Preston
A little hungry, my ass. You don't get muscles as big as he's got by skipping meals. Vadim wolfed down the chicken soup in record time and is now eyeing off the bagel.
"Go for it. I probably won't."
I've completely lost my appetite since the attack.
"Are you sure?"
"I am."
He flashes a grateful smile then starts to unwrap the bagel. "Thanks."
"How was the soup?"
He pauses, his brows dipping slightly. "Fine."
I watch him as he chews. The low light catches his jaw, his gray eyes, the darkness of his neatly styled hair. He's eating fast, barely pausing between bites.
Ellie has been by my side since last night, when the hospital called him as my emergency contact, and he hasn't wasted a single minute blaming Vadim for what happened.
I get where he's coming from. If I hadn't approached Vadim at the bar and picked some other guy instead, I wouldn't be dealing with this.
But that's no more Vadim's fault than it is Ellie's for giving me the idea to approach a random guy in the first place. Vadim isn't responsible for anyone else's actions but his own.
And what did he do when he found out I was sick? He went out and bought me food.
"What did the doctor say about your injuries?" he asks between bites.
"Said I should be grateful it’s not worse. Nothing’s broken. They just said I need to have someone checking on me through the night."
"Ellie?" Vadim grumbles.
"Yes. He's been wonderful." I sigh. "Too bad he's going away."
Vadim finishes his bagel and licks his fingers clean. "Going away?"
"There's this big interior design conference that takes place in Chicago every year. He always goes."
"So you'll be alone?"
I nod.
I've been dreading Ellie leaving even before this happened.
I hate being in the house by myself at night, so I usually plan a trip back home at the same time, but I wasn't able to get the time off my placement this year.
He's offered not to go multiple times, but I won't hear of it.
This is his career, and it's important that he attends. "Yes, I will be."
"No, you won't."
"Excuse me?"
Vadim leans over, picks up the bottle of ginger ale, and downs a few hearty gulps. "You'll be staying with me."
"What?"
He sets the bottle back on the floor. "You heard me. The doctor said you need someone to look after you."
"That was only for the first twenty-four hours. After that, all I need is rest."
"Great. You can rest in my apartment. I have a guest bedroom with a giant bed and blackout curtains. It's quiet. Has 24-hour security and a doorman. And a pretty nice view. All very conducive to resting."
"I can't move in with you."
"You're not moving in, you're staying for a few days while Ellie's away. Unless you'd like me to call your mother…"
"WHAT?!"
"She slid into my DMs. Didn't she tell you? We're besties now. We've been talking about going to the Reno Home and Garden Show together."
I let out a breath and shake my head. "You almost had me there."
Vadim tosses aside the bagel wrapper and in one smooth motion is kneeling on the carpet in front of me. He slides one hand over my knee, his gray eyes steady and completely earnest. "It's because of your association with me that this happened to you. Let me help you."
"I don't know…"
My inside voice is screaming at me to jump at his offer, but my inside voice ain't got shit on Ellie. He will lose his mind when he finds out.
"Preston, it's only for a few days. Let me do this. Please."
I inhale slowly, thinking it through, trying to make a decision that isn't based on the fact I'm a pathetic twenty-five-year-old scaredy cat who is afraid to be on his own at night.
Vadim's offer is tempting. My whole body still hurts, especially my right arm, so the idea of having someone around isn't the worst thing. Especially since I've been forced to take the next week off both my placement and my job at the spa.
And going home isn't an option either. I can't let Mom and Dad see me like this.
"Okay. Fine."
"Great. Do you want to come over now?"
"No. Ellie doesn't leave until tomorrow. I can come over in the morning?"
"I'll have a driver pick you up. How does ten sound?"
"That works."
He angles his head and grins slyly. "Does this mean I finally get your number?"
I lean over until my face is a few inches above his. "For. Get it."