Chapter 12
Chapter Twelve
R iley paused before lifting the latch on the fence gate. She hadn’t even seen Antony today, and yet her heart was pounding and she was feeling nauseous enough to puke.
Last night had been something of a nightmare. Or a dream. It probably depended on what type of view a person wanted to take.
Antony had flirted with her. Flirted. With. Her. A real flirting, not just teasing a younger sister-style flirting.
He’d teased, flirted, touched and brought the tension in the room up to nearly combustible levels. Every move and word had told Riley that she wasn’t in the “little sister” zone any longer.
But then he’d backed off.
And he’d asked a completely inappropriate question.
Huffing, Riley dropped her hand to her side, remembering how awkward the rest of the night had been. After grumbling something about keeping his secrets, she’d finished her soup, changed his bandages, and taken him home.
It had taken hours to fall asleep last night, and the black bags under her eyes were a visible testament to her churning mind. But now work was over, and she needed to check on him again. Or at least check the bandages again.
“Maybe he went for another run, and he’s not even home,” she told herself, forcing her hand to unlatch the gate so she could go down to the apartment.
Her breathing grew more erratic the closer she drew to his door, and Riley had to stop and try to bring herself to order before knocking. Just what was she going to do? He hadn’t made a move. Not a real one anyway, and yet her imagination was going nuts!
Did he like her?
Was he just being a flirt?
Was he practicing on her?
Was he trying to get back at her for all the pushing she’d been doing?
“Hey. Come on in.” Antony was on his crutch today, and he jumped backward to open the door further.
“Thanks.” Riley stepped in and came to a halt. “W-what?” She looked at Antony who was a little too proud of himself. “You have a couch.”
He shrugged. “It’s just a couch, Ri. Not a big deal.”
A slow smile spread across her face. He might not think it was a big deal, but it was, and it fanned that little flame of hope into something resembling a torch.
At the same time, her heart stuttered.
The closer he came to taking care of himself, the less time Riley had with him. She still didn’t quite understand what last night was, but the rest of their time together said he still thought of her as Aspen’s friend, which meant this latest development was just one step closer to her being out of his life.
“Are you going to let all the warm air in? Or should I plan on cooling the whole neighborhood?” Antony asked wryly.
“Sorry.” She hurried the rest of the way in, and Antony closed the door. “Griff! How’s my favorite boy?” Riley knelt and invited the dog to come over for love, which he happily reciprocated. If only people were as easy to handle as animals. Once trust had been established, love was such an easy emotion for animals to give, and Riley thrived on it.
Muttering, Antony stomped past her.
Riley looked up, frowning, but decided not to ask what he was saying. She’d learned her lesson last night. “I need to check your bandages again,” she said, standing up and brushing off her pants.
Antony looked over his shoulder. “They’re fine.”
“Yeah, well, I’d like to see that for myself.”
He turned, leaning against the counter and holding a glass of water. “I’m not a child, Riley Roo. I can take care of myself.”
She pursed her lips and cocked a hip. “Yeah? You can’t even reach the spot.”
“Says who?”
“Me!” Riley argued. She threw her hands out to the side. “And what are you? Two? Seriously, sometimes I wonder why I’m here.” Oops. That wasn’t really the nicest thing to say, and Riley instantly felt guilty about it. “Sorry,” she murmured, rubbing her forehead. “I’m a little on edge today.”
“Bad day at work?” Antony asked, and his head dropped as he stared into his glass and swirled the water.
“You could say that.” More accurately, it had been a rough month. And it all had to do with the man standing so enticingly across the room.
“Must have been a kennel cleaning day.” He took a drink, raising his eyebrows above the glass.
Riley shrugged and didn’t respond. “So…the couch.”
Antony was watching her a little too closely, making Riley want to squirm. “The couch.”
“When did you get it?” She grabbed her hair and tugged on the ponytail, trying to keep from fidgeting too much.
“Today.”
Riley huffed and rolled her eyes. “I gathered that. Who brought it in?”
Antony’s brows pulled together even as he smiled. “Curious little thing, aren’t you? Are you jealous that I spoke with someone else? That I didn’t reserve my best behavior for just you?”
The snort escaped before Riley could stop it. “Your best behavior? That’s what I’ve been getting?”
With his head tilted slightly to the side, Antony took a couple of steps in her direction. “Trust me, Little Ri…you don’t want to see my worst behavior.”
She folded her arms over her chest and fought the desire to step backward. There was something challenging in his tone, and with his added bulk, Riley felt like a little kid again. One that was watching the big boys come out to play. “Don’t call me that.”
His eyebrows shot up. “What?”
“Little Ri. Or Riley Roo. I’m not a child, Tony. You can’t keep calling me those nicknames.” She swallowed and prayed that Antony didn’t hear it. Her words might have been bold, but she was absolutely quaking inside.
It felt like he was toying with her, and Riley couldn’t decide if it was a good thing or not. Was he making fun of her crush? Because there was no way he didn’t know she had one by now. Or was he reciprocating it? How was a girl supposed to tell? And once she knew, what was she supposed to do about it?
“I’m fully aware you’re not a child.”
Was his voice extra low? Did it always have that rasp to it?
A shiver ran up her spine, and Riley swore the air became charged again, just like last night. “Then why do you keep treating me like one?”
Wait…what? Why was she egging him on like this? It would be better to let it go, not push the issue. Her heart was already broken over her situation, but now it felt like she had a death wish.
Slowly, he moved toward her, eyes dark and challenging, holding Riley in place, until he came within a few inches of her. When he leaned down just a little, Riley’s heart was ready to break right through her chest. She didn’t stand a chance against him. What had she been thinking? All it took was one glance for her to be a puddle at his feet. Antony Harrison was simply too much…of everything.
