3. Victor
THREE
VICTOR
I stomped my feet on the old doormat at the front of the apartment building and walked in. I’d gone for a run to take the edge off, but fuck me, even the light drizzle and cool fall air hadn’t helped.
Lucy.
My sunny girl was more than under my skin after our phone call three days ago. I walked over to the mailboxes on the first floor. My eyes shut tightly for a moment while I caught my breath. I swear the sound of her orgasm, calling for me, played on repeat.
We’d talked again last night over the phone. This time, things hadn’t turned sexual but a whole lot more intimate, talking late into the night until she’d dozed off, and I couldn’t help but stay on the phone until this morning.
Not only that, but we’d been texting nonstop. Lucy was mine. My everything. I just hoped my stupid plan of coming clean about who I was on Halloween would work in my favor. Maybe I should just confess and— A tap on my shoulder, and my body went completely still.
It struck me like a ton of bricks that I knew that touch.
My eyes shut for a moment. It might be the first time she put her hands on me, but I knew down to the marrow of my bones who it was.
Lucy.
I turned, and there she was. An angel among men looking so fucking beautiful I still wasn’t sure how the fuck she was real, as if I had somehow summoned her with my thoughts.
Face to face, it felt like standing in front of the sun, way too close but too fucking late to back away from admiring the beauty standing mere inches from me.
Those bright blue eyes that haunted my every waking moment and filled my ever sleeping one stared right up at me.
"I don’t know if you know who I am, but—“
“We’re neighbors,” I cut in, my voice a little raspy from not using it the entire day.
I pulled an earbud out of my ear and slowly slipped it into my pocket, all without taking my eyes off her. Damn, she was pretty. Curvy in a way that made my hands itch to grab and feel her under my palms.
“Yeah.” She smiled so brilliantly my heart twitched. One simply little word, and she had me admiring her like a piece of art. “I’m 4C, I mean Lucy. My name is Lucy,” she introduced herself. “You’re 3C.”
“I am. I’m also Victor,” I shared, extending my hand. I was the least charming Porter boy out of my brothers, but somehow, it was like I channeled Trager at that moment. “Victor Porter,” I shared as she reached for my hand.
My palm engulfed hers, and I swear the axis of my world shifted, righted itself to where I knew I was exactly where I was supposed to be.
Comfortable silence enveloped us as we stared at one another.
I swear a family of rhinos could have pummeled through the building, and I wouldn’t have noticed it.
Not when all I could focus on was how soft her skin felt against mine.
“Lucy Rae,” she said, and I nodded, not strong enough to set her hand free. She was softer and warmer than I’d ever imagined.
“Nice to meet you, Lucy. I think I’ve seen you around town.”
“I was just going to say that.” She smiled, and a pretty, pink tinge painted the apples of her full cheeks. She blinked, and I realized her eyes were searching my face.
For a split second, I wondered if she recognized my voice from our phone call.
She licked her lips, and my eyes dipped down to them. Full. Plush. The bottom one adorably slightly bigger than the top one.
“I think I got your mail by mistake.” She snapped my attention off her lips, and my eyes locked with hers.
“You did?” I asked, and she nodded. Her free hand rose between us, and that was when I noticed it. My Wired magazine. She pulled her hand out of mine, and I begrudgingly let it go.
“Thanks.” I took it and scratched the back of my neck with my free hand. “I thought my subscription ended,” I mumbled. Obviously, whatever charming shit I could channel was gone.
“Wired… that’s a computer magazine?” she asked, and I felt the heat of her gaze on me before meeting her eyes again.
“Yeah, technology, stuff like that.”
“Cool.” She nodded, her head tilted. “Have we met before?” she asked, and I cleared my throat.
She knew me.
She might not have seen me before, but she knew me better than almost anyone in my family. And that included my brothers.
“I—“
“I’m sorry. I probably sound like a weirdo,” she cut me off.
“If you’re a weirdo, you’re a cute one.” The words slipped past my lips way too easily and quickly to stop them. Thankfully, they didn’t make me sound like a creep. Or I assumed I didn’t since she blushed adorably.
“It’s just… you just sound so familiar.”
“Weird.” I shrugged, then a poster on the building community board caught my attention “You doing that?” I asked, pointing towards the flyer.
She turned, and with her attention on the flyer, I took advantage and took in the sight of her.
