She exhales through her nose, lips pressing together like she’s forcing the words out. “Today was fun.”
I smirk. “Did it hurt you a little to admit that?”
“Yes,” she deadpans.
I huff a quiet laugh, watching the way her fingers tighten around her key. She hesitates, and something about it makes my stomach turn over.
“I haven’t actually been out to do something…fun in a long time,” she finally says. The words feel like a confession, even though she plays them off like they’re nothing.
I nod like my chest isn’t tightening at the thought.
“Well, looks like Carl’s expecting you next time. Might have to come back with me.”
She unlocks her door, stepping inside. I shift, peering over her shoulder—not nosy, just curious—but she catches me and raises an eyebrow. I shrug.
“Yeah, I might,” she says softly.
Progress.
“Bye, Rhodes.”
She starts to close the door, but I press my palm flat against the wood, stopping her.
“Want to skate tonight?” My voice comes out rougher than I meant it to. “We can run some drills. I can help you with your lesson plan.”
The truth is obvious. I just want to see her again. We went too long in between the last few times, and I hated it. If she isn’t working at the rink anymore, I won’t have an excuse to see her every morning.
She studies me, something unreadable in her expression. “I’m not a charity case, Rhodes.”
“I don’t think you are,” I say flatly.
For a second, I think she’s going to say no. That this thing between us—whatever it is—is going to snap shut before I can grab onto it.
Then she hums, quiet, considering. “Okay. Ten o’clock.”
The door clicks shut a second later.
I don’t move, just stand there like an absolute idiot, grinning at the wood like it might give me another glimpse of her. It’s only after I get to my car that I wonder if she could see me through the peephole in her door.
The smile doesn’t fade for the rest of the day.
Chapter Fifteen
Monroe
Ten o’clock comes too fast.
I still didn’t make any progress on my lesson plan, and the day won’t stop replaying in my head.
Rhodes is…intoxicating. Unfortunately. He’s just… He didn’t have to help me. There’s nothing in this for him except my bad attitude.
The way he grins at me like I don’t bite or that he wouldn’t mind if I did. The way he takes my irritability in stride, like it doesn’t even faze him.
Rhodes is waltzing in midway through my grueling climb out of rock bottom, acting like it’s no sweat at all to help me up out of this pit. He took one look and walked toward me, instead of away from me.
The more time I spend alone with him, the blurrier the line I’ve drawn between us becomes. I like spending time with him and that feels scary to me.
Regardless, I’m shoving my sneakers on and grabbing my keys. I startle when my phone vibrates on the hard floor next to me.