Chapter 16
sixteen
Denver
My phone pings just about on cue when I get back home. Adelaide and I parted ways after our stop at The Inked Teacup as she had a few errands to run, but I’m cooking her dinner tonight so I’ll Uber her over in a few hours.
Daryl
Just checking in—you good, bud?
Holy crap.
I stare at the message and blow out a long, exaggerated breath. I do not know how to respond to that. A lot has happened since I texted Daryl—obviously before me and Adelaide hooked up at the club.
He’s back in a few days so I know I need to get my story straight with where me and Adi are at.
And honestly, I really don’t know how he’s going to react.
But she’s in my veins now, and I can’t stop it, even if I wanted to.
The way she was just now with Hope in the hospital, too…
She cares about people. She cares about me.
I knew from the get-go, when asking her to be my fake girlfriend, that I wanted more than that. There was always so much more to discover with her. And every time I see her, I’m learning something new. It’s not just the hot sex either. It’s Adi as a whole.
Her moving back to Chicago could very well be the best thing that’s ever happened to me.
The enigma that is her just lights me up inside and takes all the dark parts away.
I don’t know exactly how she does it, but it’s there.
Maybe it’s the history we have, that connection to our childhoods.
But it’s special and I feel it deep in the center of my chest. That’s how I know it’s real.
I let myself in my apartment before I fling myself down on the couch and cuddle Bodhi to pieces. After kicking off my shoes, I get comfortable and tap out a quick reply.
I obviously can’t tell him via text that I’m seeing his sister, and I need to talk to Adi a little more as to how we’re going to broach this. She seems to think it’s all going to be okay, so I can only hope that’s true. I want her in my life. I can’t imagine going a single day without her in it.
Denver
Everything’s good here. How are you? Getting bored of all the conventions yet?
Daryl
It’s going ok. I’m missing home. Will be good to get back to a routine
Denver
You’ll be back with us at Sinners in no time
Daryl
Adi said you’ve been walking her home from the bar after her weekend shifts. Thanks man
I gulp my guilt way, way down. But in my defense, I did walk her home the past three weeks before we hooked up.
Her safety has always been paramount to me, I would never compromise that for anything.
And I know Daryl did not mean protecting her by taking her into my bed—I’m sure he’d having a fucking fit.
So I need to break the news to him gently, the both of us do.
He’s got no idea, and that’s what I feel bad about.
Denver
She seems to be settling in well
Facepalm of the century. What the hell else am I supposed to say?
I glance at Bodhi, and even he’s giving me the side eye.
“I can’t help who I fall in love with, Bodes,” I mutter, giving him a ruffle for good measure.
My cat is always a welcome distraction, especially in my line of work when things get tough.
After the worst kind of days imaginable, there’s nothing like getting home to Bodhi with him greeting me at the door and I hug him within an inch of his life.
Luckily for me, he likes cuddles. Much like the other night after the car wreck.
His purrs. His soft fur and gentle nature. It calms me. Bodhi makes everything better—come to think of it, so does Adi. I can’t wait for her to meet him tonight.
Daryl
Mom and Dad want to throw a small housewarming for her when I get back if you’re up for it?
Oh, I’m up for that. I wonder if I’ll get to see her apartment from the inside before then.
I also don’t want to make the whole thing awkward for her either, especially if he’s talking about that being soon…
I can’t go to her housewarming with all her family there and none of them know about us.
It’s like lying. I’m sure her parents would be over the moon, we’ve always gotten along really well, and of course, they have never forgotten me climbing up onto their porch roof to grab Daryl, Sammy, and Adi out of the window the night their house burned to the ground. Crazy, crazy memories right there.
Denver
Sure. Why not
I’m so going to Hell if I don’t have this talk with Daryl soon. Okay, we’re all grown ups here, but I still feel as his best friend and for my own code of ethics—even though I’ve been breaking them at every turn—he needs to know the truth.
Daryl
I’ll see you in a few days
Denver
Sounds good
I toss my phone beside me and lay for a while cuddling Bodhi, while he makes himself at home lying on my chest. For once I don’t feel the need to hit the gym, or go for a run, or do something to distract me from anything going on at work.
It’s just nice taking a moment, a breather for myself, something I seldom do.
I close my eyes and let them rest, weariness coming over me now I’m relaxed and laying on the couch.
Falling into a light sleep for an hour is not what I planned, but probably what I’ve needed.
When I rouse I stretch out I glance at the sketchbook on my coffee table. The graphite pencils are still in the box. I stocked up on some supplies months ago, but I haven’t sketched anything in a while.
I’ve always found art therapeutic. I’m better at drawing than painting, but I can do both when I have the time. I’m no professional, it’s just something I like to do from time to time.
When I rise up to sitting, Bodhi slides down onto my lap and I reach for my large sketchbook, pulling it open. They’re black and white sketches mainly. Landscapes. Scenery. Trees. My cat. Nothing ground breaking, but things I enjoy.
Something about my time with Adi suddenly inspires me to want to draw again.
