I nod and walk away before he can see that something has shifted.
Stuck with.
I’m not sure that’s not how it feels anymore.
14
SIERRA
I was jokingwhen I asked Matteo if he was worried about leaving me alone in his house.
But the joke’s on me, I guess, because he barely said three words before he was gone again, and suddenly I’m standing in his living room like I belong here. Like this is normal. Like any of this is normal.
The house is nice. A three-bedroom ranch on the outskirts of Vegas, with a detached garage and a pool in the fenced backyard. There’s a home gym, which doesn’t surprise me at all. You don’t get arms like that by accident.
I wander into the backyard and sink into a patio chair, tilting my face toward the sun. The air out here tastes different than it does downtown. Cleaner. Less like exhaust and sweat and too many people. I pull up a book on my phone, but I’m not really reading. I’m just... breathing.
For the first time in weeks, I’m not looking over my shoulder.
Viktor probably doesn't know where I am. Maybe he could find out if he tried hard enough. But for right now, sitting in the sun in a backyard he's never seen, I let myself believe I'm safe.
An hour passes. Maybe two. I lose track.
Eventually, I go inside and turn on a rom-com, sinking into Matteo’s dark leather couch with a sigh. The place is clean but sparse. No photos on the walls or personal touches anywhere. Just functional furniture and empty space.
Bachelor pad. Obviously.
The movie is predictable in the best way. Girl meets boy. Boy is difficult. Girl falls anyway. I’m half-watching, half-daydreaming, when gravel crunches in the driveway.
I tense for a moment on instinct before remembering it’s just Matteo. It’s going to take a while to unlearn the habit of bracing for danger every time I hear a sound.
I stand up and stretch, arms reaching overhead, working out the stiffness from sitting too long. The door opens, and I feel his gaze land on me like a physical weight. My shirt has ridden up, exposing a strip of skin at my waist.
Heat crawls up my neck.
His eyes track the movement when I tug it back down.
“Uh... hi.”Brilliant, Sierra. Really stellar conversational skills.
He crosses the room toward me, scanning the space like he’s checking for damage. Like maybe he expected to come home and find his place trashed. The thought sends a flutter of warmth through me. He wasn’t entirely comfortable leaving me here, but he did it anyway.
Because keeping me safe mattered more than his comfort.
God.Am I catching feelings for him?I’m not. I’mnot. It’s just gratitude. That’s all.
The silence stretches.
“So,” I say, because I can’t stand it anymore. “This is a little awkward.”
Apparently I have no control over my mouth when I’m nervous. Great. Nothing makes a situation less awkward than pointing out how awkward it is.
Matteo says nothing. Just watches me with those intense blue eyes.
The silence stretches. My skin prickles.
“I really appreciate you letting me hang out here today,” I continue, unable to stop myself. “You have no idea how stressed I’ve been about Viktor showing up at my apartment. Or the coffee shop. Did you know I had to switch coffee shops after we ran into each other? Which sucks, because their iced lattes were perfect, but also because it feels like I’m letting him run me out of my own life. First my coffee shop, then what? I just needed a day to hide, even if it makes me feel weak, and I know that sounds pathetic, but it is what it is. So. Thanks…”
I trail off, breathless.
