Chapter 15 #2
She scoffs with a smile. “No, I can handle it myself.” The elevator opens, and I gesture with my crutch for her to go first. “But thank you.”
“Say the word, Lain, and I’ll make sure he doesn’t call you ever again.” I state my intentions more clearly as I follow her into the elevator.
Turning around, she looks up at me, and for some reason, I find pleasure in the fact that I still tower over her when slouched on my crutches.
“I’ll be okay.”
Pressing the button to the parking garage floor, I look back over at her. “Promise to tell me if that changes?”
She smiles softly. “Promise.”
“Promise not to be mad if I handle it anyway?” I test her limits, watching her carefully.
She glares at me. “No. I can fight my own battles.”
“As can I, but, fuck, having you at my side makes it a hell of a lot easier.”
My truthful admission parts her lips, her eyes and shoulders softening in response.
“Fair enough.” Her gaze shifts to the metal doors, avoiding mine altogether. “Do you want me to pick up food on the way?”
Digging into my pocket, I look for my phone, but find my pocket empty. Oh, that’s right; she has it.
“No, I’ll order something in for us; don’t worry. I’ll look when we get in the car.”
The elevator doors open, and I lead the way through the arena and out into the parking lot, having to take occasional short breaks to give my arms a rest from swinging my body weight around like a circus trick.
She presses the lock button twice as we reach the row I’m parked in, and my car beeps, her face lighting up. If I had known that her driving my car would give me that smile, I would’ve tossed her the keys the second she got into town.
“Let me help,” she offers but I stick my crutch out stopping her.
“It’s fine. I’m just going to toss them in the back and hop on my right leg.”
She hesitates, but I hold my ground and eventually, she obliges as she walks around the car, throwing the driver’s door open and sliding in as I make my way around to the passenger side, tossing my crutches in the back before easing myself down into the passenger seat.
She hands me my phone, and I pull up directions to my place.
“Oh, it still smells like a new car! How old is it?”
Her eagerness is taking me by surprise. She’s never really had an interest in vehicles, so I have no idea where this enthusiasm is coming from.
Her body slouches in the seat. “I missed driving, honestly.”
The question leaves my lips before I can stop it. “Was it his idea to get rid of your car?”
Her body tenses up, and I instantly regret asking that, but curiosity got the better of me. She loved that dinky little car and drove it all through high school.
Surprisingly, she answers, “No. Yeah. Kind of. He thought it was a waste of space in the driveway when I wasn’t driving anywhere except for my field hours.
I barely drove, so I agreed with him …” She trails off before continuing, “He was very good at making his wants feel like my own, especially after …” Her words fall off the face of the earth, and her eyes widen, as if she caught herself nearly saying something she shouldn’t, which obviously only makes me more curious.
After what? What the hell happened that made her more vulnerable to his manipulation? Does it have to do with the scar on her neck?
Part of me wants to ask Luca where she got it, but I don’t want to piss Lainey off if it gets back to her.
“I’m not going to pressure you into opening up about what you’re referencing, but you know I’m always here when you are ready. If you’re ready,” I offer, and she nods, her gaze locked on to the steering wheel.
“I know,” she murmurs before starting the engine.
We don’t say another word to each other as she follows the directions on the display to my building. Instead, she cranks up the radio, playing music from a playlist on her phone.
I direct her into the parking garage and to my spot, and she drives smoothly, although I had no reason to doubt her skills. She’s always been a good driver. I’m just a bit protective of my girl … car.
I’m thankful that my spot is close to the doors since I have to crutch inside to the elevator to get to my penthouse. I’m suddenly nervous, wondering if I cleaned before I left. This is the first time Lainey—or rather, any girl—will be in my place, and I want her to love it as much as I do.
I know one thing that she’ll love: the view—the whole reason I decided on this place when it was a little bit out of the budget I was comfortable with.
Pulling my phone out of my pocket when we get into the elevator, I check the time before opening my food delivery app. It’s 9:32 p.m.
“Do you have any requests for dinner?” I ask, offering her my phone.
She looks at it like it’s an alien, her gaze darting back up to mine.
“What? You can get whatever you want. I don’t care. It’s on me.”
“You’re just going to hand it to me?” she asks, shocked.
“My phone? Umm, yeah.” I push it closer to her, and she takes it hesitantly.
I’m surprised it takes me this long to understand her point of view, but I shouldn’t be surprised that once again, her doubt goes back to Cole.
“Just because he was a cheating asshole doesn’t mean that all guys are.
” I realize that my statement implies that we’re dating.
“Not that if I were talking to anyone, it would be cheating.” Oh my God, is that a worse sentence?
“I just mean that, hypothetically, in a relationship, you shouldn’t be scared of your partner’s loyalty.
” I turn to face her as we near my floor, high in the sky.
She doesn’t turn, but goose bumps erupt on her arms. “Because if I were yours, my eyes would always and only be on you. That’s something you’d never have to question. ”
Her chest rises as she inhales deeply, her pulse throbbing in her neck. Those pink cheeks of hers deepen to a dark rose, the blush spreading down her throat.
