Ignite Me: Shards of Glass, Part One

by Mills, L. C.

  His arms wrapped around my shoulders, strong in support. I always felt dead inside when I spoke about it, but it wasn't good to keep it bottled up.

  “Why wasn't he charged for that?! I've seen his rap sheet! That wasn't on it! Oh Evan please tell you me you pressed charges?!”

  I sighed. “If I'd have pressed changes it would have been classed as an accident! He didn't set out to burn me! Yes, he might have hurt me in the past, but that wasn't deliberate! Plus my dad put him in the hospital a few weeks after it happened! Broke his jaw and a few ribs!” I shrugged. I didn't even want to ask how he'd seen Sean's criminal record.

  “Accident or not he still did it and it should have been recorded against him! You could have been a lot more seriously hurt than just a burn!”

  I didn't want to talk about it. I hated even thinking about that night, and the days that followed it. “I'm going to the bathroom!” I said with a slightly shaky voice as I slipped down from the bed and grabbed the T-shirt he'd been wearing as I went.

  “Evan?!” Cameron sounded confused.

  I reached the bathroom and closed the door behind myself leaning on it. It was cold on my naked back, but it helped clear my head. I knew I'd have to get used to telling Cameron these things. It was just that I'd not told many people and found it hard to talk about without getting upset.

  I pulled myself together and pulled his shirt over my head. It smelt heavenly and I held the neck of it over my nose and inhaled it. The scent of Cameron calmed me down.

  There was a tap, tap at the door and I smiled.

  “Evan, are you okay?! I didn't mean to be so overpowering about it!”

  “It's okay!” I pulled open the door and glanced at him. He'd put his boxer shorts back on.

  “I was worried when you left like that! I understand it's upset you to talk about it! I'm sorry! I don't want it to spoil our day.” He smiled.

  I wrapped my arms around his middle and hugged him. Letting my head rest on his chest. “Don't say sorry, I need to be able to talk about these things! It's not healthy to keep it locked away! Yes, it does upset me, but it's good because I know you meant well!’’

  He stroked his hands down my back, over my shoulders. “I will never let him touch you again! He won't hurt you again! I think it's good that you were able to talk about it a little bit with me, I appreciate you trusting me!”

  I smiled up at him. “I do trust you! I just guess it was kinda traumatizing for me at the time! I'm not gonna let him ruin my life! Or ruin what we have. You still wanna make pizza?!” I grinned up at him.

  “I do very much so! I'd also like to say how attractive you look in my T-shirt!” He grinned.

  I smiled widely. “Thanks! I think I'm keeping it! New night shirt!” I let go of him and slipped past him. I scooped up my panties and pulled them back on.

  “You're more than welcome to keep it! I'll always know that even when I'm not with you at night I will be because you will have my shirt!” He smirked as he walked back to his bed and picked up his jeans.

  I flopped down on the bed and pulled my socks back on. “Thanks for being cool about the whole scar thing! I promise I will get used to talking about it, I just guess I have to learn to handle talking it over!” I smiled.

  He pulled on his jeans and walked over. “You don't have to thank me, angel what he did to you is horrible and I get why you'd not want to talk about it but I'm glad you trust me! I won't betray a trust! Like I said if you ever wanted it reduced I do know someone.”

  I got back up and pulled my skinny jeans back on. “Thanks, I'll think about that! So we making these pizzas, cause I'm starving after all our exercise!” I grinned at him as an idea flitted across my mind. “Hey, I dunno if you want to but later on, you wanna share a bath?! Your tub is huge!” I smile shyly.

  His face was impassive for a moment or so. “I would like that! I often have a bath at night because it relaxes me for sleeping! Brings all your muscles down!” He smiled.

  I grinned. “Plus, I bet you get a cool view over the park! It's a beautiful apartment!” I licked my lips. “I'm gonna go get my soda, I'm actually super thirsty!” I walked off towards the closest door and intended to get my phone from my jacket pocket while I was in there.

  “Okay, I'll meet you in the kitchen, I'll get all the ingredients ready!” He smiled widely. “If you want to bring out the items that were pink I'll have them sent back and pastel blue and green sent instead!”

  I'd forgotten about that. “Oh, okay, I wasn't being ungrateful I just don't suit pink! I like other pastels though! It's very kind of you to buy me those! My American wardrobe just wasn't suitable for the English climate!” I grinned.

  “Yes, I can quite imagine! I'll see you in the kitchen!” He turned and walked towards the door and pulled it open.

  “You sure will! Let the pizza making commence!” I pulled open the closet door and slipped in. The lights popped into life and I smiled seeing Cameron's jacket lying on the floor, mine was still on the shelf. I picked up my can and drained most of it. I bent down and picked up his jacket and hung it on the peg, and did the same with mine only I fished my cell phone out of mine.

  I checked if for texts and found a missed called from Damon and text from him.

  I opened the text.

  Hey Evan, I'm really sorry but I'm gonna have to bail on pizza tonight my ex is having some kinda episode and she's been taken to the hospital! I'll explain when I see you next! You still owe me that pizza though! ;)

  I pulled a face. I wondered briefly if his ex-girlfriend was okay.

