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Guilty Pleasures :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 113 из 205“I can't desert her.” His eyes seemed to be focusing again. “She doesn't know the rules.”
Darlene leaned her head on his thigh. “Phillip, please, I've missed you.”
“You know what they'd do to her.”
“Teddy will keep her safe. He knows the rules.”
I asked, “You've been to other parties?”
“Yes,” Edward said. He held my gaze for several seconds while I tried to picture him at other parties. So this was where he got his information about the vampire world, through the freaks.
“No,” Phillip said. He stood, bringing Darlene to her feet, still holding her forearms. “No,” he said and his voice sounded certain, confident. He released her and held out his hand to me. I took it. What else could I do?
His hand was sweating and warm. He strode out of the room, and I was forced to half-run in my heels to catch up with my hand.
He led me down the hall to the bathroom and we went in. He locked the door and leaned against it, sweat beaded on his face, eyes closed. I took back my hand, and he didn't fight me.
I looked around at the available seating and finally chose to sit on the edge of the bathtub. It wasn't comfortable, but it seemed the lesser of two evils. Phillip drew in great gulps of air and finally turned to the sink. He ran water loud and splashing, dipped his hands in, and covered his face again and again until he stood, water dripping down his face. Droplets caught in his eyelashes and hair. He blinked at himself in the mirror over the basin. He looked startled, wide-eyed.
The water was dripping down his neck and chest. I stood and handed him a towel from the rack. He didn't respond. I mopped up his chest with the soft, clean-smelling folds of the towel.
He finally took the towel and finished drying off. His hair was dark and wet around his face. There was no way to dry it out. “I did it,” he said.
“Yes,” I said, “you did it.”
“I almost let her.”
“But you didn't, Phillip. That's what counts.”
He nodded, rapidly, head bobbing. “I guess so.” He still seemed out of breath.
“We better be getting back to the party.”
He nodded. But he stayed where he was, breathing too deep, like he couldn't get enough oxygen.
“Phillip, are you all right?” It was a stupid question, but I couldn't think of what else to say.
He nodded. Mr. Conversation.
“Do you want to leave?” I asked.
He looked at me then. “That's the second time you've offered that.
Darlene leaned her head on his thigh. “Phillip, please, I've missed you.”
“You know what they'd do to her.”
“Teddy will keep her safe. He knows the rules.”
I asked, “You've been to other parties?”
“Yes,” Edward said. He held my gaze for several seconds while I tried to picture him at other parties. So this was where he got his information about the vampire world, through the freaks.
“No,” Phillip said. He stood, bringing Darlene to her feet, still holding her forearms. “No,” he said and his voice sounded certain, confident. He released her and held out his hand to me. I took it. What else could I do?
His hand was sweating and warm. He strode out of the room, and I was forced to half-run in my heels to catch up with my hand.
He led me down the hall to the bathroom and we went in. He locked the door and leaned against it, sweat beaded on his face, eyes closed. I took back my hand, and he didn't fight me.
I looked around at the available seating and finally chose to sit on the edge of the bathtub. It wasn't comfortable, but it seemed the lesser of two evils. Phillip drew in great gulps of air and finally turned to the sink. He ran water loud and splashing, dipped his hands in, and covered his face again and again until he stood, water dripping down his face. Droplets caught in his eyelashes and hair. He blinked at himself in the mirror over the basin. He looked startled, wide-eyed.
The water was dripping down his neck and chest. I stood and handed him a towel from the rack. He didn't respond. I mopped up his chest with the soft, clean-smelling folds of the towel.
He finally took the towel and finished drying off. His hair was dark and wet around his face. There was no way to dry it out. “I did it,” he said.
“Yes,” I said, “you did it.”
“I almost let her.”
“But you didn't, Phillip. That's what counts.”
He nodded, rapidly, head bobbing. “I guess so.” He still seemed out of breath.
“We better be getting back to the party.”
He nodded. But he stayed where he was, breathing too deep, like he couldn't get enough oxygen.
“Phillip, are you all right?” It was a stupid question, but I couldn't think of what else to say.
He nodded. Mr. Conversation.
“Do you want to leave?” I asked.
He looked at me then. “That's the second time you've offered that.