It was here again. That buzz in the air. In fact, Antony found that it had been easy to replicate. There was something between him and Riley, something simmering beneath the surface. Something he’d missed for who knows how long in his anger and bitterness.
The crutch dug into his armpit, and Antony almost backed off from their little stare down. The reminder of his permanent wounds made him want to retreat, but this was Riley . The woman who touched his scars and bandaged his scrapes. The woman who said he was handsome and still had something to offer the world.
Locking his knee into place, Antony forced himself to stay put. To see this through. He had to know…
“Maybe I’ve been trying to remind myself,” he whispered, his voice huskier than usual.
Riley’s wide gaze jumped back and forth between his. “Remind yourself of what?” she responded.
Was the AC running? The air in the door had been warm, but right now Antony was about to burst into flames. “That you’re my little sister’s friend.” Something passed over her face and Antony could have sworn it was disappointment, but it was gone in an instant and with it, the heat between them.
Smiling in a way that didn’t reach her eyes, she side-stepped their little pow-wow and walked away. “Speaking of Aspen, she brought me cake today. Would you like some?”
What had gone wrong? Didn’t Riley understand what he’d just told her? Why else would he need reminders of her being like a sister if he wasn’t struggling to view her as one?
Slowly, he turned, watching her back as she searched the cupboards for plates. “I rarely turn down Aspen’s cake. ”
Riley nodded. “I don’t know anyone who does.” She put some cake on two plates and turned to face him.
“No dinner?” Antony tried to smile, but it was harder now that he’d lost…again.
“Eh.” Riley shrugged. “Sometimes you have to go for dessert first.” She started to head for the two chairs in the corner, but Antony stopped her.
“How about we eat on the couch?”
Riley stopped and raised her eyebrows. “Your new couch? Don’t you want to be careful with it?”
Antony shook his head. “I bought it so I could use it,” he said with a huff. “Guys eat on their couches. It’s a thing.” She didn’t need to know it had cost most of this month’s disability check. He had it. He wanted to sit on it.
Riley’s lips twitched, and her usual amusement seemed to be coming back. “Far be it from me to interfere with a guy thing.” She walked toward him, stepping around both Antony and the couch, then stopped before sitting down. “Well? Are you coming?”
“Yeah.” Antony’s crutch seemed extra loud as he took the few steps necessary to come around the couch. “As you can see, we have the best view in the place.” He waved dramatically. “Behold…the wall!”
Riley laughed, and something eased between them at the sound. This was how it was supposed to be. Riley, smiling, happy and beautiful. Antony acting like a dork to help.
“Have a seat,” Riley said, waiting until Antony was seated to hand him the plate.
That tiny act of service broke the spell. Antony didn’t just want to make Riley laugh. He wanted to take care of her. But right now she was taking care of him. The familiar feelings of uselessness and anger began to bubble up, but Antony took a breath, shoving them down.
He’d spent too long giving into the emotions. He wanted something more. And he wanted a chance to test this thing between him and Riley .
“Are you going to eat?”
He tried to hide his jump, but Antony knew he hadn’t done a good enough job when his fork rattled against the plate. “Yeah. Sorry.” He picked up the utensil and took a bite. “Dang,” he muttered through his mouthful. “What kind is this?”
Riley’s lips were tilted in an amused smirk. “Cranberry, lemon curd, and cinnamon cake.”
Antony jerked back, giving Riley a confused look. “I think the cake has an identity crisis.”
Riley laughed softly, and Antony put a “win” on his make-Riley-laugh list. “Could be.” She took a bite and closed her eyes, humming softly. “It’s still amazing. Identity crisis and all.”
That was it.
Antony couldn’t take it any more. The back and forth, the push and pull, the tension and subsequent bursting of it. She was too beautiful, too kind, too everything for him to just sit back and let go. As he sat, grinning like an idiot and making Riley laugh, he began to plan and plot.
His life was a mess, and he had little to offer, okay…he had nothing to offer. But when a person was at the bottom of the ladder, the only place to go was up.
And Riley had been offering her hand to help him climb for a long time.
“I’d still like to run that race,” he told Riley between bites.
She stilled. “Really? Are you sure?”
Antony nodded. “Yeah. I think…” He stopped, thinking about his words before dropping them in her lap. “I think having a goal is a good thing for me.” Why was it harder to look her in the eye when admitting these things?
It wasn’t like Riley didn’t know what a disaster he was. It was the whole reason she was here, for heaven’s sake! Though Antony hoped that more than that was keeping her here. There was no way his feelings could be one sided, not after the moments they’d had .
“Goals are good things,” Riley said, her voice soft. “But the race? Are you sure you want that to be it?”
“You think I can’t do it?” He stuffed his mouth full and glanced up from under his brow.
Riley shook her head. “I think you can do whatever you set your mind to.”
“But?”
Her gaze dropped, and she toyed with her dessert.
Antony stopped eating when she didn’t answer right away. Adjusting his weight, he reached out with his foot and tapped hers. “Ri. What? What’s the matter?”
“Nothing really.”
“Liar.”
Riley’s head shot up. “That wasn’t nice.”
“Neither is lying to me,” Antony returned, then snapped his mouth shut. Why did he always fight the people around him? Especially Riley? That kiss he was working his way towards would never come to fruition if he couldn’t keep his thoughts to himself. “Look,” Antony began, setting his plate in his lap. “I’m sorry?—”
“No, I’m sorry,” Riley interrupted. She sighed and hung her head. “You’re right. I’m lying.”
Antony waited, still as a statue, his heart pounding madly as he waited to see what she would say next.
Riley’s lips pursed and pinched and moved in several contortions before she finally gave in. “Antony, I…” She blew out a breath and looked at him with wide eyes. “I just hate seeing you hurt.”