  I hope she's okay, I hope you’re okay! If you wanna talk you know where to find me! :)

  I shoved the phone into my pocket and turned around to pick all the pink items out. I folded them up and laid them on the shelf. I rummaged around in the draw that had all the nice underwear in and choose a black and purple lace bra. I had a natural D chest and it hurt if I didn't wear a bra for too long. I figured I might as well get used to the new items. I pulled his t-shirt off and put my bra on. It fitted like a glove. I pulled the shirt back down and then wandered over to Cameron's t-shirt shelf. I picked out a navy blue one then returned and added it to the small pile of pink clothes and headed back out. I stopped back in his room and tided up. I put my blouse on the chair along with my bra. I'd pack them away later on. I straightened out the bed sheets and smiled.

  chapter 15

  I headed back out of his room and back the way we had come in, it was easy to find my way around. The hall led the way, no getting lost. I really did like his apartment.

  I placed the small pile of clothes down on the little table near the door and picked up his shirt and carried it into the kitchen. I grinned as I found him stooped over a set of scales weighting out flower.

  I took the opportunity to study him as he concentrated on tipping the flour into the bowl of the scales. He turned around and smirked catching me admiring the view.

  I grinned. “Hey, I wasn't sure if you'd want a shirt on or not so I brought one out for you!”

  “Thank you, I never thought!” He smiled widely at me. “You've put on one of the bra's I got you! I knew they'd be an excellent fit!”

  I blushed a little wondering how he could tell the difference from one I had worn before and the new one. I handed him the shirt.

  “They fit so well! Thank you again and I've put the pink stuff near the door, I assumed that's where you'd want them!”

  He took the shirt and pulled it on ruffling his already dishevelled hair. Sex hair suited him, I prayed mine wasn't looking too bad. I absentmindedly fiddled with my hair as I looked at his shirt. It fitted his chest showing his toned muscles.

  “Ah yes, Jones knows to take them way and swap for the blues! You are more than welcome Evan, and your hair looks fine! Stop fiddling with it!” He grinned and turned back around.

  I shook my head as I walked over to the counter and found he'd got various things out to make pizza w
ith.

  “So can I do anything?!” I looked around.

  “Wanna help make the base?! Oh and I got a bottle of water out for you as you said you where thirsty!” He indicated the bottle sat on the counter.

  “Thanks!” I picked up the bottle and undid the lid. The soda hadn't done much for my thirst. I drank a quarter of the bottle before screwing the cap back on. I felt refreshed now. “Ah that's better!” I used my hand to clean the dribble of water off my chin.

  He raised a brow. “Don't fill up on water, you won't be able to eat the pizza!”

  I sighed. I understood his issues but I wasn't his little sister, I didn't have an eating disorder. “Cameron, I drink a lot of water! If I don't keep hydrated I get horrible bags under my eyes cause I'm so pale!” I placed the bottle down.

  He grinned. “Oh... I see! I'll keep that in mind! Right, so I've weighed out flower, so all we need to do is add the yeast water I've made that up already and mix it in!”

  I grinned and picked up the large mixing bowl and wooden spoon. “Right okay! Let's make us a pizza!” I made a little indent in the flower to pour the water into like I had seen chefs do on TV. I slowly poured a little water in at a time as I mixed. First off it was easy but as the dough started to form it got harder to stir it around. “Getting a work out doing this!” I grinned, I was determined to do it without asking for help.

  He stood behind me and placed his left hand on my waist making me draw a breath in and placed his right hand over mine helping me stir. “Two hands are better than one so they say!”

  I tried to concentrate on the mixing but he quite deliberately bumped me a few times distracting me.

  “I'd say that's done! All dough looking! We need to roll it out now don't we?!” I reached into the bowl and picked up the dough. It felt kinda warm. I loved the small too, the yeast and the flower combined took me back to being a kid and making pizzas with my Dad.

  He let me go with one last bump and walked back to his place at the worktop and sprinkled flower out so I could place the dough down.

  “What shape are we aiming for?! Round-ish?!” I asked as I placed it down and picked out the wooden rolling pin and flowered it so the dough wouldn't stick.

  Cameron raised a brow. “You've cooked before, I like it! And yeah just a round shape will do fine!” He stood back and let me do the rolling.

  “I cooked a few times as a kid, all the rest is from watching cooking programmes on TV!” I grinned as I rolled the pizza dough out. Turning it every now and then to keep the round shape. I stopped when I got it to the right size.

  “Think that's about it!” I stood back admiring the almost but not quite perfect round shape.

  Cameron grinned as he picked up the pizza tray. “I'm impressed! We will need to leave the base to rise for half an hour so you wanna check out the rest of the rooms?!” He slid the base on to the tray.

  “Oh yes please!” I was excited about seeing the other rooms.

  He placed a clean tea-towel over the pizza base and held his hand out for mine.

  I placed my hand in his with a grin.

  He frowned slightly then smiled. “What?! Do I have flower on my face or something?!”

  His confusion made me smile even wider. “No, I'm just happy is all! I never thought I'd find that again you know?! Like to feel just happy because of someone else!” It was true after all the bad things with Sean I never ever thought I'd feel truly happy again. I wasn't sure how long it would last but I was hell bent on making sure it lasted as long as possible.

