Riley
…
Can I come in?
Steph
By all means, please do
He comes in a few moments later, his lips tipped up in a half-smile that’s part guilt at having been caught, and part smirk because he knows what that does to me, and he’s clearly trying to distract me.
“Why wasn’t this door locked?” he asks from the entry.
“Because I haven’t locked it yet.” I cross my arms. “Don’t avoid my question. Why are you here when you’re supposed to be at Aroma’s?”
His smirk drops, his face at once serious. “Not avoiding it. I’m concerned for your safety. You should always lock it up as soon as the last person leaves—”
“Ri-leeey,” I cut him off using the ‘I mean business’ voice I’ve perfected over years of dealing with wily boys.
He lets out a long sigh, frustration and concern warring on his face. Glancing away, he reaches up to rub at the back of his neck. “Okay, so … this might sound a bit stalkery…”
“Ohh, this is starting out well.”
His eyes jump to mine, and I bite my lip, trying not to smile despite the seriousness of his expression.
He closes the distance between us, his hand leaving his neck to instead cup my cheek. Frowning down at me, he murmurs, “I worry about you alone here at night. I time my breaks so I can make sure you get safely to your car when you close.”
I rear away from his touch, unable to resist scoffing at this news even while my heart squeezes in my chest. It’s undeniably sweet that he worries, but …
“I’m a grown woman who survived just fine without a nightly escort before you came along.” Even when Sam was around, he never concerned himself with how I was getting home at night.
His shoulders drop, and he sighs once more. “I know that, Sunshine. You’re a strong, independent woman, and you’ve done an amazing job handling your shit alone for a long time.” He hesitates, “But you don’t have to anymore. I should have been here all along, and I want to be now.”
I bite my lip again, and this time I let a small smile creep across my face before I nod. “This is going to make me sound so pathetic,” I forewarn him, “but I’m just not used to anyone caring about my whereabouts like that. I mean, beyond the boys wondering when I’ll be home because they’re hungry or need a ride somewhere or …” I trail off when he wraps his arms around me, pulling me against his firm chest.
“Not pathetic, baby,” he kisses the top of my head, then speaks into my hair, “but not right either. You should’ve never been made to feel like nobody cared. I care, and I’m here now.”
I nod once more against him, my heart skipping a beat at his words.
“So you’re not mad at me?”
I suck in a deep lungful of his soothing scent before pulling back to meet his eyes.
“No.”
“You don’t think it’s creepy that I’ve been watching you?”
“Maybe a little,” I grin, then narrow my eyes at him as a thought occurs to me. “How long have you been doing it?”
His eyes widen, but he shrugs in an attempt at nonchalance. The color rising to his face gives him away, though, and while I should probably be annoyed he’s obviously been watching me for months, a small part of me—okay fine, a fairly large part—can’t help but find it sweet. Endearing, even.
“A while,” he finally answers.
“A while,” I repeat, making a point of eyeing him suspiciously.
“You said you weren’t mad, remember? I swear I only did it because I was worried, and I didn’t say anything at first because you weren’t speaking to me at the time, and … then you were, and I felt like I should tell you, but I didn't know how to bring it up …” he trails off nervously before adding, “Piper thought it was okay.”
“Piper?!”
