“I… I don’t know what I’m supposed to do…”
“You’re supposed to do whatever the fuck you want to do, Caitlyn. If I ever ask you to do something and you don’t want to do it, just tell me. We can work around it. I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable here.”
“Why are you doing this? Being so nice to me? What’s the catch?” she asks.
The catch? What the fuck does she mean by that? Has no one ever been nice to this woman before?
“There’s no catch.” I laugh. “Well, maybe the fact that you’ve got my attention—but that’s not always a good thing.”
“Why?”
“Because when I look at you, I see something I’ve never seen. I feel something I’ve never felt, and I’m a selfish fucking person. I’m not letting go of it,” I admit.
“What do you see?”
“Solnishko, I see you,” I say.
“What does that mean? You keep calling me that.”
“It meanslittle sun. You have a bright light around you, like the sun. You make me feel a warmth I want to wrap myself inside.”
“That’s ironic, because I’m always cold,” she says.
“You want some pants?” I glance down at her bare legs. I’m not gonna lie. I spent all night appreciating those legs.
Caitlyn giggles. “I don’t think your pants are going to fit, Neo. Your sweatshirt is like a dress on me.”
“I like when you laugh,” I blurt out.
Who the fuck am I? What is this woman doing to me?If I hadn’t just spent thirty minutes beating the fuck out of the two assholes who mugged her, I’d be afraid I was going soft.
“The doc’s here.” Lex knocks on my bedroom door.
“I really don’t need to see a doctor,” Caitlyn says. “I just overate.”
“Are you sure?” I want the doc to look over her, but I literally just told her to tell me what she wants and what shedoesn’twant. I can’tnothonor this request for her.
Caitlyn nods her head.
“Okay. Lex, tell the doc she’s fine, but to stay on call.” I turn back to Caitlyn and add, “If you get sick again, I am calling him back.”
“Thank you,” she says.
“I’ll find you some pants. I’m pretty sure my sister or cousin will have some in one of the guestrooms. They like to leave their shit everywhere.” I take hold of Caitlyn’s hand and lead her out of my bedroom.
“I’ll be fine. I have clothes at home,” she says.
“Thisis your home now,” I remind her. “You want to just head over to your apartment and start packing it?”
“I want to go to work,” she says. “But first, I need to go home and get changed.”
“I’ll take you to the apartment.” I don’t repeat what I already told her. That it’s not her home anymore.
Instead, I lead her to the garage. I need to figure out how I’m going to get her to quit whatever fucking job she has. I don’t know what it is, but I already know I don’t like it.
Stopping at the passenger side door of my Escalade, I look at Caitlyn. “On a scale of one to ten, how likely are you to kick me in the balls if I tried to kiss you right now?” I ask her.
Caitlyn’s eyes widen, and she shakes her head. “I wouldn’t dare kick you.”
