Lumen Cove Read online

  “Okay keep your eyes closed I need to shine the light on your face,” Kelsey said and his eyelids glowed red, feeling the lightest touch at his temple, fingers raking his hair back from his forehead as she guided his wrist down to move the towel. “It just split the skin,” she said after a moment of gentle prodding, “You don’t need stitches. Do…do you want me to clean and bandage it for you?”

  Alex’s eyes opened of their own accord, the flashlight nearly blinding him and she swung the beam away almost instantly. It was then he was suddenly vary aware of the precarious situation they were in. A student - a female student - was in his home and they were technically in his bedroom, although it could be argued that they were also in the kitchen, living room and office given that it was a studio. Kelsey still had her hand in his hair, holding it back so it didn’t flop over the wound and he swallowed hard.

  He cleared his throat “Miss Charming, I appreciate your assistance but-”

  “I understand,” she said quickly, her hand leaving his hair and he felt her stand.

  Suddenly the lights came on and the hum of the refrigerator sounded like a cacophony after the previous silence. Both of their eyes snapped shut against the brightness now all around them and they groaned in unison. They blinked a few times, trying to adjust to the light again and Alex’s gaze fell on her finding her completely drenched, hair windblown and dripping. She was holding her hands in front of her as if she were carrying something, her fingers loosely curled and that’s when he remembered the rope.

  “How are your hands?” He asked and without thinking he reached for one wrist, pulling it to him. A long bloodless gash ran across the center of her palm, angry and red around the edges. He took her other wrist and examined the twin wound, this one oozing a little blood. He hissed, looking up at her sympathetically and her brow was drawn in discomfort.

  “They really hurt,” she said, coughing out a laugh as he watched her eyes well up before she swallowed and pushed it down.

  “You need to-”

  He was cut off by a sharp knock at his door and both of them looked back at the other wide eyed. Kelsey’s head whipped around wildly, looking for a place to hide, her hair slinging water at him and he blinked.

  “Bathroom,” he said in a loud whisper and pointed to the the doorway in the opposite corner of the room.

  “Alex? It’s Sal. I hooked you up to my generator,” an aged voice hollered from behind the door.

  Kelsey, not needing to be told twice, sprinted across the space, side stepping furniture to slide into the bathroom and pushed the door closed behind her. Sal continued.

  “Me and Henry share when the power goes out so I had an extra.”

  Alex grimaced reapplying the towel to his head as he pulled himself to his feet. The room swam in front of him for a moment and he waited for it to stop see-sawing before he staggered to the door, pulling it open.

  A short, old man in a faded bowling shirt stood in his doorway, a porkpie hat covering his bald head. He squinted at Alex from behind thick framed glasses. “What the hell happened to you?” Sal asked taking in Alex’s gruesome appearance.

  “I was trying to tie down the awning and got whacked in the head,” Alex replied with a sigh, examining the large blood spot on the towel before reapplying it to his head. “I’m fine. Thanks for hooking me up to the generator, Sal.”

  “Hey, what are neighbors for?” Sal asked, opening his palms and grinning at him. Then he raised a finger, the large gold ring on his pinky glinting in the hallway light. “You just remember this when it comes time to vote for the new chair.”

  “Chair?” Alex asked confused for a second and the look of astonished outrage on the older man’s face caused everything to click into place. “Oh, the chair of the HOA. Yes, I’ll keep you in mind, Sal,” he said moving to close the door.

  “Has Sarno gotten to you?” Sal asked aggrieved. “That no good dago will have this place turned into a parking lot if-”

  “Mr. Goldhirsch,” Alex chided and Sal waved a hand.

  “It’s an expression. Forgive an old man’s lack of political correctness, would you?” he said and Alex gave him a smile. “You take care of that head.”

  “I will. Thanks again Sal.”

  Alex watched until Sal was shut inside before he closed his own door quickly and turned toward the bathroom. It creaked open slowly, Kelsey’s white face peering at him from the crack. He wasn’t sure if it was the head wound or some kind of slap happy sense of relief but he laughed. Really laughed as in doubled over, can’t breathe, belly aching laughed.