“Good to know.” She bites down on her bottom lip, seemingly stopping herself from saying anything more, the next words imprisoned behind her teeth.
The elevator dings, and the doors open into my penthouse. Her jaw drops.
“Jensen, this is asinine!” she scoffs, walking into the place like she owns it, her eyes greedily taking the impressive space in.
“By asinine, you mean … incredible? Beautiful? Clean? Perfect?”
Thank God I picked up before I left. But most of the place’s cleanliness is owed to Elizabeth, my housekeeper, who comes by once a week.
Taking in the tall ceiling, the obnoxiously large kitchen and sitting area, she moves deeper into the place toward the main living room, where the real star of the show is.
“Oh. My. God,” she murmurs breathlessly as she walks into the living room, getting a good look at the view of the city through the floor-to-ceiling glass panels. “This is incredible.”
Crutching up behind her, I look out into the dark city, the skyline lit up by building lights. It’s really something special at night. But she should see it at sunrise or sunset; that’s when it’s really magical.
“Isn’t it?” I whisper, and she jumps out of her skin. I step back. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.”
She chuckles and brushes it off, but I don’t. I’ll remember it the same way I will the comment she made in the car. They all tie back to something. Maybe she really is just jumpy today; maybe I’m reading too much into it. It’s hard to tell when it comes to her because I notice every tiny thing.
“Hungry?” I ask, my stomach rumbling between us, showing my selfish intention behind my question.
A laugh escapes her as she turns around and looks up at me. “I could definitely eat.”
“Good. Pick something out on my phone. I’ll be right back. I want to change.”
She nods slowly, looking at my phone in her hands hesitantly. “O-okay.”
I don’t give her a chance to disagree, and I crutch over to the laundry room, propping my crutches against the dryer. I snatch a hoodie and shorts from the clean basket I have yet to put away.
Balancing on one foot, I lean my hip against the washer, my back to Lainey. I bunch the shirt at the back of my neck and pull it over my head. Pushing my sweats down my legs, I guide it over my wrapped knee to the floor, carefully balancing to get them completely off.
Just that was a workout in itself. God, this is going to fucking suck.
Grabbing my black Nighthawks hoodie, I shake it out, plucking a dryer sheet from my sleeve as I hear Lainey approach behind me.
Looking back over my shoulder, I find her lips parted and eyes devouring my back, shoulders, and arms, her head cocked slightly to the side.
A fire erupts inside of me, pooling in my core, and my dick twitches. I don’t clear my throat or make a sound. I let her enjoy the view the same way I am.
“Umm …” She gulps and blinks rapidly before walking over to me. “Umm, you—your phone is locked.”
Lifting the sweatshirt up, I stick my head through it and pivot around to face her. Those hungry blue eyes of hers drop to my torso, and, dear God, the way she’s looking at me has me ready to try to walk on this fucked-up knee just to close the distance between us.
God, I want her so badly, more than I’ve wanted anything in my entire life.
She catches herself, straightening up. She juts the phone my way, and I push it back to her, giving her my code.
“Two-five-five-five-two-five.”
There’s a lot she’s going to have to get used to when we’re together. I have no secrets when it comes to her, nothing that she isn’t privy to. I know that may come as a shock to her compared to her last relationship, but it’ll be her new normal in no time with my help.
“Is pizza okay?” Her voice is timid.
“Perfect.”
She hands me my phone after adding hers to the cart, and I’m not surprised to find a Hawaiian pizza when I add a double pepperoni to the order before placing it.
“It’ll be here in about thirty. One of the front desk tenants will bring it up.”
“Fancy.” She chuckles, backing up so I can crutch out of the laundry room.
We make our way to the couch, and I set myself up on the L of the sectional. She grabs a couple of throw pillows and props them under my knee without asking.
“Thank you,” I murmur, patting the spot on the couch next to me.
“I’m your physical therapist. That’s what I’m here for.”
I roll my eyes. “I don’t think most physical therapists do home visits like this, nor do they eye-hump their clients.”
She groans. “I was not.”
“Whatever you say, Baby” I grin, turning the TV on for a much-needed distraction from the connection between us.
Only Lainey could make this day better. If I were here alone right now, I would be losing my mind. Although that’s still happening, but for completely different reasons.
I turn on a movie, just something to fill the silence and gaps between our conversation.
She plops down next to me, pulling her legs up into crisscross applesauce, and drapes a blanket over her lap. “We should get new ice on that soon.”
“Yeah,” I exhale, hating any reminder of the journey to come.
There are so many unanswered questions between us, and life somehow keeps getting in the way. I want to tell her how I feel about her, how I always have. But then this happens. What’s next? Will there always be hurdles in our path toward one another?
Lord knows I can’t take much more.
“How long do you want me to stay?” Her voice is soft and gentle.
Forever.
“It’s pretty late. Do you want to crash here tonight? Food should be here in a few.” I pause, my heart rate spiking at the idea of her sleeping here. “I can get you a cab in the morning if you want, or you can use my car for whatever.”
For a moment, I start thinking that she doesn’t want to, but then she turns to me. “Can I borrow a T-shirt?”
“Of course.”
Fucking hell. They’re all yours. Everything I am and everything I own is too.