Chapter 13
Chapter Thirteen
BLAKELY
“You don’t mind stopping here real quick?” I ask Halsey as I pull up to my apartment.
To say things have been awkward is an understatement. I worked the whole day at the office so Oden took him home yesterday, but now that the guys are out of town, I’m back to driving Halsey.
I don’t mind.
But it seems like it’s extremely painful for him.
And sure . . . he touched my boob.
It was an honest mistake. Not quite sure where he was going with the whole proximity thing, but it’s not like he set out to touch my breast. He apologized profusely, even stuck a Post-it Note on my door for when I got home that said I’m sorry .
He holed up in his room for the night, which made things even more awkward.
So when I came into his room for our good night slumber party, he was stiff as a board, apologized once more, then turned away from me and went to sleep.
This morning, I made the smoothie that sprayed across his entire apartment and tried to make a joke about it, but I could see just how uncomfortable he was, even though he attempted to smile.
I am hoping it was the fact that he didn’t mean to touch me that has made him so miserable.
And not the fact that my boob was so disgusting that it sent him into this catatonic tailspin where I am made of sludge and cooties.
Because I know I have great boobs, but now I’m starting to doubt that with every minute that goes by that he doesn’t talk to me.
“No, it’s cool. I can stay in the car. Give you some privacy.”
This guy . . . the number of times he’s offered me privacy since the boob touch.
I don’t want privacy. I just want things the way they were.
Getting slightly irritated because I miss the fun Halsey, I turn in the car and say, “You touched my boob.”
His frantic expression would make me laugh if I wasn’t so frustrated.
I press my hand to his and smile. “Halsey, it’s okay. I don’t feel like you violated me or whatever horrific thoughts are running through your head. It was an honest mistake.”
“I would never violate you, Blakely,” he says while his hand eclipses mine.
His large . . . callousy hand.
“I know.” I look him in the eyes. “But you’re acting like you did, and it’s weird. I don’t want it to be weird.”
“I’m sorry.” His thumb rubs over my knuckles, and for the first time in a really long time, a wave of butterflies hits me—like they were unleashed with the short, tight stroke, erupting an influx of lust through my veins.
Where the heck did that come from?
“Um, yeah, I know you’re sorry,” I say, me now taking the awkward role. “It was an accident, no need to apologize anymore. I wasn’t offended. Honestly, it was the most action I’ve gotten in a while. So I should be thanking you.”
That brings the smallest of smirks to his lips.
“Yeah, it was the most action I’ve gotten in a while as well.”
I raise an eyebrow. “So that means you didn’t get that penis piercing?”
It’s his turn to give me a brow raise. “Think I’d be walking normally if I did?”
I laugh out loud and shake my head. “Guess not. Plus, I’d probably have to drive you to get it. What an adventure that would be.”
“I’d never be able to look you in the eyes again.”
I squeeze his hand and say, “I’m glad we had this talk about you touching my boob.”
“Yeah, it’s been a real thrill for me.”
I laugh some more, loving how in the right moments, he can be so funny.
“Okay, now that things are not awkward anymore, do you want to come up to my apartment and see where all the water damage is? If you thought the conversation we just had was a thrill, wait until I give you a water damage tour. You’ll barely be able to go to bed tonight from all the excitement you experience. ”
His smile stretches across his face. “Can’t wait.”
We both get out of the car, and when I round it to join Halsey, I take a chance and lean into him, putting my arms around his waist and pulling him into a hug.
I half expect him to stiffen, but he doesn’t.
Instead, he wraps his arms around me and pulls me in tight. It feels so. .. natural. Weird.
“If you accidentally touch my boob again, please don’t let it be weird.”
“Promise,” he says softly. His arms feel like two giant security blankets wrapped around me.
We stand there for a few more seconds before I let go of him and then lead the way up to my apartment.
He’s quiet for the most part, just taking it all in.
We reach the second floor via stairs that we took slowly for his sake.
He said we didn’t have to go slowly, but I told him if he injures that ankle again on my watch I’ll never be able to forgive myself.
When we reach my front door, I take out my key and unlock it.
“The place I had with Perry was much nicer than this, but I don’t mind this building, and it’s close-ish to work. Just sucks that it flooded on day three.”
He doesn’t say much, just takes it in. And I know he’s not judging me. For someone so wealthy, he’s not an elitist. So different from Perry, now that I think about it. Which makes me wonder why I feel I have to justify this apartment...
