9 Cutter #3
“Hey,” she says softly, her hand closing over mine. “Don’t go there.”
I look up at her. “Go where?”
“Wherever that thousand mile stare took you. Whoever she is was a fool.”
“Are you psychic?” I blurt.
She throws back her head and laughs, a rich, infectious sound. “If you knew me, you wouldn’t ask that. Along with being nosy and having no filters, I’m a suitcase full of bad decisions.”
“You seem more put together than anyone else I’ve met lately.”
“Well, thank you for that. Now I’m afraid I’m going to disappoint you.”
“Trust me, it’s me, not you. I’m a lost cause.”
She leans closer to me. “Now you’ve really piqued my curiosity. Call it the romantic in me, but I love a man with a tragic backstory.”
“It’s not that interesting. I just trusted the wrong person.”
“Darling, we’ve all been there.”
Have we? “I can think of some people who couldn’t find it with a map.”
Did I say that out loud?
“I’ve known a few of those myself,” she murmurs with a nod. “My sister is one.”
“She’d get along great with my brother, then.”
Jesus, I need to watch my mouth. There’s just something so easy about talking to her.
“Think we could get them to break each other’s hearts?”
I grin, imagining it for a second. “I think you have to have a heart before you can break it.”
“You may be right about that.” She reaches out and grabs my hand, pulling my eyes to her. “I like you. You’re real, which is a rarity around here.”
I bite my lip. “Thank you. I feel the same about you.”
Surprisingly, I do. From what I’ve seen, she’s funny, unassuming, and genuine.
“I’m going to say something that may scare you, but promise me you won’t run away until you hear me out.”
Now she’s making me nervous. I swallow and nod my head.
“So here’s the thing. I’m not in the market for a relationship. Part of that baggage I’m toting around. But I could always use a friend. If you’re interested.”
I exhale as everything inside me relaxes. “That’s actually the best offer I’ve had in a while.”
“Fair warning, though. I’m not shy about prying. I believe in ripping all the bandages off. Only way they can heal. One perk–I’m good at after care.”
I stare at her without speaking until I realize I’m being rude. “Sorry. It’s just, I haven’t had anyone to talk to in a long time.”
She smiles. “I figured. The strong silent type. Give me your phone.”
It takes me a second to realize she’s serious. I reach into my pocket and pull out my phone and hand it to her. She takes it and types in her number then sends herself a text.
“Now you’ve got no excuse to forget me.”
“I don’t think I could if I wanted to.”
“Good. Meet me for brunch Sunday morning. This is me being forward. I’ll text you the address, or…” She bites her lip, her brows arching. “You could pick me up here on your bike. Yeah, I think I would like that.”
I smile back at her. “I’d like that, too.”
“Perfect. Well, as much as I’d like to sit here and talk to you all night, I need my beauty sleep if I’m going to be able to function in the morning. It’s tough being the only adult in the house. Besides, if I tell you everything tonight, we’ll have nothing to talk when I see you Sunday.”
I stand up, once again feeling awkward. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to keep you…” Then I realize what she said. Sunday. I’m actually going on what? A date?
“It has been a while, hasn’t it?” she teases.
I can feel myself blush. “You must think I’m an idiot.”
“On the contrary, I find you refreshingly charming.”
Charming? Me? I don’t think a woman has ever called me that.
“Enjoy your ride home, Cutter because I’m going to be asking you about it.”
“Like a test?”
She grins. “Exactly.”
She leads me back into the house to the bottom of the stairs. “This is where we part.”
“You can sleep with all this going on?” I ask.
“Earplugs. Required equipment for growing up in the same house as Selena.” She pecks me on the cheek. “I’m glad you came tonight, Cutter Knight.”
“Me too, actually.”
And I am. Maybe Daryl was right. Maybe I just needed to get out and meet someone. The fact that she doesn’t want anything beyond friendship makes it even better.
I sprint up the stairs and make my way through the growing throng in the main room to the front door. As I reach for it, it swings open to raucous laughter and a man’s voice.
“You owe me for that one, Jer.”
Our eyes meet.
“Aubie?” I sputter.
He’s the last person I expect to see standing there. He seems as surprised as I am, though he recovers faster than me.
“Well this just got a whole lot more interesting,” he murmurs as his eyes openly crawl over my body.
It’s like he’s actually touching me, and it’s pissing me off. I scowl at him. “I was just leaving.” I push past him without a backward glance, though I can feel his eyes on me. Can feel the heat creeping across my skin. Such a contrast to the quiet energy I got from Evie.
Now whatever calm I’d been basking in the past hour disappears. Why did he have to show up? Even the purr of the Busa beneath me as I take the winding road toward the city isn’t enough to distract me.
Fucking Aubie.