The Shattered Genesis (Eternity) by T. Rudacille Read Free Book Online Page B

door for us. I tried to tell myself that it was adrenaline causing me to tremor that way and not fear strong enough to drain what was left of my vitality. Thankfully, James reached out after a moment of watching my pathetic attempt at completing th e simple task; he held my hand still with both of his and together, we unlocked the door.
                  We moved quickly up the back stairway, jumping the steps with ease. After reaching the fourth floor, we both had to stop and breathe heavily. Damn smokers, we never learn.
                  “Alright, let me check,” He said, “I don't know how many of them there are. I've seen as many as ten of them casing someone's place.”
                  “Do you always use action movie jargon or is this new for you?” I whispered to him in a lame attempt to make a jo ke. Sometimes a little humor can go a long way to ease one's anxieties.
                  “It's new for me.” He whispered back, deadpan, as he looked up and down the hallway. He looked back at me and said in an intentionally hoarse voice reminiscent of a chain-smoking dril l sergeant, “Coast is clear. Move out.”              
                  I couldn't help but laugh softly at that. If my joke was of slightly below average hilarity, his was scraping the very bottom of the meter.
                  I have never been as stunned by normalcy as I was when I walked into my a partment. Everything remained exactly where I had left it: My clothes were still strewn out on the floor, my dishes were still piled in the sink, and my window was left open from when I had burned muffins the day before.
                  “Nice place.” James complimented me as he looked around. “How much do you pay for this?”
                  “Wow, nosy.” I replied before walking in further and going straight back to my bedroom.
                  “Not nosy. Just curious!” He called to me from the living room.
                  “You can come back here.” I told him as I sta rted to pull the clothes from my drawers. I shoved them unceremoniously into my overnight bag before moving over to my closet. “So many shoes, not enough space...”
                  “What is it with women and shoes?” He asked me. “Why do you need a pair to go with every ou tfit?”
              “I know. Why can't we just wear the same severely scuffed pair that we bought almost a decade ago everyday?”
              “Are you talking about my shoes right now?”
                  “I'm sorry, you're allowed to call me out on my excessive footwear collection but I'm not all owed to call you out on your scant one?”
                  I poked my head out of the closet, raising my eyebrow in sardonic scolding, awaiting an answer.
                  “Touche.” He held up his hands in surrender. “But just to verify, I don't wear these everyday. I wear them for work. And for your information, it was six years ago.”
                  I smirked and went back into my closet, quietly commanding myself not to take my stilettos, boots, or flats, but only my practical walking and running shoes. I sighed heavily again as I looked at the ones t hat would be left behind. I had spent so much of my parents' money on that assortment of shoes. How very sad I was to leave them all behind. I grabbed a few more items out of my closet that I couldn't bear to leave behind before moving past James into the bathroom.
                  “I do not like the silence so I will answer your nosy question.” I told him as I pulled my shampoo and conditioner out of the shower. “I don't pay for this place at all. My parents are responsible for paying my rent. They're responsible for all of my expenses, actually. Credit cards, cable and phone bills, things like