“Really? I know that hanging out with the homeless isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.”
“Everyone was incredible. And they love you.”
“Well,” he says, with a teasing smile.
I can’t help but laugh. “It was nice seeing that side of you,” I confess.
He nods, lost in his own thoughts for a moment.
“Not many do,” he finally says before unlocking his car and pulling the passenger door open for me.
I pause just before I climb in and look up into his eyes.
“Thank you,” I breathe. “For showing me. I really loved it.”
A smile twitches at the corners of his lips.
He doesn’t say anything. But I don’t think he needs to.
The longer the silence stretches, the harder it becomes to breathe. I swear, the air turns thick between us as I wait for him to say or do something.
When his deep voice finally breaks through the tension, it startles me.
“Do you fancy having the night off?” he asks, making my brows pinch together.
“W-what do you mean?”
His eyes bounce between mine as he tries to read my thoughts.
“I know you’ve got a plan and that you’ve probably already prepped stuff but…do you want to go out for dinner?”
“With you?” I blurt like an idiot.
“Shit. I’m sorry. Forget it. It was a silly idea. I?—”
“I’d love to, Cole,” I say, reaching out and gently squeezing his forearm.
His eyes drop to where I touch him, and I let go in a heartbeat, chastising myself for being overly friendly.
“You would?”
“Yeah.”
He nods and takes a step back, allowing me to drop into the car without bumping him.
“Yeah, okay. Great,” he mumbles.
The second I’m in, he closes the door and turns his back on me.
I watch as he walks around the hood, lost in his own head.
“Is everything okay?” I ask when he joins me, sensing anxiety rolling off him in waves. “We don’t have to go for food. I’m happy to cook,” I assure him in case he’s regretting saying anything.
“I don’t…” he starts before dragging his hand down his face and letting his head fall back. “I don’t usually let people get involved with this part of my life.”
The need to say something burns through me, but I choose to keep quiet, giving him space to get his words out, should he want to.
“What I said earlier, when we first went in?—”