  His whole face lit up, his eyes sparkled at me. “I'm glad I'm able to make you feel happy! You make me feel happy so it's only fair!” He smirked. “Come on I'll show you the other rooms!” He led me back into the hallway and we walked to the left leaving the park wing behind us. We walked past the entrance hall and down into the city wing.

  “So the first four doors are spare bedrooms, mostly I don't have guests so they aren't used but the last one is Georgia's, when she stays over. She has one of her own, I let her decorate it.’’ He rolled his eyes.

  “Ah so all the other bedrooms are down here, away from yours! I guess that gives you privacy.”

  I wondered if I was allowed to see inside since it was technically his sister’s room.

  He pushed open the door. “Even though I told her not to she still put posters up!” He shook his head.

  We walked in. I grinned seeing various bands that I knew personally tacked up on the walls around the room. “Oh wow she really does like her music!” I wandered in and looked around. There was a cast iron bed in the centre of the room with a brightly coloured duvet set on it and a little dressing table and wardrobe off to one side. I grinned looking out of the window. “It doesn't seem to matter where you are in this place you always get a wicked view of the city.” I glanced out of the expanse of glass.

  “Yeah it was partly why I brought the place. Also if I'm honest only 10% of the people that own apartments in this block actually live here so I'm never crowded with people, I like being alone.”

  I turned back around. “Does your sister come often to stay?”

  He pulled a face. “I think she'd like to move in given the chance but she'd drive me nuts! I like things organised!’’

  I smiled. “She’s still at school right?! I get so confused by the schooling system over here!”

  He laughed. “Yeah not quite as simple as the states is it! She's 14 so she's got another year of her GCSE's that's like your high school diploma I guess! Then she has the option to do A Levels instead or college! If she does that she can go onto university!” He shrugged.

  I blinked. “Oh so GCSE's and A levels combined is pretty much the whole American high school diploma and then college is university?!” I pulled a face. “Kinda hurts your head!”

  He smiled. “Well we have college too! You don't have to go to university you can do a further education course at college then do university” He laughed.

  “Wow my head feels like it's gonna exploded with all this education! I didn't even go to college!” I knew without even asking he had gone to some Ivey league of equivalent university.

  “No you didn't but you graduated high school with honours! Most people just graduate with a standard diploma so you could have gone to any university you wanted! So don't put down your achievements! I went to university to keep my parents happy, I didn't even want to go!” He opened the door again. “Well you've seen the reception area, and my office now the bedrooms so Library next!” The smile played at the corners of his mouth.

  I stood with my mouth open in shock that he knew I'd passed with honours. I sighed, I shouldn't have been surprised though he seemed to know me so well. “How do you get to know all about me yet I know very little about you!”

  He licked his lips. “You simply need to ask me and I will tell you!”

  I would hold him to that. “Over pizza then?! I can quiz you on your life and you won't hold back?!” I raised a brow.

  He smirked. “Within reason I will answer you what I can! Now let's go check the library! You might find some interesting things to look at! If you look in the right places!” He grinned.

  He was being cryptic but I would look over every inch of that room if I had too. “I adore that you have a library! I love books!” I really did. We headed back to the park side of the apartment and I started to see a pattern. He had all his work life down in the city area, including elements of his family life whereas all his personal space was down in the park side. He pushed open the first door on the left.

  “Welcome to the library!” He stepped in and held the door open for me to pass by.

  I smiled as I walked past him. It was a fair sized room with a large expanse of glass at one end with blinds. As I walked in, I was awe struck. The room was lit by an abstract central light and had several other standing lamps. It screamed Cameron! It had a variety of ornaments and knickknacks around the place. The wall to my right w
as lined with book shelves all made to fit. I wandered in further and glanced around unsure where to start my investigation of the room first. The left hand side of the room had the addition of a desk built in. Above the desk was two old wooden rowing ores, with some kind of gold lettering on them.

  “You're eyes are alight! What do you think?!” Cameron's voice echoed around the room.

  I span around to face him only to find he wasn't there. I frowned and turned around and saw him sat down with one leg crossed over the other in the reading chair he'd spoken about. In front of him was a small round table with more knickknacks and a full sized skull.

  I raised a brow at the skull. “A friend of yours?!”

  His fingers where pressed together making a steeple but his palms didn't touch.

  “Someone brought it for me! I figured it suited best in here!” The smirk played at the corner of his mouth.

  I glanced around the room. “I wish I had this many books! I mean it's like floor to ceiling! I'm impressed! Do you mind if I take a little look around?!” I grinned at him. I didn't want to assume I could just snoop around.

  He smiled. “Of course! Investigate all you like! Like I said this evening is an ask and I'll maybe tell you kinda evening!” He laughed softly. He was enjoying this.

  “Hmmm okay!” I walked straight over to ores above the desk. And tiptoed to see the gold lettering. Most of it was all worn off but I could make out some of it. “Oxford University Boat Club...” Oh so he had gone to a good university, I doubted he'd have these for any reason other than that it was linked to his college days.