six
Smoke
Without my bike, I have to rely on Ace giving us a ride to Bunny's place in his car. Makes me wonder if I should get a car of my own in case I need a backup.
Then again, he'd only gotten it because of Penny's daughter.
To think my brother got a kid before me. The guy who never gave off any hints of settling down in his life, one moment, to meeting the woman of his dreams...
I'm still jealous just thinking about it.
But with Bunny hugging my arm the entire drive, I can't help but let myself feel a little hopeful. As if there is a chance I could have a family of my own despite the path I've picked in life.
I've got the entire drive to torture myself with those thoughts, and by the time we're pulling in front of her unit, I realize that I should've spent the time preparing to say goodbye to her.
Before I can start kicking myself too hard, I realize she isn't in any rush to separate either. In fact, she squeezes my arm and the look in her eyes shifts. She'd been so comfortable at my side, but now, the cracks are starting to show, and I can see the worry seeping into them.
"Would you..." Hesitating, she clears her throat. "Would you like to come in? I don't think I want to be alone right now. I get it if you're busy, though."
She wants me to follow her? Sure, she may think it's the safest option, but to me, it sounds the most dangerous.
"Uh..." Not sure I can trust my words to come out right, I'm nodding and already pulling the door open. I don't miss the chuckle rumbling from the front of the vehicle. It's enough to warm my skin.
"Don't do anything I wouldn't do." Ace winks at me and makes Bunny's cheeks grow a surprising shade of pink.
I want to tell him to fuck off, but he's got a point. There's plenty that I want to do.
Thanking him for the ride, I help her out before taking her heels so she can let us in. I'm curious to learn more about this woman by getting a good look at what no one else gets to see.
One foot into the door, and I can already see enough plant life to make the air smell like damp soil. She's got one with far too many thin, long leaves that brush against my arm in passing.
"Don't mind the mess. I never really expect any company." Turning away from me, she wastes no time kicking off her sneakers and taking her heels from me, only to toss them with her other shoes. Hell, she's got so many pairs, it's not hard for them to get lost in each other.
By the time I've got my boots off, she's already stretching and making her way deeper into her home. I hurry along to catch up with her.
My heart does a funny little thing when I watch her delicately take off my jacket as if it's something precious. She hangs it on a chair at her table and then spins on her heel to look at me.
There's something about seeing the flirtatious seductress I'm always seeing on the casino floor standing here with her fingers twisting together like she's nervous.
Do I make her nervous?
"Are you hungry or thirsty? I can make something. Or..." She looks around her home like she's searching for some kind of activity to keep us busy. Something that'll keep me here.
Now that I'm standing in her home, after what we spoke about, the first thing she thinks I want to do is eat or drink something? I'm starving, sure, but not for food.
As I approach her, I remind myself to stay a few feet back to give her space. Damn, if that distance I’ve kept since we met hasn't already driven me crazy. It makes me wonder if all that space is why I couldn't truly protect her as her real boyfriend instead of just holding a fake title.
The thought has me taking another step, one after another.
I keep moving until she's stepping back, bumping into the table behind her. Her breath hitches—I hear it. She lifts her gaze, lips parting, and I stare down at her like I'm seeing her for the first time.
"You're very pretty, you know that?" The truth rumbles out of me before I can choke it back. And hell, it actually helps—like someone cracked a window in a room that's been suffocating me for months. All those feelings I've been squashing down? They've been pressing against my lungs like a ton of bricks.
Bunny sputters at my compliment. Her eyes tear away from mine as if I've burned her, and she fans her face with her hand. "Why does it feel so different when you tell me that?"
I don't know. I don't know anything right now except that my palms are sweating and my heart is doing something weird in my chest.
She shakes her head, then plants a palm flat against my chest. Not pushing. Not pulling. Just… touching. Her fingers curl slightly against my shirt, and I secretly hope she’ll pull me toward her. Sadly, she doesn’t.