Chapter 17 #2
The irony, if he had told me what had happened, I likely wouldn’t have left him. And I would have severed ties with my family a long time ago. The only reason I’m going to speak to my parents about this is because I want this all to be done.
“It’s my new life, dammit!”
That’s when the doorbell rings. The sound jars me up and off the bed with a whoosh of flying hair and uncoordinated limbs. Fuck. I forgot all about the damn dinner party, and now Bridget’s husband, Roger, is here to pick me up.
Only when I drag myself downstairs, plaster a smile on my face I don’t even close to feel, and swing the door open, I’m greeted by someone I did not expect. Well, someone I not only didn’t expect but have never met before.
“Elle?”
“Um. Yes?” It comes out like a question.
“I take it by your expression Bridget didn’t tell you I was picking you up.”
Fucking Bridget. “Nope. I was expecting Roger.”
He chuckles, running a hand through his blond hair, his brown eyes sparkling as they take me in. He’s cute. Really cute. I’ll give my friend that much for her subterfuge.
“That makes this slightly awkward. I’m Aaron Brady. I work with Roger.”
“You’re a lawyer?”
He smiles, showcasing a set of pearly whites. “Yes, but you can’t hold that against me. I’m one of the good guys.”
I scrunch my nose. “Isn’t that what all lawyers say?”
“It is, but in my case, it’s true.”
Cute and charming. I am so not in the mood for any of this.
“So I’m supposed to trust you that my friend actually sent you here to fetch me?”
“I did know your name and address. But if you’d like to call her for confirmation, I’m happy to stand here and continue to look at you. It’s not every night I get the pleasure of meeting such a beautiful woman.”
Cute, charming, and a flirt. His list grows. No getting out of this night now.
“What are the names of Bridget and Roger’s boy and girl?”
He grins. “Nice try with the trip-up. They have twin boys, Michael and Christopher.”
“They do indeed. Nicely done, Aaron. Let me just get my things.”
I wish I had time to take a shot of something to settle my nerves, but unfortunately, I don’t.
After grabbing my purse and making sure my phone is in it, I lock everything up and step out into the cool autumn night.
Aaron drops a possessive hand to my lower back as he guides me to his waiting Audi SUV, and I’m too numb to do much about it.
“Do you do this a lot?” I question. “Get suckered into picking up strange women?”
“Actually, this is a first, but I’m not complaining. In fact, I think I’m going to have to thank Bridget for setting this up.”
“I made her promise not to set me up.”
A warm laugh hits the air. He’s clearly not put off by my sour mood. “Then forget I said anything. I’m recently out of a relationship, and she said you are as well. Maybe she just figured we could use a friend in a similar situation.”
“Maybe. Bridget likes to play Emma whenever she can.”
“Huh?”
“Emma. Jane Austen. Emma’s character fancied herself a matchmaker in the story. Never mind…” I trail off at his bewildered expression just as my eyes catch on something off to my left, my head twisting to take it in and settling on Landon.
Our eyes lock.
I freeze for a moment, my steps faltering.
He’s standing in his driveway near his car, keys poised in his hand, almost as if caught off guard by seeing me.
His dark eyes assess me without giving a hint as to what’s going on in his head.
Slowly they slide down my body, linger on the short hem of my skirt and boots on my thighs until he finds Aaron’s hand on my lower back.
Then they narrow, harden, before slingshotting back up to mine, searching me for something as his lips twist into a scowl.
Enmity burns from him, a fire blazing in his green depths encased in black frames.
The man is a visual growl, rocking me to my core before all emotion flees his face—an unreadable mask once more—leaving my mind spinning in confusion and frustration. My stomach tightens, and my heart pounds.
As if this night couldn’t have gotten any worse.
Aaron gives me a small push, still talking about something I’m not listening to.
He’s oblivious to the stare-down I have going with my neighbor, who’s still tracking my movements with careful attention.
I want to tell him this means nothing. That I don’t know this guy, and it’s not really a date, but then Landon turns away, stalking back toward his house, dismissing me with his cold indifference as he calls out for Stella and Layla, telling them they’re going to be late.
Two seconds later, the girls bolt out of the house. I force my gaze away, trying to catch my breath. Just before Aaron can open the car door for me, Stella calls my name.