  “This is ridiculous,” Alex said finally once he was able to control himself, wiping at the corner of his eye and smearing a clean swipe through the blood there. Kelsey had stepped out and was giggling herself.

  She took the opportunity to look around then, eyes falling on an updated kitchen with walnut cabinets and a black quartz counter that doubled as kitchen island and breakfast bar. In the nook created between the laundry space and the bathroom he’d built shelves all the way to the ceiling, holding an assortment of books and trinkets. A large desk was tucked into the space, creating a nice little office area. A small couch and coffee table sat in the middle of the room in front of an entertainment cabinet with a modest flat screen. Her eyes fell on him again, standing in front of the door that led out to the hallway and just behind him was what looked like a reading nook with two wing back chairs and a wood burning stove.

  “Hey, how’d you get that past the board?” Kelsey asked and Alex turned to see what she was referring to. When he looked back he had a sheepish expression on his face.

  “I…uh… kind of didn’t ask…” He grimaced; Kelsey raised her eyebrows, blinking slowly as her gaze slid across the sliding glass door to his bed which was neatly made, a long walnut headboard with built in side tables framing it. A small horizontal window ran nearly the entire width of the bed which she imagined was lovely with the morning sun streaming through.

  “You’ve done a lot of work on the place,” Kelsey commented, nodding and pressing her lips together. “I mean, like, it looks good. You can tell you worked hard on it,” she clarified and Alex gave her a weak version of his tight smile. She shook her head. “Uh… I should go,” she said, stutter stepping in what felt like three different directions trying to decide which way to exit. “I left my bag outside…”

  “Hang on,” he said as he closed his eyes, holding out his free hand in an attempt to halt her skittish movement so he could think. He heaved a heavy sigh and opened his eyes on her again. She looked uncomfortable, almost scared, holding her hands out in front of her as if she were readying herself to take communion. He cleared his throat and straightened his back, glancing at the bloody towel in his hand as he spoke.

  “Miss Charming if you will permit me I’d like to help you with your hands,” he said and Kelsey’s back straightened to mimic his stance. “I make a salve that works really well on rope burns.”

  Kelsey blinked at him not sure whether to take him up on his offer but as her palms gave a painful throb she relented, nodding her head slowly. He gestured her to the kitchen where she climbed cautiously onto a barstool and watched him drop the soiled towel in the sink before turning to nudge some things around in his pantry. He pulled out a small jar from the back and walked towards the bed - Reva would be peeing her pants right now, she thought - and returned with some gauze and tape from the first aid kit. He set the items on the counter in front of her then stopped to wash his hands before he came back around to stand next to her. She swiveled to face him.

  “May I?” he asked, the very definition of decorum, as he uncapped the jar and Kelsey was pinned for a moment by his eyes. They really were the bluest eyes she’d ever seen, dark though, with flecks of lighter blue around the pupil like a thunderstorm. His stare was always so intense; she wondered if he knew the power it had.

  “Yes. Thank you.”

  She opened her palms to him, grimacing against the stretch of her fingers
as it pulled the skin of her palms taut. He dipped a finger into the jar and then carefully dabbed the gooey substance along the angry red line, moving carefully across one palm and then the other. She bit her lip against the pain, the sickly sweet smell of the salve making her a little queasy.

  “What’s in that stuff?” she asked as he capped the jar again and reached for the gauze.

  “A mixture of raw honey and oregano oil,” he said as he began to wrap her left hand. “I’ll send it home with you.”

  “Honey?” she asked, watching his face, as he concentrated on winding the gauze tightly around her palm.

  His expression was that of greatest concentration as he coaxed her thumb to fold over the wrapping to hold it in place while he ripped off a piece of tape. He had a prominent brow and hooded eyes with long lashes that seemed to fan along his cheekbones while he looked down again to begin wrapping her right hand.

  “Yes, it’s good for skin injuries and irritations. The oregano oil fights infection.”

  “Where’d you learn that?” Kelsey found herself asking, watching as he carefully folded her thumb as he had with her other hand. His fingers fumbled.

