Chapter Five
So, I didn’t stick around after that.
The waiter was incredibly sweet and waived the bill, though he couldn’t let me take the food to-go because of some strict restaurant protocol. I barely even care. I practically floated back to the apartment complex on a cloud of pure numbness.
It wasn’t until I trudged up the four flights of stairs and stood right outside apartment 4F that reality hit me. I began fumbling through my purse, my fingers frantically brushing past receipts and old lip glosses.
“Fuck,” I mutter out loud, my voice cracking.
I’d left my keys on my nightstand.
I timidly knock on the door, holding my breath in the desperate hope that Bear might be home. Silence echoes from the other side. He wasn’t there.
That was the breaking point. The dam violently breaks. My knees buckle, and I slump against the front door, sliding all the way down to the cold, concrete floor of the hallway. And then, I just start to cry.
Everything that had been building up over the last month—the betrayal, the eviction, my stolen belongings, the humiliation—came tearing out of me in heavy, shuddering sobs. I sat alone beneath that stupid, flickering hallway light and let myself completely fall apart.
I lost all track of time, burying my face in my knees. But then, the quiet hum of the corridor shifts, and someone softly sat down on the floor right next to me.
I pull my head up, my vision blurry with tears, and look over. It was Bear.
“What happened?” he asks softly. There was a dangerous, sharp twinge of anger vibrating underneath his usually calm voice.
“He ditched me,” I whisper, my voice trembling. “Before the food even got to the table.”
I watch Bear’s hands clench into tight, pale-knuckled fists. He closes his eyes, taking a slow, deliberate breath to compose himself. “Did you want to go inside and talk about it?” he asks. I could see the rigid tension locked in his broad shoulders.
“Can I just... talk? And you just listen?” I murmur, looking at him imploringly.
He gave a slow nod and stands up, extending a large, tattooed hand down to me. I reach up and take it. His grip was firm and effortlessly strong as he pulls me to my feet, bringing me close. For a second, our bodies were inches apart, and a sudden, electric blush flares across my cheeks. I quickly take a self-conscious step back.
Bear unlocks the door without a word, and I follow him inside, stopping safely at the kitchen counter. I couldn’t help the small, watery smile that forms on my lips as I watch him immediately start rummaging through the freezer.
He pulls out a pint of ice cream and grabs two spoons from the drawer.
“Have you helped a girl through a bad day before, or are you just a natural?” I tease, wiping a stray tear from my cheek.
“My brother,” he grumbles.
My jaw drops. I follow him into the living room, completely stunned. “You have a brother?!”
Before the words could fully leave my mouth, a heavy fleece blanket caught me squarely in the face. I stumble backward, falling flat on my ass onto the rug. I yank the blanket off my head, fully prepared to glare at him, but the expression froze on my face.
For the first time since I had met him, Bear was smiling.
It was a real, genuine smile, breaking through his usual stoic mask. I gather my dignity, scramble up onto the couch, and wrap the blanket tightly around myself like a cocoon. Bear hit the power button on the TV remote and tosses it into my lap.
“Movie,” he commands softly.
I scroll through the options and pick Love Actually. Bear hands me the pint of ice cream, digs his spoon in, and gave his hand a slight wave—his universal signal telling me the floor was mine.
“I really thought Adrian was different,” I sigh, staring at the screen. Bear let out a quiet hum. “I guess I just don’t attract good men.”
He raises a single, skeptical eyebrow at me but remained silent.
I let out a long breath, digging my spoon into the ice cream. “You know how before I moved in here, I was sleeping on an air mattress downstairs with Liv?” He nods, chewing. “Well, before that, I lived with my boyfriend, Jason. We’d been together for three years and had just taken the plunge to move in together. And then... I caught him cheating on me.” I swallow hard, struggling against the sudden knot in my throat. “With my mom.”
Bear froze. His emerald eyes widen in genuine, uncharacteristic shock. “I’m sorry,” he says, the words sounding heavy and entirely sincere.
I gave a casual, deflecting shrug. “Not your fault. Honestly, I’m just really thankful you came into my life, Bear. Even if, to be totally fair, you’re still a complete stranger who almost never talks to me.”
He let out a low grunt, staring at his spoon. “Mitchell.”
I scoff, blinking at him. “Who the fuck is Mitchell?”
He rolls his eyes at my density. “My real name. It’s Mitchell.”
I bite my bottom lip, a massive grin tugging at the corners of my mouth. “Really?”
“No,” he deadpans. “Just thought it would make you feel better.”
I groan, tossing a corner of the blanket at him. “I literally can never tell when you’re kidding.”
He let out a soft huff, a glimmer of amusement in his eyes. “My name is Mitchell Bear Roberts.”