“Elle!” she yells across our lawns. “This is my best friend, Layla, I told you about.”
Awesome timing, Stella.
I twist back to meet them, forcing yet another smile. The girls come bounding across the expansive lawn, stopping about ten feet away. Landon’s boots crunch along the grass, but he holds back, even if his eyes are glued to me once more.
“Hi, Layla,” I say with a warm smile. “It’s so nice to meet you. Stella has told me everything.”
Layla giggles, her long blond hair swinging around her narrow shoulders, though she has about a head of height on Stella. “You too. Stella doesn’t shut up. She told me all about your cooking lessons. Can I come too one day? Are you doing it Monday? Because I can totally do Monday.”
“I’m fine with that if Stella is because, of course, I’d love to have you join us.” I look at Stella, who is one giant, beaming smile as she jumps up and down, showing more enthusiasm than I’ve seen in her before.
“Yes! That would be the coolest.”
“Awesomesauce,” Layla squeals along with Stella. “We’re headed to my surrogate grandparents’ compound for dinner even though it’s Saturday, and we normally do family dinner on Sunday. Stella is like my BFF and kind of cousin-in-law. It’s complicated.”
I laugh lightly, turning to Aaron, who is patiently waiting by my side, a small, amused grin on his face as he watches the girls. “So I’ve been told.”
“Is this your boyfriend? He’s super cute,” Layla goes on, and I want to die. Behind them, Landon stiffens, his fists clenching at his sides as his gaze drops down to the grass.
“No,” Stella answers. “She doesn’t have a boyfriend.” She turns to me. “Right?”
Aaron laughs while I awkwardly shift my weight, wanting the sidewalk to open up and swallow me whole. I was wrong. This night just got worse.
“No, I’m not her boyfriend,” Aaron replies for us. “Just her date for dinner tonight.”
Shoot. Me. Now.
“I thought Mrs. Belay wasn’t going to set you up at her dinner party.”
Thanks for pointing that out, Stella. Right in front of your father and my non-date.
“Well, she likes to pretend she’s Emma.”
Both girls nod in understanding because both girls are avid readers.
“Seems I’m going to have to read Emma,” Aaron muses. “Clearly I’m behind on my women’s fiction. You said it was Jane Alsen?”
Stella and Layla cringe, and I fight mine.
“We should go, or we’ll be late,” I say before this moment gets worse. “Have fun at your grandparents’, ladies, and I’ll see you for cooking Monday. Just text me what you want to make. Night.”
I say that last word to Landon. But he’s already storming off toward his car, his back to me.
“See you,” Layla calls out. “Have fun on your date.”
“Thank you.” Aaron’s voice is light, oblivious to any of the tension strung tighter than a high-wire between Landon and me. Hell, I’m not even sure he noticed Landon was there lurking. “Sweet kids.” He’s still smiling his perfect smile as he helps me up and into his car.
I pull out my phone from my purse, tempted to text Landon, but what would I say?
I don’t owe him anything. Not any sort of explanation.
He kissed me, but he told me to go. I all but put myself on the line, telling him I forgive him.
He’s made it clear nothing can ever truly happen.
The dance between us has been all that’s occupied my mind, and I’m tired.
So tired of fighting a winless battle with that man.
So tired of everything, I just want to go back inside and crawl under the covers, never to come out again.
I think back to the other night in his house. “ You need to go.” “Why?” He had stared into my eyes with so much pain. “Isn’t it obvious?”
Yes. It is obvious. I understand everything. All too well. Some men are just too far gone to ever be retrieved. And after the blow my heart has taken these past few years—hell, the blow it’s taken tonight—I’d be wise to listen to him. To keep my distance.
But that look in his eyes just now.
The way my heart pounded.
I glance out the window over at his driveway, searching, and finding him standing beside his car door, staring straight at me as if he was waiting for me this entire time. He shakes his head when our eyes meet and gets in his car, slamming the door shut.
I can’t fix him. Not with all the glue or tape in the world. Frankly, I have enough mess of my own to deal with without trying to navigate someone as intense and complicated as Landon Fritz.
“You ready?” Aaron asks as he starts the car up.
I turn to him with a forced smile. “Sure. Let’s go.”