When I push open the door to my apartment, I’m greeted with clear duty tarps, construction materials, and tools. And an odd, funky smell. No clue what that is.
“And this is home,” I say on a sigh.
“I like what you’ve done with the place.” He glances around, and I can see some worry etched in his brow as he takes in the size of my tiny kitchen and the lackluster living room space that barely fits a loveseat.
I shut the door behind us and say, “My other place was much bigger, but since it’s just me, I thought this would do.
Although, after being at your place for a few weeks, this feels like a cardboard box compared to your luxury apartment.
There isn’t even a doorman in this building or a parking garage.
Man, I should have never stayed with you.
” I laugh it off, but I don’t think he finds it funny.
“You can stay with me for as long as you want,” he says, turning back to me. “Seriously. I don’t use that second room, which is obvious from the lack of bed in it, so you can occupy it as long as you want.”
“That’s really nice, Halsey, but this place isn’t bad, plus, if I take that job, who knows if I’ll be moving or not.”
“Right.” He stuffs his hands in his pockets. “Are you here to grab something?”
“Yes,” I say, walking toward my bedroom with Halsey following. “I have a wedding to attend this Friday, and I need to grab the dress and shoes I planned on wearing.”
“A wedding, that’s cool,” he says.
“You’ll be all alone on an off night with the boys out of town. What are you going to do without me?”
I glance over my shoulder to catch him twist his lips to the side. “I guess read.”
“Living on the edge.” I open the door to my bedroom where the most foul and mildewy smell swirls around us. “Oh my God, what is that?” I lift my shirt over my nose, but the smell is so pungent, my shirt does nothing to block it.
Halsey’s face nearly goes green as he lifts his shirt up too and covers his nose, giving me the smallest view of the patch of skin below his belly button.
“Fuck, that’s bad.”
“Bad? It’s atrocious. What is that?”
“Smells like death,” he says.
“All my clothes are in here, so they probably smell too,” I say, moving to my closet where I open the door and find a dead rat, right in the middle.
The most blood-curdling scream flies out of my mouth as I jump back and run right into the brick wall behind me—the brick wall being Halsey. His arm goes around me as I squirm against his rock-hard chest.
“What’s going on?” he asks, his voice full of concern.
“A dead rat, a dead rat, there’s a dead rat.” I run in place. “A half-massacred, dead rat in my closet!”
“Really?” He leans over my shoulder for a look. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” he says in a menacing tone.
“Oh God, I’m going to puke it smells so bad in here.”
He quickly shuts the door behind me and places his arm around me. I squeeze in tight as the vision of rat guts dance precariously through my head. Holding me close, he leads me out of my bedroom and toward the front door. “We’re leaving. Now.”
“But I need to talk to the landlord because a rat is stinking up my clothes. Something needs to be done.”
“You’re not talking to the landlord—”
“Halsey—”
“You’re not talking to him . . . I am.”
And with that, he moves me out of the apartment, helps me lock up, since my hands are shaking, and then he takes my hand in his and walks me down the stairs, taking one at a time to make sure he doesn’t hurt his ankle again.
“Where is the office?” he asks.
“Halsey, you don’t—”
“Where is the office, Blakely?” he asks, his voice sterner this time.
Shocked, I answer, “In the back, last door on the right.”
Hand still in mine, he leads me back to the landlord’s apartment where he raises his fist and bangs on the door—not only startling me nearly out of my shoes but most likely the landlord as well.
While we wait, he turns toward me and quietly asks, “Are you okay?”
“Y-yes,” I answer, my mind whirling with the fact there is a dead rat in the closet...alongside the realization that Halsey has another side of him I’ve never seen before.
Protective.
It’s an asset I’ve always admired but never experienced until this moment.
He studies me, his hazel eyes examining me as if the rat himself came out and bit me. His hold on my hand grows tighter as he pulls me in closer to his side, and I allow it.
Not because I’m so terrified about a rat that if I don’t lean in I might faint, but because Halsey’s providing a form of comfort I want to lean into. He’s put me at ease.
You can hear my landlord rumbling around on the other side of the door.
Halsey patiently waits, but I can see his fist gearing up to pound again for another knock.
It takes about a minute, but when the landlord, Mr. Gorman, opens the door, I’m privileged to watch his face morph from utter annoyance to complete awe.