Chapter Twenty-Seven
I unlocked the front door and pushed inside, arms filled with grocery bags. I’d picked up a few things right after I checked out that apartment on Archer. It was bittersweet. I finally had enough saved for a deposit and first and last month’s rent—thanks to Stephen refusing to take money from me—but the thought of moving out left me hollow.
“Stephen?” I called out. No answer. Hmm. He sure was running late. He’d been in meetings again the entire workday, and the last time I’d seen him was that morning. It was already close to seven, and I hoped to at least get in a quick hi before I left again.
I set down the bags on the kitchen counter and unloaded everything. Then I checked my phone to see if there was anything new from Stu. I was so excited to finally have the chance to spend some time with him again. It’d been way too long. He’d texted me earlier, asking if I wanted to meet that night. He had some news, but assured me it was good. I couldn’t wait to hear it .
Stephen’s landline rang and without thinking I picked it up. Shit . I didn’t like to answer his phone, but sometimes I forgot.
“Hello.”
“Is this Stephen’s residence?” There was surprise in her voice.
“Yes.”
“My apologies, then. I’m not used to a woman answering.”
“Oh, I’m just a friend and—”
“Darling.” She laughed. “I don’t care who you are. Just put Stephen on the line, please.”
“He’s working.”
“I’ve already called there and his cell. No matter, I’ll keep trying. In the meantime, will you be a dear and pass along a message?”
“Go ahead,” I said. She had an accent I couldn’t place.
“Tell him Stefanie called, and I’ll be in town tomorrow and Sunday only. Wait, you won’t be around, will you? Ménages aren’t my thing.”
“I—”
“Never mind. He can just come to my hotel. He knows which one. I’ll give him the rest of the details when I speak to him. Thanks, darling.”
She hung up and I stared at the receiver. What. The. Fuck? Possessiveness blazed through me and I hated it. Hated it just as much as I hated her and her pretentious accent. At first, I’d falsely thought the call was work-related, but she’d quickly destroyed that assumption and then some. Who the fuck was Stefanie and how did he know her hotel? Stephen and Stefanie. Sickening. I slammed the phone down.
All right, Perry. Calm the fuck down. He’s entitled to a life outside of you . Sometimes I forgot that. He wasn’t doing anything wrong. He could see whomever he wanted, and so could I.
We’d been closer than ever since that night I’d slept at the edge of his bed. I’d fallen asleep, and he hadn’t woken me until morning. Every night since, I’d stayed in my own room, but things had definitely changed between us. We shared a type of bond I’d never experienced: intimacy without sex. I battled my attraction to him daily, but now more than ever I didn’t want to destroy us.
Which brought me back to Stefanie and whoever else was out there. He’d never showed any indication of wanting to bring a woman to his place, but maybe that was just him being respectful and courteous. He’d done so much for me, and I didn’t want to repay him by disrupting his life. Finding that apartment had been the first step. Putting down the deposit and moving out was the next. I’d been living with him for seven weeks. It was time.
“Perry?”
“In here.”
Stephen came into the kitchen with a big smile on his face. The moment I saw him, my heart slid out of my chest and splattered to the ground. I loved him. This was going to be way harder than I thought.
He set a container on the counter. “Frank’s ravioli. Hope you’re hungry. I stopped by after work and helped them install their new dryer. Mom insisted I send food home for you.”
“Oh… that was… nice.” Words were sticking in my throat. Once I moved out, there’d be no reason for him not to entertain. Hell, why sugarcoat it? He could bring women back and fuck them whenever and however he wished. The sickening jealousy came back with a vengeance, and I wanted to stick my finger down my throat to purge it all out.
“Something wrong?”
“I have some news.”
He looked at me with concern, just like he always did when something was off with me. He was a good friend. The fucking best.
“Nothing bad. I found a place today. It’s within my budget, which of course means it’s tiny. Even tinier than yours,” I said, faking a smile. “But it’s safe and… I can move in immediately. ”
Please, please let that be disappointment covering his face . No. What the hell was wrong with me? I didn’t want him unhappy.
