Fix You: Bash and Olivia Read Online Free PDF Page B

startled. Okay, so not a kiss. That was cool. It would’ve been totally random anyway. The gesture was much appreciated, and I snuggled deeper into the soft cotton. It smelled like him. Warm and clean. I resisted the urge to bury my nose in the collar and started walking again.
    "Thanks. Are you sure you're okay without it?"
    "Yeah, I'm hot-blooded. I just brought it because you know how March can be in Boston."
    New England was tricky like that. Snow could stretch as far as April some years, and others it could be downright balmy. That's what I liked about it so much. Mother Nature was a fickle bitch, and I respected her right to change her mind if she wanted.
    As we walked, we made small talk that felt so normal in comparison to the emotionally charged and chaotic way we’d first met. It was…nice. But it ended too soon.
    I tipped my head toward Everley Hall and slowed to a stop. “This is me.”
    He looked up at the large, elegant brownstone building and let out a low whistle. “You got one of the good ones.”
    “Yeah, it’s nice.” When the place wasn’t almost totally empty, leaving plenty of space for serial killers to hide. I kept my anxiety to myself and smiled. No point in letting him witness all the crazy at once. “And thanks for walking me. I really appreciate it.”
    When I handed back his coat, an icy cold seeped in that had nothing to do with the temperature. He was going to walk away now, and I had exhausted all my excuses to see him again. Damn it.
    I’d stepped through the wide, arched door before pulling up short and turning around to catch it with my foot to stop it from closing.
    “Hey, Bash!” I called after him. He turned to face me with a questioning gaze. “Do you guys teach self-defense at your gym?”
    Foolhardy. Desperate. Pathetic. I was all of those and more, but everything in me railed against the idea of him walking away. Of never seeing him again.
    He considered the question and me for a long moment before slowly nodding. “We have run some classes in the past, why?”
    “Well, I’d like to learn.”
    Until I said it out loud, I’d thought it was just an excuse to see him again. But then I realized I’d spoke the truth. I hated feeling helpless, the way I’d felt with Andy the other night. I never wanted to know that sensation again. Not that a few classes would make me indestructible, but if they could give me the confidence to handle myself or the ability to get away from a potentially dangerous situation without the help of a stranger, that could be really empowering. Now that the idea had taken root, I couldn’t shake it.
    “I’ll ask my brother Matty.” He seemed thoughtful. “But I don’t know if we have any coming up.”
    I got really brave then. “You could teach me.”
    He went quiet, his face clouding over, and I said the worst possible thing.
    “I can pay you.”
    I knew I’d fucked up the second the words left my lips, but there was no taking them back and his responding grin was anything but happy. “That’s probably the way it works in your world, but it’s not always about money.”
    “I’m sorry. I know that. I just wanted you to know that I wasn’t asking for another favor. I’m willing to pay you like a personal trainer. It would benefit both of us.” Lucky for me, I still had a few thousand dollars left in the account my grandmother had left me. It would be enough to get me through the rest of this semester, even with a new personal trainer. I refused to think about what happened when it was gone.
    He took the stairs again, two at a time, until he stood in front of me. “I don’t want your money, but I can probably give you some pointers. I’ll give you my contact info.” He held out his hand and I gave him my cell phone. He punched in his info and handed it back.
    “Thanks,” I said before slipping the phone back into my pocket. “I’ll give you a call.”
    A second later, he was gone.
    When my head hit the pillow at midnight, I