I have to admit something and you need to hold back your judgment. It’s not as bad as it sounds…maybe.
I’m ridiculously good at sneaking around. It doesn’t matter if it’s in or out, I’m an ace at it. I’ve had a tremendous amount of practice doing both. Sneaking into a store after hours so you can have a quiet place to sleep then sneaking back out before the store opens? All without triggering any alarms? Done it. Twice. What about picking the lock of a house in a ritzy neighborhood you’ve watched all day in order to get your grungy hands on the diamonds you saw draped all over the woman at the store just hours earlier only to pawn them for some cash? Yep. I’ve done that too.
Right now, I’m not beyond using my abilities to slink around undetected to carefully extract myself from the situation I’m currently in.
Haley’s still passed out on top of me, and if the rays of the early morning light I spy shining through her blinds are any indication, I need to get out of here—fast.
I need to escape first (and mostly) because I’m a little freaked out. We meshed a little too well together last night. She felt too comfortable and natural in my arms. I eased her pain too quickly. And now in the daylight, the revelation of me staying over being a huge mistake is staring at me with its ugly face. I enjoyed talking with her too much, even though she was drunk for most of the conversation. Iwantto talk to her again. Sober. Drunk. Any time.
The other part that has me wanting to split? Hudson’s girlfriend. If she was to catch me in her apartment, I have no idea how I would explain that one. What would I say?I just helped your drunk sister home, held her as she cried, and fell asleep with her. Oh and we didn’t bone.Right. Because I’msosure she’d believe me, especially after Haley yelled out how I was going to “take care of her” in a rather evocative way.
Not likely.
I glance down to ensure Haley’s still out cold.Check.Carefully, I slide out from under her. The entire process takes well over five minutes as I only move about an inch per minute. Grabbing her head before it smacks against the floor, I gently move her until she’s comfortable on the pillow. Rising up on my knees, I watch her. I tell myself it’s just to make sure she’s still peacefully sleeping, but I’m lying. I watch her because she’s beautiful. If I thought she looked gorgeous last night, I was wrong. The fresh daylight highlights her features in a certain way, a way that makes her striking beauty stick out even more. The curve of her lips is more pouted, more touchable. There’s a slight crease between her brows, her worries showing even in her sleep. It’s sad, yet entrancing. It goes right back to that weight she’s carrying.
I give myself another moment with the same excuse and force my body into a standing position. I slip my socks and shoes back on quietly and scrub my hands over my head, trying to tame my wild morning hair. After another glance at the sleeping siren at my feet, I tiptoe to the door. I have my hand on the handle when I hear a stir. Holding my breath, I look back; she’s shifted positions, but she’s still asleep.
“Promise?”
The word is quiet, but clear. I watch her for any other movements or words. Nothing.So she talks in her sleep, huh? Interesting.
“Promise?” she says again.
I think back to the promise I made last night to the drunken crying stranger I took care of. I promised her any time, and any time would be a lot easier if she had a way to get ahold of me.Be that guy, Gaige. The one everyone believes you can be. Be the good guy. Don’t leave her behind like you leftthembehind.
My thoughts spur me into action. I glance around the room, my eyes bouncing off the sad portrait hanging on her wall that I didn’t see last night, the bright blue lamp next to her bed, and the calming blue dresser she has. Her taste is…eclectic, at best. A little clumsily put together, but it works.
Finally, my eyes land on a single notepad on the dresser. I scribble a quick note, one I know will get her to smile—if she remembers last night, that is.
Nikki,
I promise. Any time.
(555) 564-4464
Your Acquaintance,
Gaige Addams
Before I can change my mind, I leave the note right next to her head on the pillow I abandoned. Leaning down until my lips just barely graze her ear, I whisper, “Promise.”
The rest of the apartment is silent as I step out into the small hallway. I have no idea if there are other roommates here or not, but gauging from the other two doors I see, I’m guessing it’s just the two of them. My steps are silent, an old habit I never broke, and by some miracle I slip from the apartment unseen. I pat my pockets before I lock the door behind me, making sure I have my car keys before I lock myself out. Once I know I’m good to go, I click the door into place and release the breath I was holding the entire trek from her bedroom.
My shoulders are tense, my pace quick, and my mouth dry as I make my way out of her building, worried she’s going to burst out the door after me, or worse, I’ll pass her sister in the hallway.
Relief floods me when I finally walk through the front door, free and clear. Sighing, I look back up at the second floor where her apartment is. There’s a part of me that wants Haley to call so I can give her comfort, yet more so, there’s a part of me that never wants to hear from her again. Shouldering her pain and mine just isn’t something either of us is ready for, and if we decide to continue our friendship, I’m certain that’s going to be inevitable.
I turn back toward the road and make quick work of getting to my car back at Clyde’s, trying not to think about last night or how good she felt wrapped around me. I succeed.Barely.
A big, burly man steps out from the front doors as I start getting into my car. I recognize him instantly as Benny the bartender.
“Hey, man. What are you going here at six AM?”
“Inventory,” he answers curtly. “Did she make it home okay?”
I stiffen at the tone he’s carrying, a mix of concern with a hint of warning. I know Benny from the couple times I’ve been in the bar, even if it is a new hangout for us. Hudson’s girlfriend, Rae, works here and we’ve taken to frequenting the place. Benny is a good friend to Rae, and I like Rae a lot, so I’ve made it a mission to get to know him some. He’s usually sporting a smile and a welcoming vibe. His current look is neither a smile nor welcoming. I’ve never seen this side of him before. Then again, I don’t know him well.I also don’t know what he’s getting at here or why he’s asking after Haley. So, I play dumb.
I slide my eyes to his. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