“Where is it?”
“Over on Archer across from that daycare center. It’s in a decent area and not too far from work.”
He nodded, turning away and going to the sink. “And you’re happy enough with it? I already told you you’re free to stay however long you need. I don’t want you to just pick the first place you can afford.”
“I know. You’ve been so generous, and God, do I appreciate everything you’ve done for me. But I really do like it, and who knows when I’ll find something that close to perfect again.”
“Okay.” He turned on the sink, and I wondered what he was doing over there; there weren’t any dishes to wash. He shut it off and went to the fridge, pulling out a beer. “Well, as long as you’re happy.”
“I am.” Was I?
He turned around and smiled, but it appeared as genuine as mine. I knew he cherished our friendship as much as I did. That was never a question. And I also knew he meant it when he said I could stay as long as I wanted. He’d probably agree to forever; that’s the kind of man he was. But I loved him too much to keep making him put his life on hold, and I could never handle seeing another woman in the house. I could barely handle talking to one over the phone.
“I know it’s Friday,” he said, “but what do you say we just stay in tonight and watch movies? Since it’s one of your last nights here and all, and we can go out anytime.” He opened the lid to the ravioli and waved it in front of my nose. It smelled amazing, as usual. “After you eat this, you probably won’t want to move much anyway.” He smiled again, better that time but still not crinkling his eyes.
God, I wanted that so badly. Every part of me was screaming to say yes, to do nothing else than spend the night with him and only him. But Stu .
“I’m sorry, Stephen. I already have plans tonight. I’m leaving soon.”
“What kind of plans?”
“I’m just meeting a friend.” Damn, this was hard. I had to go before I started crying. It felt like everything was ending. “I really should hurry up and get changed.”
“Yeah, you should.” He put the ravioli in the fridge and grabbed another beer, although he hadn’t finished his first.
I went to my room and changed into a nicer dress and slipped on some heels. Stu wanted to meet downtown at Club JoJo’s. I wasn’t in the mood to dance, but he had his heart set on making a whole night of it. Dinner conversation and then whooping it up on the dance floor.
I came downstairs to find Stephen on the couch. He barely glanced my way when he said, “You got a text.”
“Thanks.”
I went to the kitchen where I’d left my phone on the counter and checked the screen.
Change of plans, gorgeous. Meet me at Lucky’s instead? Can’t wait. xoxo.
I typed off a quick Sounds good and slipped it into my purse. More than good, actually. Lucky’s was definitely more my speed that night; although, I was probably a bit overdressed. As clingy as the dress was, at least it was super comfortable. No sense going back and changing. I walked back into the family room, and Stephen looked me dead on that time. In fact, he eyed me over thoroughly.
“I’ve never seen you wear anything so short and tight.” His voice was… I didn’t know. Eerie. A little angry, maybe? “Sure you want to go out like that? Might give someone the wrong idea.”
What, he’s my father now? I’d figured out his tone, and it was cold. It upset me, and that felt much better than the alternative. I didn’t want to feel bummed over going out, and he’d just given me reason not to. He had women calling and inviting him to hotel rooms, so what right did he have to question what I did or what I wore? It was insulting.
“See you later, Stephen.” No need to respond to the dress comment. Of course, I wanted to go out like this. I was wearing it, wasn’t I?
I’d been planning on telling him about Stefanie before I left, but screw it. It was a bitchy move, but she obviously had all the means to get in touch with him. I was sure she’d accomplish whatever she wanted just fine without me passing along the message.
I was almost out the door when he called out, “Have fun with your friend , Perry.”
“Whoa, look at you, hot stuff.”
Stu pulled me in for a big hug and spun me around, probably bringing my hem up to my waist. “Hot stuff?”
“Hell, yeah. Love you in red. Maybe we should’ve gone to the club. You’re wasting that dress here.”
“No, this is perfect. What made you change your mind?” He shrugged and I punched his shoulder. “It was Kenny, wasn’t it? He didn’t want you there.”
