Read Base Nature for Free Online

s ee n that pa r tic u l a r l o o k i n the mi rr o r m any tim e s.
    “I th o u ght I h e a r d s o m e thing. I want e d to c o me ch e ck and s e e if y o u w er e o k a y. T hat y o u w ere n ’ t h a ving…” He wa rre d with hi m s e lf h ere , L iv t h o u ght. T r ying to b e vigil a nt bu t n o t sca r e h er . “I want e d to m a ke s ur e the t r ash stay e d o u t,” he s a id and g r inn ed .
    T hat s i mple g r i n that br o ke h is s er i o u s face in t o bo yish l in e s ma d e h e r s t o mach fl u tt e r with i n visi b le bu tt e r fly w i ngs. She c o u l d n ’ t h e lp bu t s m ile b ack. “H o w ’ s y o u r a r m?” She o p e n e d the d oo r wi de r bu t still d i d n ’ t l e t h im in.
    G a rre t t d i d n ’ t s ee m t o take o ff e ns e . “ Ar m?” A car whizz e d past and he t e ns e d slight l y at the s o u n d . J u st e n o u gh f o r h e r t o take n o t e .
    “Wh er e I sta bb e d y o u . Y o u k n o w? T he b l oo d , the c u t, the pain. M o st p e o ple w o u ld re m e m b e r a fl e sh w o u n d .” She c o ck e d h e r h e a d , st ud ying the l i ght that b o u nc e d o ff his sha r p ch ee k b o n e s, the c o mma o f white l ight o n his d a r k, d a r k hai r . A nd the silv e r shimm e r o f his e y e s wh e n he t ur n e d j u st sl i ghtly to the l e ft. She gasp e d be f o r e she c o u ld stifle it and t o o k a sm a ll st e p b ack.
    G a rre t t s t oo d at the o p e ning bu t d i d n ’ t st e p in. He d i d n ’ t e nt e r and he d i d n ’ t q ue sti o n h er . He wait ed . I f a nything, he t o o k a st e p b ack in t o the sha d o ws. “ I t was n o t n e a r ly as b ad as y o u t h o u ght. I t was j u st a sc r atch,” he sai d , his v o ice s o ft like s he was s o me wild thing e asily sta r tl ed .
    M ay b e she was.
    “ Ar e y o u a v ampi re ?” s he b l ur t ed . H e r face c o l o re d h o tly and she act u ally g iggl ed . I t was a high, s o r t o f i nsane s o u n d . Bu t the d am had br o k e n and the n ight be f o r e and the wh o le e nti r e shitty d ay came c r ashing d o w n a r o u nd h e r like a stack o f g lass d i s h e s shatt er ing a r o u nd h er . L iv sta r t e d to la u gh. Be f o r e she c o u ld c o ll e ct h er s e lf, she was la u ghing s o ha r d that t e a r s st re am e d d o wn h e r fac e .
    He ch u ckl e d d a r kly f r o m the do o r . “C a n I c o me in? Ar e y o u o kay?”
     

    “ Y o u a re ! Y o u a r e a vampi re ,” she manag ed . “ Y o u can ’ t c o me in with o u t p er missi o n.” T h is t o o st ru ck h e r as wil d ly f u n n y and a n o th e r wave o f la u ght e r wa s h e d o v e r h er . O ne mi g ht call it h yst er ical bu t G a rre tt G u stafs o n s ee m e d to find it am u sing.
    He p u sh e d h e r do o r o p e n with l o ng t e nt e d fing er s. She t h o u ght h o w th e y l oo k e d like a pianist ’ s fi n g er s. St r o n g bu t s o m e h o w e l e gant. He p u t a f oo t o n the tile th re sh o ld and s t oo d i n si d e the d oo r . “I can. Bu t I w o n ’ t. T h at w o u ld b e w r o ng. I t w o u ld b e e xactly what y o ur …g e ntl e man call e r d id e a r li e r . A nd that was w ro ng.”
    I n the wa r m y e ll o w l ight o f h e r living ro o m lamp he was d amn n e ar be a u tif u l. L iv st o pp e d la u ghing l o n g e n o u gh to sta r e at him. T he fin e , h igh ch ee k b o n e s, the d a r k, t o o l o n g hai r , the st o r m-g r ay c o l o r o f his e y e s and the wash ed - o u t r o se c o l o r o f h is lips. He l o o k e d like a painting o r a p o e t bu t be tt e r . “ I t was w ro ng,” she sai d , swall o wi n g a l u mp i n h e r th r o at.
    “I k n o w. N o w may I c o me in?” He st o o d th ere , o n the d a r k re d tile o f h e r e nt r yway and wait ed .
    She wa s n ’ t s ur e what t o d o with a man who d id n o t b a r g e , de mand and bu lly. “Y e s, y o u may.” H o w f o r mal th e y w ere . “H o w is y o u r a