

“It
was
a really good kiss.”

The best.

“Explain needing to leave the scene of the car crash at the Pier and then with me?”

“I’m trying to stay off the grid. Those who experimented on my mom are the ones who killed her. They found out about me, so they want to study me to find out what I can do.”

“And your dad?”

“They killed him, too. He didn’t have any powers, but of course, he knew everything.”

“Mandy, are you in danger?”

“Only if they find me. I am so scared to tell you all this, because it could be putting you in danger.” I coughed. “That’s why I can’t be with you. Why I have to leave.”

“No. I don’t care about all this. I’m here for you. I’m going to take care of you.” His warm embrace enveloped me in peace.

“You don’t need this, Zach. You’re off to college in a couple of months. You’re on your way out of this tiny town. I’ll ruin that.”

I looked up at him, summoning my resolve to get out of that warm, comfortable bed, and walk out. Leave him before he was hurt even more…or killed.

Didn’t work, though. Above the antiseptic-hospital stink, I smelled his sweet breath. I closed my eyes and drew the addicting scent deep into my lungs.

Soft lips touched mine. I leaned into the contact, needing it like the air I needed to breathe. My whole body tingled with warmth, but I didn’t dare move for fear of hurting him. We were on a hospital bed, and he was totally injured after all. He hugged me close until I was nearly on top of him.

No part of my mouth went unexplored by his amazingly soft and very talented tongue. My body revved up, and a delicious dizziness settled in. I draped myself over him, absorbing the heat radiating from his body.

I’d never felt so close to anyone. Zach knew almost everything about me, and he still wanted me. Strong fingers massaged my spine up to the nape of my neck, and I couldn’t stop the shiver.

Or the moan.

How embarrassing. He didn’t seem to mind, though, because he turned my head to take things deeper still. I should stop. He was injured. I couldn’t risk hurting him or leading the
Coats
to his doorstep.

But my body wouldn’t listen to reason. Fires flickered in all the right places, spurring me onward. Deeper.

Finally. I was doing something normal chicks my age do: Make out with their boyfriends. Sure, we were on a hospital bed, but still. Maybe I
could
have a normal life after all? Once all of Zach’s injuries were healed.