“Mitchell Bear Roberts,” I repeat slowly, letting the syllables roll over my tongue. It felt entirely too formal for the tatted-up guy sitting in sweatpants next to me. “Can I call you Mitch?”
“Absolutely not,” he answers instantly.
“Mitchell?”
“Bear,” he growls playfully.
“Okay, okay, Bear,” I murmur, laughing softly.
The living room went quiet for a few seconds, the opening credits of the movie casting a soft glow over us. Then, Bear spoke up, his voice barely above a murmur. “You can call me Mitch. But only when we’re inside the apartment.”
A bright laugh escapes me. “When do I ever see you outside of the apartment?”
“Just giving you the rules, Danny,” he says, his tone deliberately teasing as he hit me with my own nickname.
My heart did a dangerous, high-velocity flip in my chest. I smile, settling back into the cushions. As the movie started playing, I found myself barely watching the screen. Instead, I just watched him, quietly eating ice cream in the dim light.
Adrian who?
----
When I finally blink my eyes open the next morning, the harsh sunlight was streaming through the living room windows.
I was still sprawled out on the couch.
I stretch, groaning softly, but the sound turned into an absolute shriek when I realize Bear was sitting perfectly still on one of the kitchen stools, silently staring right at me.
“For freak’s sake, Bear!” I snap, clutching the blanket to my chest. “You scared the hell out of me!”
A slow, wicked smirk spread across his face, and he casually takes a sip of his morning coffee.
Yeah, I definitely don’t want him being this nice to me anymore, I think, my heart hammering against my ribs for an entirely different reason. It’s hazardous to my health.
“Sleep well?” he asks, his voice still thick with sleep.
“I did, actually,” I admit, sitting up and rubbing my eyes. “Thanks for last night. Seriously, Bear. I owe you big time.”
He gives a solid nod. “Are you staying home today?”
“Sadly, no,” I mutter, dragging myself off the couch. “I have to go to work.”
He grunts, setting his mug down. “What do you do?”
“Liv gets me shifts at her mom’s cherry farm shop sometimes when they need extra hands,” I answer, walking into the kitchen to start brewing my own cup of coffee. I lean against the counter, looking over at him curiously. “So... what’s this brother of yours like? Is he single?”
“Gay,” Bear says flatly.
I grin. “Oh, now I absolutely have to meet him. I bet he is the total, complete opposite of you.”
Bear nods in agreement. “Yep.”
“Any other secret brothers you’re hiding?” I tease, nudging his arm.
“Yes,” he answers. “My older brother. Married with a kid.”
“Damn,” I say, letting out a dramatic, playful sigh. I lightly punch his tattooed shoulder. “Guess I’m just stuck with you, Mitch.”
Before he could respond, a sudden, aggressive pounding rattled our front door. I jump at the volume, quickly setting my coffee down and swinging the door open. Stacey stands on the welcome mat, practically panting for breath.
“Oh my god, Danny, what the hell happened on your date last night?!” she gasps, pushing past me and immediately making herself comfortable on the living room couch.
I close the door, leaning against it. “He ditched me with the food and the bill, Stacey. Total disaster.”
“Okay, well, apparently early this morning, he got bashed in the parking lot behind the wharf,” Stacey says, her eyes wide with scandalous gossip.
A startled laugh escapes me. “Wow. Talk about instant karma.”
“I’m going,” Bear mutters suddenly, standing up from his stool and grabbing his keys. As he walks past me toward the door, he threw a quick, heavy jab into my shoulder.
“Ow!” I bark, flinching.
“Payback,” he mumbles, a ghost of a smirk playing on his lips.
“See ya, Bear,” I call out, a massive smile breaking across my face despite the bruise forming on my arm.
The front door clicks shut behind him, and the second he was gone, Stacey let out a loud, high-pitched squeal, leaping off the couch. “Danny! You are totally, completely down bad for your roommate!”
“No shit,” I mutter, all the energy leaving my body as I slump onto the stool Bear had just vacated. “But I don’t even know if he’s remotely interested. The guy has the ultimate resting bitch face.”
“He is totally interested, you idiot,” Stacey insists, crossing her arms. “Look at the facts! Make a move!”
“I can’t,” I groan, burying my face in my hands. “We literally live together. If it goes wrong, it’s a disaster.”
Stacey rolls her eyes, throwing her hands in the air. “Don’t be a little bitch, Danny. You have to take some actual risks in your life.”
I stare at the closed front door, Stacey’s words ringing in my ears. Maybe she was right. But taking a risk on Bear felt like jumping off a cliff without a parachute.
And I wasn’t entirely sure I was ready to fall.