I’m still not prepared for the sight of him before me, I don’t think I ever will be, because he’s even more attractive now that I know what’s in his heart. Now that I understand the darkness in his past and realize his hopes and dreams for the future. Now that I recognize his smart sense of humor and his steadfast spirit and his adorably stubborn tendencies.
He’s not dressed for company, instead wearing sweatpants and a fitted green shirt, but neither am I in my leggings and oversized tee. His hair is ruffled, like he’s been running his hands through it, and I have to lock my knees to keep from stepping forward to smooth it out.
“Hey,” he says, his voice quiet. Unsure. My eyes focus on the dark circles under his eyes, and I wonder if he’s been sleeping at all. “I didn’t know you were coming.”
“Neither did I,” I say, shooting him an apologetic smile.
He steps back from the door, allowing me room to enter. “Come on in.”
“Sorry to just show up,” I say, brushing past him and pausing in the entryway.
He huffs, shaking his head. “Please. You’re a welcome interruption. I was just in my office, pretending to be productive.”
I try—and fail—not to think about the last time I was in this house. Judging by the frown on Landon’s face as he studies mine, he knows exactly what’s going on inside my head.
“The house looks the same,” I say, because I feel suddenly awkward and can’t think of anything else.
His mouth does that twitchy thing at the corner where I can’t tell if he’s trying not to smile or not to frown. “It’s only been a few weeks.”
“It feels longer,” I whisper.
He nods slowly, eyes locked on mine. “I know. It’s not the same here. It’s too quiet now,” he admits.
“Quiet can be good. I bet you’re able to focus better without so many distractions.”
“The opposite, actually. The silence is deafening compared to your unique type of noise.” He smirks. “I hated it at first. Your constant slamming of doors and banging of pots and blaring of music. Your feet on the stairs sounded like a goddamn elephant, and I wondered how a girl your size was able to rattle the entire fucking house with her footsteps alone.”
I laugh at that because I know he’s right. “The member complaints and condescension weigh me down at the end of a long shift. I swear they do.”
“Uh huh,” he teases. “I’m sure it was that and not you trying to take out your frustrations with me on the poor staircase.”
“Well, that too, but only when you were being particularly dickish.” I give him a sugary smile. “Which was most days.”
“I deserve that,” he says, but his mouth still holds a hint of a smirk. It quickly fades as he glances around the entryway. “I’ve always hated this place, but it’s worse now. It feels…empty.”
“Eli still comes by, though, doesn’t he?”
He shakes his head. “Not since you left.”
“Oh. Well, have you checked on him lately? Made sure Lemon hasn’t locked him in a basement somewhere? I feel like she’s the kind of person who has a secret sex dungeon in her house or something.”
Landon snorts and says, “Now there’s an image I don’t need in my head. But they do seem like they could be into some weird shit.” He nods down the hallway. “Let’s go into the kitchen.”
I follow him through the house and into the space I miss the most. A regretful sigh escapes my lips before I can help it, and I shoot the oven a look of longing.
“You can use it whenever you want,” Landon tells me, noting my gaze. “Whatever I have, it’s yours, Violet. Whatever you want, I’ll give you. It’s the least I can do.”
Tearing my eyes away from the state-of-the-art appliance, I give him a teasing smile. “Whatever I want? Now those are words you might regret.”
His eyes search mine, never wavering. “Never.”
That word stirs up a myriad of emotions in my chest, emotions I can’t dwell on at this particular moment without either launching myself at him or breaking down entirely, so I press my lips together and move around to the other side of the island. I lean forward, resting my elbows on the hard surface, and look at him seriously. “I have news.”
He leans back against the counter and crosses his arms over his chest. “Good or bad?”
I can’t hide my smile. “Good. Definitely good.”
His eyebrows shoot up at that. “Well? Are you going to tell me, or am I going to have to coerce it out of you?”