“He never told me I couldn’t go. He’s not like that. But I could tell it bothered him, and since we’re still rebuilding….” He shrugged again.
“You don’t have to explain. You don’t want to do anything to hurt him or what you have. I get it, Stu. Completely.”
“Yeah, I knew you would, hot stuff.”
“Are you going to call me that all night? ”
“If the dress fits, gorgeous.” He smiled and it lit up his entire face. He looked good. Really, really good. Kenny suited him. “Hey, I ordered us a bunch of appetizers and a peach daiquiri for you.”
I opened my mouth to thank him as the waitress dropped off several baskets of fried awesomeness. She set down a tapper for Stu and the daiquiri for me.
“I didn’t know what you’d be wearing. Maybe I should’ve gotten you a strawberry one instead. Now you’re gonna clash.”
I laughed. “I don’t coordinate my drinks with my outfits. It’ll be fine. Thank you for ordering.” I took a sip first, then dipped a mac and cheese ball in ranch and stuffed it in my mouth. “So, what’s the big, good news?” I mumbled.
“Well, I might have fibbed a bit. It’s not all good, just mostly. The part not good… well, I’m really going to miss you to death, Perry.”
I stopped chewing for a second, then quickly finished and swallowed it down. “Why would you miss me?”
“Um, Kenny and I are moving to Minneapolis.”
“What? When?” My face fell.
He looked like he was trying to mask his happiness for me, and I didn’t want that at all. But… Minnesota?
He gave me a sheepish smile. “In a few weeks.”
“What?”
“It’s only about five hours away, and I promise we’ll talk all the time and—”
I stopped him with a hug. I didn’t want him to feel bad for one second longer. “We’ll be fine, Stu. Friends like us can go without seeing each other for a while and pick right back up where we left off.” I pulled back, but not before giving him a kiss on the cheek. “Now, tell me what the hell’s in Minneapolis.”
“You know that I’ve been working hard on the band. Well, we’ve been in need of a drummer for a while, and Kenny knows this guy, Cleo, up there. At first, we were just going to road trip it and check him out, but then he suggested something wild. He asked if I wanted to move there and make a fresh start. Nothing permanent, but long enough to do something that’s just for us. After thinking about it, it just felt right.”
“Wow. I’m… happy for you. Really.” I smiled wide. “I really, really am. You two are meant to be, and you owe it to each other to have this time. But what about the rest of the band here?”
“Drew’s getting married, so he was planning on taking time off anyway. And Will’s making the move up there. Says he’s up for a change of scenery.”
“That’s pretty cool.” I stuffed a wad of fries in my mouth.
“Yeah, and I really feel it, Perry. I see great things ahead. For me and Kenny. For the band. Been throwing around some names since the last ones never took. What do you think of Hallowed Realm?”
“I like it.” He looked ready to burst. “I see great things too, Stu. Just don’t forget about me when you get too big.”
“I could never forget my best girl. No distance will ever break us, hot stuff.”
“I know.” I will not be sad, I will not be sad . I felt like I’d just gotten him back and now he was leaving again. “Is this the last time I’m going to see you before you leave?”
“Hell no. I just wanted to tell you tonight. I’m going to make sure you’re sick of me before I go.”
“You’d better.”
“Now let’s talk about you. Are you and Stephen knocking boots yet?”
“If you mean having sex, then no.”
“Why the hell not?”
I sighed. I was still trying to figure out exactly what had happened before I left. Did my going out bother him that much? Well, hearing that fucking grating female voice on the other line bothered me too. At least what I was doing was innocent .
Stu held out his arms and tugged me towards him. “Come sit on Papa Stu’s lap and tell me all about it.”
“What?”
“Come on. It’ll be nice and comfy. You won’t even have a sharp object poking into you. Promise. You’re hot but not that hot.”
I laughed. All right, why not. It wasn’t as if I’d never sat on his lap before. We were always affectionate with each other. I snuggled up next to him and he put his hand on my thigh.
“Okay, baby doll. Spill.”