  “Uh…” he paused, clearing his throat as he reached for the tape. “My dad,” he said finally tearing off a piece and securing the gauze in place.

  “Oh,” she said simply, flexing her fingers with caution. Alex waited but she merely looked up at him, her brown eyes showing no indication of questioning him further on the subject. “If you want I can clean that up for you.” She gestured to his forehead and he blinked, having momentarily forgotten about his head wound.

  He reached up to touch it and flinched. A knot about the size of a golf ball began to throb all over again. He should do it himself. He’d patched himself up plenty of times before but the very thought fatigued him and exacerbated the pounding in his head. He looked at her in contemplation and she merely looked back, no expression on her face just waiting for his response.

  “I would appreciate that, Miss Charming. Thank you,” he said and she nodded, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

  “No trouble at all, Mr. Danvers,” she said, slipping off the barstool and padding over to the bed - God help me if this ever gets out, he thought - to retrieve the first aid kit.

  He sat on the edge of the same barstool she had just occupied, his feet planted firmly on the floor as she walked back over, laying the kit on the counter next to him. He craned his neck to watch her as she retrieved the bloodied towel from the sink before coming around the counter to stand in front of him. She looked soberly into his eyes and spoke slowly.

  “I’m going to wipe your face with this towel and then put some hydrogen peroxide on that cut before bandaging it.” Alex nodded as she brought her hands up to his face tentatively. “I’m going to hold your face.”

  He nodded, her overabundance of caution making him nervous. Should he have been so clear and direct with his touches? Even though she had warned him he jumped anyway when one bandaged palm cupped his cheek to hold his head steady as she wiped at his face. They were silent as she cleaned the dried blood from his forehead and down his cheek. Their eyes kept meeting briefly before they would avert their gaze, the intimacy of the moment making them both uneasy.

  “Is this weird for you?” Kelsey asked finally, reaching for the small vial of hydrogen peroxide and Alex chuckled, giving her an actual smile which she returned.

  “It’s… ah… a first that’s for sure,” he replied as she brought the towel up to his eyebrow, holding it underneath the wound before she began to pour the hydrogen peroxide over it. Alex gritted his teeth but made no sound.

  “Your place is really nice.” Kelsey removed the towel and patted the wound dry to prevent any excess medicine from dripping in his eyes. “I like your desk.”

  “Thank you,” Alex replied, shifting uncomfortably as she lightly dabbed antibiotic ointment onto the cut. “I made it myself,” he found himself adding which startled him. It almost felt like bragging.

  “Really?” Kelsey asked, her eyes lighting with interest and Alex regretted the confession instantly. She must have seen it in his face because her expression sobered. “That’s really cool, Mr. Danvers.”

  She nodded as she reached for a few bandages, holding them up to his forehead to try and find the right size. They were quiet again for a moment as she gingerly placed the bandage on his forehead, pressing as lightly as possible on the edges to make sure it stuck. She leaned back at the waist to examine her work and he cleared his throat, looking away from the strip of skin between her soaked t-shirt and jeans.

  “Good as new,” Kelsey said, unconsciously reaching to tug down her shirt.

  “Thank you, Miss Charming,” Alex said, reaching up to press against the bandage gingerly.

  “You’re welcome, Mr. Danvers,” she replied a hint of humor in her voice and Alex felt the corners of his mouth tug as he lowered his hand to look at her.

  They held each other’s gaze for a beat, all awkwardness gone now replaced by a pleasant fondness. The kind of camaraderie that comes from patching up each other’s battle wounds.

  “I should get going,” Kelsey said, reaching to tuck her wet hair behind her ear and Alex nodded, standing abruptly and his body collided with hers.

  His hands fell to her biceps, holding her steady; this was way too close but he was trapped between her body and the chair behind him. She stared up at him stunned and he counted his breaths - 1…2…3… - before she stammered something unintelligible and scuttled backwards.