She was wearing black knitted tights with a short brown corduroy skirt and an olive-green top with an almost rust-orange scarf around her neck.
I wasn’t sure where she was going, but she looked like she was pumpkin patch ready.
“Trick or treating? Of course! You?”
“Maybe,” I muttered.
“You should,” she coaxed. “We get quite a few kids. And there’s a door decorating contest management hosts. It’s fun.”
“I’ll think about it,” I murmured then stared at her. “You look nice. Off to anywhere fun?” I asked, probably prying a little too much.
“Oh.” Her eyes widened, and then I lost sight of them as she looked down at herself before lifting her gaze to me. “Thanks. I’m just headed to the bookstore. I think I’ve seen you there, too.”
“It’s a great place. Mind some company?” I asked, because I was obviously a goddamn masochist when it came to Lucy.
“You wanna go to the bookstore with me?” she asked, and I nodded.
“Yeah. It’s a nice rainy day. A good book feels…” Fuck, I was at a loss for words.
“Right?” she asked, and I just nodded. Lucy rewarded me with bright eyes and an even brighter smile. “I was thinking the same thing.”
“I just have to change. I mean, if you don’t mind waiting for me? Ten minutes tops. I’ll treat you to coffee or an apple cider if you wait for me.”
“Really?” She smiled, tilting her head slightly, making her strawberry-blonde waves shift.
“If you don’t mind the company.” I shrugged.
This wasn’t part of the plan.
I was the man she spoke to online, over the phone.
Not the one she knew in the real world. This was outside my plan for Halloween, and I was probably fucking everything up, but there was something about the way she watched me.
The way her blue eyes lit up and sparkled with excitement that made it too fucking impossible to take back the offer.
“Sure.” She grinned. “I’d love that. I’ll go get a sweater while you get ready. I didn’t realize how chilly it was.”
“Sweet. Come on.” I had no idea what came over me, but my hand found hers, and I led her to the elevator. If she minded holding my hand or being near my somewhat sweat-dampened body, she didn’t say a peep.
We made small talk about the weather and jogging on the way up to our floor.
She talked about Halloween and how it was one of her favorite holidays.
I acted like it was all news to me, like I didn’t know everything there was to know about her.
I walked her to her apartment, and I hurried like hell to shower and get dressed.
I found myself wearing an olive-green and cream plaid flannel I paired with an old pair of deep brown canvas pants.
Last minute, I added a denim jacket lined with sherpa in case she got cold later.
The outfit I’d picked for our impromptu bookstore date would make it look like we were matching.
Like a real-life couple out in the world. And I loved it.
She would look like she belonged to me and I to her.
Just like it should be.
I was back at her place in eight minutes, hair still damp and messy, but I didn’t care. I was too excited to overthink. She opened the door, and I immediately noticed she’d added a cream-colored knitted cardigan, and the smile she gave me almost knocked me on my ass.
“Hey, we match! Does this mean we’re besties now?” Besties? As in her friend-zoning me?
“Uh—“ Her giggles made me relax. Before I could reach for her, she reached for my hand this time.
“I was joking around.” She stepped out of her apartment before shutting and locking her front door.
“Ready?” she asked, tilting her head up at me.
Not only had she added a cardigan, but I was almost positive she’d added some mascara and lip gloss, too.
Lip gloss I wanted to taste while my lips pressed against hers.
I nodded because I was more than ready for anything when it came to spending time with Lucy.
I’d seen her around.
Fucking hell, who was I kidding? I’d followed her around endless times. But I had never realized just how much energy my ray of sunshine had within her.
“So… you dressing up for Halloween?” she asked as we stood in front of a wall of masks.
After the bookstore, where she’d insisted we pick out a book for one another on top of the one we’d chosen for ourselves, we’d gone to a coffee shop and somehow found ourselves in a Halloween pop-up shop that had every single thing imaginable that you would need for the spooktacular holiday.
From costumes to decorations and enough stuff you could create your own haunted house if you wanted.
“Not sure… you like any of these?” I asked, pointing with the hand that held my coffee cup.
The other one held hers like it was precious, and I couldn’t seem to get myself to let it go.
Hell, letting go at the bookstore so she could read the blurbs had about killed me.
I wasn’t sure why she was so comfortable walking around with us holding hands like she was; we’d just met, but I fucking liked it.