I have a setting in mind; a landscape, a sweeping sky at sunset with lapping water from the Chicago river below it.
I open to a fresh page and grab a graphite pencil out of the packet and just let my hand glide.
Not even thinking too much about it, I just let the strokes flow.
It doesn’t take too long for me to slide onto the floor to get closer to the table, Bodhi still on my lap, while the scene comes together.
The need for some color strikes me. My vision is a burnt orange sky in different shades, and the river a soft green… Red and green. I smirk to myself at the irony. Only just realizing what has sparked my sudden outburst to draw again.
The sky I’ve sketched and colored already has the same tones as Adelaide’s hair. The water—which I’m yet to complete but have already started shading in—is an enigmatic green, bright but softer in places, and it matches her eyes exactly…
The picture forming before me is clearly Adelaide-inspired.
“What do you think?” I ask Bodhi, after a while of tweaking the different oranges through the sky. “Is it coming together or what?”
He continues to snooze on my lap, providing no insight at all. “You just keep sleeping, bud. I’ve got this.”
“It seems you do,” says a voice out of nowhere, and fuck me, if I don’t jump out of my skin and my heart leaps out of my chest. Bodhi wakes up too with a jolt. I glance up from my fixation on my sketch coming together at the unwanted sight of… Hannah?
At first I think I’m seeing things, but then quickly realize I’m not. She’s standing here in my living room.
“What the fuck!” I place Bodhi on the couch beside me and clamber to my feet, quickly closing my sketchbook. Bodhi lifts his head and hisses when he sees her. If it wasn’t for me being so shocked she just broke into my apartment without invitation, I’d laugh at his reaction.
She’s standing there with her locks loose in waves, wearing a long beige trench coat and insane high heels. “How did you get in here?” I bark. And just like that, my serenity is gone. The magical moment I was having with my sketchbook back out and pencils in my hand has been ruined.
She waggles a key around in the air. “I thought I’d better drop this off at some point.”
“So you just walked into my house unannounced?” Oh, this is something else entirely, and I don’t like it one bit.
She pouts. I can’t believe she still has another key. And she isn’t supposed to have one since I recall she flung it back at me after the split.
“I didn’t think you’d mind,” she says. “I know the other night you must’ve just been out of sorts. Drunk maybe.”
“You need to leave,” I say through gritted teeth. “I wasn’t the one drunk the other night, you and your bitch friends have got a damn nerve.”
“It’s not Brittany’s fault,” Hannah sighs. “She didn’t know you were into fa—um—bigger chicks now.”
The grinding gets worse and I’m sure my molars are getting more than a workout right now. I’m two seconds from throwing her out of here. “How fucking dare you,” I seethe.
“There’s no need to be so touchy.” She bends to slide the key on the table and then reaches for her belt. Before I know what’s happening, she’s unfastening her coat and pulling the lapels back to reveal not much underneath other than a whisper of red lacy lingerie.
My eyes nearly bug out of my head, not because of what I’m seeing—her body no longer interests me—but the fact she just waltzes into my apartment unannounced like it’s okay, and now flaunting her body like I’m gonna roll over and drool.
I quickly look away. “You need to leave, Hannah. Now.”
“Are you serious?” She laughs haughtily. “I admit I was a little tipsy the other night, so some parts are hazy. But I thought you were just trying to prove you’ve moved on to piss me off. You can’t be serious about that woman, she’s a bartender for heaven's sake!”
“Fuck you, Hannah.”
She gasps. Nope. This isn’t the Denver she knows. I’ve never behaved like this with her or sworn at her before, but then, she’s never been as big a pain in the ass as she’s being right now. Plus breaking and entering takes things to a whole new level. “You don’t mean that.”
“Can’t you get the hint?” I stride across the living room toward the hall and I hear the clickety clack of heels behind me which tells me she’s following. Good. The closer we get to the door, the sooner I can get her out of here.
“Denver!” she cries. “Don’t do this. We had something.”
“Don’t fucking Denver me. Had being the operative word. You’re making an ass out of yourself. You know it. I know it. Adi is my girlfriend and I’m in love with her, which means you need to go. I don’t want to see you again. It was over a long time ago.”
“She’s your girlfriend?” she scoffs. “Since when? We both know you can’t commit.”
Her words bounce off me. I don’t give a shit what she thinks. “I’m not even going to bother asking you why that’s so hard to believe.”
“We were good together, we both know it. And I want to show you. Why are you being like this?” I grab the door handle and turn toward her.
Yep, she’s still holding her jacket open with her offering on full display.
Some guys might just go back in for seconds, or for old time’s sake or some shit, but I’m not that guy.
I’m committed to Adi. I wouldn’t do that to her, and I wouldn’t do it to myself.
“As I said, it’s over, Hannah.” I swing the door open and gesture to the hallway while Hannah stands aghast. When I turn my head back to the open doorway to shove her out, green eyes meet mine. Adelaide’s hand is curled around about to knock on the door but she air balls it.
Oh, fuck.