“Hey, shouldn’t you at least tell me your full name before you leave?” I’d never been able to get that out of him. I knew it was short for something, but it wasn’t Stuart.
“Just Stu.” He winked. “And I think you’re evading.”
“We’re just friends. Really great ones. Would I like to have sex with him? Uh, yeah. But he’s already admitted that he tends to lose interest after sleeping with someone, and I don’t want that to happen with us.”
“Why not? You lose interest too. He sounds perfect for you.”
“Because I don’t want to lose him. We’ve grown so close, and he’s an incredible person. I’m sure if I would have met him in this bar a year ago things would’ve been different, but now that I’ve gotten to know him, I’d rather have him in my life platonically than not at all.”
“And it’s not hard being around him all the time, living in the same house without wanting to jump him?”
“Of course it is. Sometimes it feels like I’m struggling every second, but I’m moving out in a few days, so hopefully, it’ll make that part easier.”
“Hmm. Interesting.”
“What?”
“You’re in love.” I didn’t respond. I wasn’t going to deny it, not to Stu. “Oh my fuck, Perry. I’ve never even heard you say you were in love with Dre. Which I don’t blame you there. Fucking idiot. ”
“You didn’t hear me say it with Stephen either.”
“But you didn’t say you’re not. You didn’t even laugh. That’s basically admitting it.”
“Okay, you’re right.”
That was all I had to say to make him squeal and shake me around in his arms. “Holy shit, girl. We’re actually in love together? How awesome.”
“For you, yeah, but it’s a little more complicated for me.”
“Complication’s your forte. You’ll figure it out. You’ve got this nailed.” I was just about to tell him about Stefanie when he brought his mouth to my ear. “Don’t look but I think that’s your viking over there at the bar.” What? I turned my head. He turned it back before I could get a chance to see anything. “I told you not to look.”
“Then how am I supposed to know if it’s him or not?” What the hell? It can’t be.
“I already know it’s him. You think I wouldn’t recognize that gorgeous hunk of man?”
My heart was beating wildly. “No, you said you ‘think,’ not ‘know.’”
“Perry, I know . And he’s looking straight over here like he wants to shoot my dick off. You must’ve not told him about me or where I prefer to put said dick.”
Holy shit. What’s he doing here? “I’ve been wanting you two to meet, but you’ve been pretty booked lately. I couldn’t even get a ticket to see you.” I started to turn but Stu held me back again. “Stu!”
“Trust me. It’s better not to make eye contact right now. In a little bit just slide off me nice and easy. And then you can go over and demand to know why he’s checking up on you.”
“I have no idea why he’s here, but he’s not checking up on me. I never even told him where I was going.”
“You love him. Does he love you back?”
“No, not in the same way.”
“I think you’re wrong. What did you tell him you were doing tonight?”
“Meeting a friend.”
“Oh baby.” He laughed. “He’s got it bad. He is most definitely checking up on you and his competition. If he hasn’t made his feelings known yet, you can be sure it’ll happen now.”
Honestly, I thought he was speaking crazy talk, but I did wonder why Stephen was there. It could’ve been a total coincidence since this wasn’t his first time at Lucky’s, but then why not stop over and say hi? Unless he still wanted to ice me out. It made no sense.
When Stu told me he was leaving, I moved off his lap and got a view of his backside as he was walking out the door. It was most definitely Stephen, but I didn’t run after him. I was too fucking baffled.
After another hour or so, Stu was practically begging me to go home. I probably wasn’t being the best company because of my ping-ponging mind. He told me the only way I’d ever get any answers was to ask the man who was making the questions.
So, between convincing me that he missed Kenny and wanted to go home anyway and ensuring that we’d see each other again very soon, I decided to leave. I wasn’t even sure if Stephen would be home. Or if he’d be alone. Please God, let him be alone .
Stu, on the other hand, had enough confidence for the both of us. He gave me a long parting hug, then slapped my ass on the way out.
“Get ready, hot stuff. He’s coming for you tonight.”