I roll my eyes, but can’t fight the grin that spreads over my face. Just like that night two years ago, my resolve crumbles. Maybe because he’s still impossibly nice to me and maybe because he’s right.
“You’re still a dork,” I tease.
He lifts a shoulder. “Yeah, that shouldn’t be a surprise though. I haven’t exactly been up to much over the last couple years.”
“Yeah, my life hasn’t exactly been exciting either.”
We sit there for a moment and for the first time since we met, I don’t feel the urge to flee the room or take a verbal jab at him. Instead, there’s just a welcome silence between us. No angst, no tension—just calm.
“So, now what?” I ask, breaking that calm silence.
“I don’t know. You tell me, Shadow.”
OK. Maybe there is still some tension judging by how my body responds to that nickname.
“We could be adults and be friends that are honest with each other?”
He hums in thought. “That depends. You going to let me help you? Because friends help each other.”
“If by help me you mean let me keep your SUV longer, then sure.” I plaster on a way too happy, pleading grin, one so wide it makes my cheeks hurt.
He laughs. “I already told you that you could.”
“Alright then. I’m good with friends.” I extend a hand toward him. He looks down at my hand and a pleased grin spreads across his face, popping those damn dimples that haunt my dreams.
“Sutton Sterling, Pretty Boy. Nice to meet you.”
“Kelsey Rivers, local spewer of verb?—”
“Nope. We’re sticking with Shadow. I already told you that’s too much of a mouthful.”
My eyes roll back but I still hold my hand out. He grabs it and shakes firmly one time. That skin to skin contact should not be as exciting as it is, but my body tingles nonetheless.
“Good,” he says. “Now that we’re starting fresh, I’d like to try and dig myself a new hole.”
I quirk a brow at him and he goes on. “Please take the damn apartment.”
I pull my hand from his and glare at him. “You’re seriously going to bring that back up?”
He turns his palms up. “I meant it. It’s empty and Slade never uses it. So if you want to use it, I’ll gladly tell him to get a fucking hotel room because I’m going to blame him for this mess between us from now on. I get it if you don’t want to and I won’t hold it against you if you turn me down, but I want you to know the offer is real. I hate losing sleep as much as anyone. I’ve been in the restaurant industry long enough to know the hours are wild. I’ve worked plenty of crazy shifts. Even if you just need it as a crash pad, you and Felix are welcome.”
Looking into his eyes with a clear—well at least clearer—idea of where he’s coming from, I don’t think I can be mad at him.
I’ve also accepted that Grandma has been gone for years and the house won’t ever be my home. I have processed all of that grief in the years since then. If anything, having him be my physical manifestation of that grief, something tangible to blame, might have helped. It was easy to picture him as some cat playing a game with me, his pathetic prey. Knowing what I know now though, I just can’t blame him for this anymore.
So maybe I should accept it for what it is, a genuine gesture from someone who’s been nothing but kind to me.
I take a deep breath and put on a smile that doesn’t actually feel forced. “Fine.”
His mouth falls open and his eyes widen. His voice takes on an almost giddy boyishness that’s kind of endearing. “Wait, you’re serious? You’re saying yes?”
Even with all of my mixed feelings about that house and the restaurant, why should I make my life harder? I think another part of me was just saying no to spite him for so long and now I don’t have that excuse any more. I should say yes—for me.
I nod. “I accept your offer, but I know what realestate is worth here, even a spare room. I won’t be your charity case. Let me pay you or get your morning coffees or something.”
“You don’t have to give me anything.” That giddy boyish look disappears and I see that dead serious side again.
“I know that, but I want to.”