“N-no,” I stutter in between chuckles. “I believe you. I just—this doesn’t fit you. You’re?—”
“I’m what?” Beck’s eyes turn from intense fury to amused in an instant. “What am I to you, Jensen?”
My laugh slows, but doesn’t stop. “You’re totally a stage-five clinger, but I never thought I’d see that look on your face.”
Beck gives me a playful shove. “Yeah, and you’re facing homelessness and unemployment if you don’t get a handle on this.”
“It’s fine. I told you, I can handle myself, and I’m not dumb. Staying in that apartment is a choice, one I chose to remove myself from. I needed a place to crash to figure things out. When the solution of an empty place was on the table, I took that one, but I can message Blake from the shop and see?—”
“For fuck’s sake. You’re staying at my place, Jensen. No fucking arguing with me.”
“Bec—”
A bit of that murderous look comes back to his face. “I said no arguing. You want to handle this on your own, fine. I can respect that, but you can figure it out at my place. I have two empty rooms, and clearly my bed is big enough for two.”
All my amusement dies. “Not happening again. All I had were these clothes from my gym bag and I wasn’t about to sleep naked so I stole a shirt. The bed looked comfy…it wasn’t that deep.”
This time Beck snorts a laugh. “Of course it wasn’t.”
“Okay, I’ve shared my shitty day. Your turn.”
A new emotion crosses Beck’s face—one I’ve also never seen before. He looks heartbroken.
“Had a fight with my dad.” Beck shuffles his knees then scratches at his palm. “My mom…she’s sick. Early-onset Alzheimer’s. It was a combination of different things, but I—I had to go. He wanted me to go, so cue the hours at one airport, finding a flight to New York so I could get on a red-eye to Boston, then being licked in the face by Dottie.”
Dottie perks up at the mention of her name. Her tail wags viciously as she paws her way closer to lick Beck again.
I get it, girl. I get it.
Beck pets her head with a slight tug at the corner of his mouth.
“Seems like you’re glossing over some details there, Stalker,” I mumble cautiously. The angry version of Beck may have made me laugh, but this…this sad Beck is causing a serious pain in my chest. I want to reach over and hold his hand for comfort, but hold myself back.
Beck looks out to the waterfront with a vacant stare. “I don’t have the details in me right now. I know that’s not fair of me to say after I made you share, but?—”
The instinct to reach over sends a tingle up my forearm. “You gave what you could. I think it’s pretty common knowledge that life’s not fair, Beck.”
Beck bobs his head with ahumph. “No, it’s really not. You done for today?”
“Yeah,” I mutter as I push off the ground. Between the week I’ve had and the ten miles ran, my legs feel like Jell-O. I want a nap so freaking bad, but then it hits me that I’ll have to nap at Beck’s place and borrow his clothes again because I abandoned everything yesterday.
With a deep breath, I turn to Beck…my temporary roomie. “Can we go get some things at my place to last me a few days?”
Beck stands with atsk. “We’ll get everything.”
“That’s a lot to?—”
Beck holds up his hand. “Stop. Why argue over something that needs to happen?”
I bite my lip. I suppose he has a point, it’s the reality of the situation—I’m moving in with Beck—hopefully not for long—but my stuff can’t stay in that apartment forever.
“Fine. Come on, Dottie.” I pull her leash lightly to get her attention. She’s paw over tail for Beck. If she could understand what’s happened—I don’t think she’d care one bit.
I make one step onto the pavement when Beck’s hands find my hips and he yanks my back against his chest and holds me tight.
“Beck!” I fight his grip. “What the hell are you?—”
“Chill, Jensen, chill.” He continues to hold me tight, but with his voice coming off soft and calm, I relax for a moment. “This might go into that shitty day category, but…uh, I think you started your period while we were running. You have a stain on your pants.”
