Fury: Book One of the Cure (Omnibus Edition) Read Online Free PDF Page B

watching me, thankfully. He’s sitting back in his seat, long limbs lazily taking up all the space, reading a paper. A frown line appears on his forehead, right between his eyes. It’s quite possibly the most adorable thing I’ve ever seen. I hate him for it.
    “Want a section?” he asks absently without looking up.
    Get up. Just get up and leave. You know better than this.
    But I don’t get up. I ask, “The crossword?”
    He retrieves the back section and passes it to me. Then he grabs a waitress and pinches her pen in an extremely charming way that makes her melt into the floor. Passing me the pen, he promptly goes back to reading the sport section, apparently oblivious that he’s just made the girl fall a little in love with him.
    We sit quietly until our food comes, both intent on our papers. As our plates arrive, Luke glances at my crossword and his eyes widen. “Holy shit. You’ve nearly finished it!”
    I flash him a sly smile. “Not just a pretty face, pal.”
    “I’m becoming aware of that. Oh, baby, I love chorizo.”
    He inhales his food with a look of delight. I have no appetite, but try to eat anyway, because I can’t remember the last time someone bought me a meal. For some reason, despite still having no idea why we’re here together, I find myself simply appreciating the company. If I want to continue appreciating his company, however, I’m going to have to make sure he never finds out the truth. The fact that he knows I’m uncured is bad enough.
    “How old are you?” I ask him.
    “How old do I look?”
    I shrug.
    “Twenty-six. How old are you?”
    “Eighteen.”
    He spits out his coffee. It’s extremely amusing. “ Eighteen ? Good god.”
    My lips curl into a smile. “Why should that be a problem, Mr I’m Not Trying To Hit On You?”
    “All right, clever girl,” he laughs, leaning forward. “I was twenty percent hitting on you, eighty percent worried about you.”
    “And now?”
    “You’re a teenager, Josi. You’re not ready to get hit on by me.”
    I roll my eyes. “If you say so.” I’m somewhat relieved, somewhat confused. If he doesn’t want to hook up with me, then why is he here? What does he get out of this exchange? Because I haven’t been particularly nice, that’s for sure.
    “So cynical,” he sighs.
    “I am not!”
    “Right now you’re sitting there wondering why I’m here, assuming that nobody does anything nice without wanting something in return.”
    “Anything nice?” I repeat slowly. Suddenly I’m angry. I stand up. “I don’t know what you think of me, or what you’ve assumed, but I’m not a fucking charity case. You think you’re doing something nice, but you’re just making a fool of yourself.”
    I storm out of the café, tripping over his long, sprawled out legs. He reaches for me but I snake around him and run.
Luke
    I’m the stupidest man on the planet. I pay the bill and run after her, but she’s damn quick. She’s already locked the door behind her, but I bang on it and shout at her until my throat is hoarse. Finally I take my tools out of my pocket and pick the lock on her door.
    I know.
    But I’m losing my mind, standing out here in the disgusting hallway, imagining her behind the locked door. I can’t seem to do anything to stop my hands as they break into her home. The apartment block is so old that it doesn’t even have a touch lock modulated to her fingerprints, just an ancient metal tumble lock.
    The door finally swings open and I stop dead. She’s curled up on her bed with the pillow over her head so she won’t hear me shout for her. The studio apartment is the tiniest, most revolting place I’ve ever seen. Although the term ‘studio apartment’ is a loose one. Her home could more aptly be described as a rat-infested, falling-to-pieces, unfurnished hovel. The walls are water marked, the carpet is filthy, her mattress doubles as a couch and the kitchen is more of a sink situation. She doesn’t seem to own anything