  For the briefest of moments Kelsey had thought he was going to kiss her. His body had been so close to hers, his face tipped down as he stood over her. She hadn’t realized how tall he was until that moment, almost a full head above hers. She also hadn’t noticed how full his lips were until the tip of his tongue peeked out to wet them. He was stock still, body rigid and she realized that the line of propriety was well behind them now. What the hell was she doing?

  “Sorry,” he muttered but she was looking intently at her shoes.

  “No… no worries,” she stammered with a dry chuckle. “I’m…uh… gonna go,” she said, still not looking at him as she turned towards the door.

  “Uh… Kelsey,” he said quickly, almost reaching to grab her arm again but stopped himself just short of touching her. “Would you…” He reached up to rub a hand across the back of his neck and she found herself looking at him hopefully. “Would you mind going out the back?”

  He gave her a sheepish smile and she blinked, shook her head at herself and laughed. She was being absolutely delusional. “Yeah good idea.”

  He followed her back across the condo and into the laundry room where he maneuvered past her to open the door for her, his chest sliding against her back, though neither acknowledged it. Kelsey peered out the door finding a small alcove disconnected from the main terrace of the building but with a steep staircase leading down to the first floor and the parking lot where the rain was drizzling feebly, the storm over for now. A nice private entry, she thought to herself and then dismissed it quickly. She was thinking like Reva, which never failed to get her in trouble.

  “See you in class, Mr. Danvers,” she said quickly stepping out the door without looking back and beginning to trot down the steps.

  Alex didn’t know how to reply and after a moment he gave up, turning back to shut himself safely inside his condo. He rested his back against the door as he swallowed hard, feeling a sense of shame he couldn’t place. He had done absolutely nothing wrong, given no indication that he was interested in something inappropriate. Because I’m not, he insisted to himself and the sickening feeling in his gut swelled. He had noticed things about her, the way her clothes clung and that little strip of skin but he had no inappropriate thoughts. He was being paranoid. This was just a wildly out of the ordinary situation and she was never going to set foot in his place again.

  He jumped as a soft knock sounded on the door behind him. He took a deep breath a
s he opened it and there was Kelsey, bottom lip pinned between her teeth, looking very unsure of herself. Alex steeled himself, ready to bring his hands up in case she closed in for a kiss.

  “I left my bag on your deck,” she said, her eyes extremely apologetic and Alex sighed, nodding as he moved back to let her in again.

  She hurried across the condo, struggling with the sliding glass door for a moment before getting it open. She was out and in again in a split second, holding her dripping messenger bag over his entryway rug. She looked around as if not knowing what to do with it.

  “Hang on,” Alex said, retrieving a trash bag from underneath the sink. Bending at the waist made him slightly dizzy.

  He brought it to her on wobbly legs and helped her wrestle the soaking bag into the plastic one. “I guess I won’t get an extension for my Pride and Prejudice paper on account of flooding huh?” She asked. He coughed out a laugh.

  “Sorry, Miss Charming.”

  She gave a careless shrug. “It was worth a shot.” She hoisted the bag into her arms, holding it against her chest as she passed him to go out the back door again. “Night, Mr. Danvers,” she hollered, letting herself out.

  He waited a beat, making sure she was really gone before he heaved a sigh, dropped to the end of his bed, and held his throbbing head in his hands. He had a concussion. That was the only explanation for his thought pattern and behavior. Only Alex Danvers would consider a brain injury preferable to being fond of a girl.

  Chapter Four

  “…And then I told him if he just wanted me to sit across from him and look pretty he should have taken me to a much nicer restaurant.”

  Kelsey nodded enthusiastically at Reva just as she had done the entire walk from Building 2 to the Lambency Boardwalk. She occasionally interjected with an “are you serious?” or a “damn” to make sure her friend knew that she was rapt in her story. Kelsey knew Reva didn’t believe her explanation of what happened to her hands. How did you get rope burn, Kelsey? Who even gets rope burn? And her fumbling description of a rope that had been banging outside her bedroom wall during the storm last night and her trying to secure it was pretty lackluster. So Kelsey needed to distract her and the one, surefire way to keep Reva talking was to ask her about boys.