“Sorry!” he offered quickly. Spying the suitcase in my hand, Hayden reached for it. “Please tell me you’re not running off again, are you?”
His words hurt, but I guess that’s exactly what it looked like. “No. I was just going to go wait for you and get something to eat.”
Lifting up the shopping bag in his hand, Hayden smiled and it was a genuine smile. One that eased my anxieties, even if it was only for a minute. “I’m one step ahead of you. Come on in,” he invited, digging the key out of his pocket and carrying my suitcase in like it weighed nothing at all while I ogled the way his biceps looked and contemplating what other heavy things I could get him to lift. Shaking the image from my head, I followed along obediently, closing the door behind me.
“Wow!” I exclaimed, stepping inside.
All the boxes were gone and Hayden’s apartment looked like an actual home where someone lived. Sure, it still screamed bachelor pad, but it was better than looking like a storage facility.
Taking my stuff straight into his bedroom, Hayden reappeared, eyeing me cautiously. Not that I could blame him. I was acting weird. The problem was, I didn’t know how not to.
“Are you coming in or are you going to hover in the doorway all night?” he asked, moving towards the kitchen. “Want a drink?”
“W-water if you have it please,” I asked, choking the words out before forcing my feet to move in his direction.
Pulling out a stool at the kitchen counter, I set down my purse, tossing my phone on top. Right now there was no one who I needed or wanted to talk to and if they needed me, then they could wait. Hayden slid the bottle across the counter, before unscrewing the cap on his own and chugging it down.
“So…”
“So…” we both said at the same time.
“You first,” Hayden encouraged, offering me a smile.
“I’m sorry…” I started taking a sip from my drink before focusing intently on putting the cap back on.
“You don't owe me any apologies.”
“Yes, Hayden. I do.”
“What for? What are you sorry for, Skye?”
“Last time I was here, the way I left was—”
“I understand,” he cut me off, not making me say the words. Something I was eternally grateful for.
“But you don’t. You can’t.”
I was getting mixed up. Emotional. Frustrated. Hayden was being so nice to me and it was throwing me off. Rifling through my bag I found the crumpled napkin and tried to smooth it out so I could read what I’d written. I needed to focus and get this out before I lost my nerve.
“Did you make notes?” Hayden asked, stepping towards me.
“I had to.”
“Why?”
“Because I need to get this out.”
Instead of judging or laughing at me, Hayden just leaned back against the kitchen counter, crossed his legs over at his shins, and folded his arms over his chest. “Okay. I’m listening.”
Taking a deep breath, I scanned my notes before pushing them aside and looking straight at him. It was now or never.
“I’m sorry I left the way I did.”
“You mean sneaking out in the middle of the night leaving nothing more than a note?” Hayden smirked. He wasn’t going to make this easy for me. Shit head.
“Yeah. I panicked.”
“You panicked?”
