“Did you have a good day yesterday?” he asks. When I glance over my shoulder, I catch him carefully studying me while sipping his coffee. And I swear, something is different about him at this moment, other than the missing shirt. It’s almost like he’s . . . slowly trying to come out of his shell but is still nervous to do so.
I say that as if I actually know this man. I don’t.
“I did. I surprisingly ran into my college roommate. She’s OC’s sister. I just made the connection. It’s been a while since I’ve seen her or her family, so I didn’t see it at first, but she was with Huxley Cane.”
“Oh . . . really?” he asks, his brows pinching together. “How does she know Cane?”
“From what little I gathered last night, her boyfriend started The Jock Report with his brother, which the Canes are investors in. And her cousins married Huxley and JP Cane. They’re visiting for a few days. I invited her over here to catch up. I hope that’s okay.”
“Oh sure, of course,” he answers. “You don’t need to ask me.”
“I know you said that earlier, but I want to be respectful.”
“Seriously, have over whoever you want. I don’t care. This is your place too.”
“Thank you.” I lean against the counter, enjoying this early morning chat with him. Perry used to wake up and start working so early that I’d always drink my coffee while scrolling through social media. It’s nice to have someone to talk to while my body wakes up. “I’m excited to catch up with her. It was funny, Huxley was trying to get Kenzie to convince me to take his job last night.”
Halsey pauses from lowering his mug and asks, “Did she convince you?”
“She barely said anything about it other than we would live near each other again. So I guess that answers the question of if I’d have to move. Either way, it would be fun to be near her again. We were each other’s lifelines in college. Not sure either of us would have made it out of there without each other. I was wild and she wasn’t. She helped ground me, and I helped her, for lack of a better term, blossom.”
“Sounds like a good friend,” he says while setting his mug down.
“She is. With our busy lives, we sort of lost touch, but she came back at the right time. I can’t wait to catch up.”
“Well, I hope you have a good time.”
“Thank you.” I nod toward his room. “Are you all packed for your away trip?”
“Just need to add a few things, but yeah, pretty much packed.”
“Do you take anything on the plane to do?”
“Books,” he answers.
“Oh duh, that was a dumb question. What are you taking with you this time?”
“Finishing up a thriller and bringing along the two others in the series.”
“Carrying around three books? You know, that’s what they make e-readers for.”
“I have one, but I tend to feel less anxious about flying when I’m holding a physical book.”
“You get anxious when flying?”
I see the regret in his eyes from divulging what seems to be a secret.
“Oh, yeah . . . just don’t like not being in control.”
Makes sense, given that his brother was out of control when he died in a car accident. God, this man, the demons that must rest inside him. And how sweet is it that a book is what calms him.
“Have you always been a reader?”
His hands rub over his legs, a telltale sign that maybe he’s getting uncomfortable, but instead of shutting down, he stays with me emotionally and physically. Makes me feel like he sees me as a possible safe space. I don’t know why that sends a surge of pride through me, but it does.
“I’ve picked up reading ever since I lost Holden,” he answers. “Books have been my escape when I feel the world closing in on me.” He tugs at his hair. “Sorry, didn’t mean to make the moment sad.”
“Oh my God, don’t apologize. I’m the one who asked. I can’t imagine going through what you went through, so I’m glad you found books.”
