“The delivery guys got here a little bit after lunch. They were rushing, but I told them they had all day with the hours you’ve been working.”
Everything in the room exuded ‘Chill the hell out, Zara. Relax and get comfortable. You’ve had a long day, don’t worry about what’s out there, just hang out in here.’
Inside the cabinets were neatly stacked cups and plates. Everything matched. Simple classic designs I could layer my own style on top of.
Stella wandered around my apartment.
I walked to my bedroom. A queen-sized bed with the softest mattress topper filled more than half the room. I pressed my hands into it, ready to fling off the sheets and jump up and down, pulling a Tyler. My barely-held together dresser had been replaced by gorgeous light wood pieces that didn’t crowd the area and made it feel bright and open even with the limited space.
There was a sleeper sofa, which would be perfect for Tyler. He could stay with me this summer—for a couple weeks, even. I’d never been able to do that before. Leo had given me more time with my brother, and that alone was worth everything.
Stella poked her head into the room. “Wow, can I stay here? Adam can have our place.” She hopped on the bed, bouncing up and down and running her hands over the insanely high-thread-count sheets.
We walked back to the living room. Everywhere I looked there was something new to see. The lamps. Empty picture frames ready for new memories captured and preserved. “I was such an asshole to him today.” Staring at my phone, a lump formed in my throat.
“All the more reason to call him now.” She nudged my phone toward me. “Do it!”
I laughed at her creepy whisper voice.
Trying to come up with what the hell to say, I held my phone in both hands, staring at the screen as if the words to a script on how to thank a guy for refurnishing and redecorating your entire apartment would appear there.
Squeezing the bridge of my nose, I tapped on his name and waited for him to pick up.
“Hey, Zara.”
“Thank you.” Blurting it out like that seemed appropriate, given how I’d left things this afternoon.
“For what?”
“You didn’t have to.”
“Of course I didn’t. But you needed it.” Why was he so sweet? Why was he so sweet to me? Trusting people had never been my strong suit. Someone like him who could pull off something like this in day could have anyone he wanted. I’d been snarky, bossy, pushy, and all around pain in the ass. Why me?
Cue those miserable, guilty feelings. “Not after what I said today.”
“You were upset and I screwed up.”
“Stop being so understanding. You’re not making this any easier.” There were people who deserved something like this and I wasn’t one of them.
He laughed. A deep, rumbling one that made me smile. “Fine, I’ll send you a bill. And I never want to see you again.” A bing sounded on his end of the line.
“Where are you?”
“Outside.”
“My building?”
“Your door.” My head whipped to my front door which seemed to be beating like a telltale heart—but I think that was my own. With the phone up to my ear I opened it.
Leo stood in the hallway looking every bit as good as he had this afternoon, but now he held a single rose. The pink petals looked even more delicate in his giant hands.
“You’re here.” The words came out shaky and breathless. Swallowing past the lump in my throat, I stepped back and let him into the apartment.
He handed me the rose, his fingers brushing against mine.
“I’ll let myself out.” Stella did a giddy high step, sliding past us and winking before closing the door behind her.
“Stella helped you set this all up?” I gestured to the gorgeous furniture behind me, still vaguely afraid it would disappear in a cloud of smoke like a magic trick gone wrong.
“She was excited to help.”
“You didn’t have to.”
“It was my apology for standing you up.”
“What happens if you do it again? Do you buy me a car?” I laughed.
He tilted his head to the side like he was running a mental calculation.
I held up my hand. “Don’t answer that.”
He set the flower down on the table beside the door, which was perfect for my portfolios, keys or anything I needed to drop off when I stepped through the door.
His teasing smile slid off his face, transforming into a different look. One that made my stomach flip and my heart skip a beat.
“Maybe there’s something else I could give you.” His hand looped around the side of my neck and his lips stole away the last of my protests about deserving the apartment makeover.
I met his hungry kisses with a craving of my own for his lips on mine and his arms around me. But Stella’s words from our ice cream extravaganza came back to me. ‘Tell him how you feel. Tell him why you’re upset,’ echoed in my head.
Separating us and taking a step back, I tried to catch my breath. It should be illegal to kiss like he did. “This wasn’t only about standing me up. Or about the interview.” I kept my head down.
“It was about you leaving.” I stared down at my hands, twisting the ring around my finger. Once I’d returned to my apartment, I hadn’t taken it off. Taking it off was getting harder each time, and that scared the shit out of me. Playing the part had been so easy; it had helped me cling to the anger.
Anger was easy, it was safe. A blanket I could pull over me to crowd out those overwhelming emotions I didn’t let in until ignoring them any longer wasn’t an option. But this. Sadness. I wasn’t prepared for this. “It hit me harder than I thought it would. We’re…new.”
He reached for me, running his hand along the side of my face. “We are new, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be old eventually.”
“It does if you’re leaving.” I peered up at him before settling my gaze on the center of his chest.
“My mind isn’t made up. I don’t have an offer, and I’m here now. Worrying about a future that might not come only steals away the happiness we can have today.”
Sadness rippled through my chest. This would leave a mark once he was gone, but did I want to miss out on whatever time we might have together? No tomorrow was ever certain. I lifted my head and stared into his eyes, wanting to dive headlong into whatever this was, but still unable to let go of the fear that had been ingrained in me. “Wise words from a jock.”
“I have my moments.” His smile threatened to melt me with only the curve of his lips. The lips I’d missed, even after they’d been on mine a minute ago. “Plus, I’m sure someone else said it better than me.”
But this wasn’t only about us. There was so much else on the line other than whatever this thing was between us. I had responsibilities to more than myself.
“What about Winthorpe?” I dropped my gaze. Bringing in up felt wrong right now, but I needed to know. Lay all the cards out, pull back the curtain, and reveal every little thing holding me back from being with him.
“We have to win more jobs first. We have three days until the presentation.”
A zip of panic raced through my chest. “I’ll never make it to Tyler’s concert.” Misery rippled through me at the thought of letting him down.