I Want It That Way - Aguirre Ann - Страница 31

With a sigh, I crawled into the shower. My whole body ached with weariness. I had been skipping out on sleep, trying to make it up in caffeine, and I was about to hit my tipping point. I felt so shitty, I didn’t even care about the weekend with Ty. By the time Friday arrived, I’d be in no shape to enjoy it. I washed that bitter thought down with some coffee and granola, then I headed to work.

Thursday. Thursday sucks.

When I pulled into the Rainbow Academy parking lot, I was in no mood to deal with children. This foul mood seemed etched in stone until Ty came out of the building. He usually dropped Sam off earlier; must be running late. My first instinct was to let him go, but as if he sensed me watching him, like that first night on his balcony, he spun until he found me looking.

“Nadia.” I swore I heard him say my name from all the way over here, his expression brightening like I was all the good things in the world. Then he was jogging toward me.

I’d rarely seen him all put-together for work. Usually, I saw the aftermath of a long day, wrinkled pants, ink-stained tie. But this Ty was crisp and gorgeous: navy trousers and jacket, white shirt, red-and-blue-striped tie. More conservative than I’d have pictured, but he looked amazingly sharp for a guy who had wrangled a four-year-old before work.

By comparison, I felt like a crumpled dollar bill.

“Best morning ever,” he said.

Before I could ask what he meant, he pushed me up against the car and kissed me. In the side lot, it was doubtful anyone could see us, certainly not Sam, and I wanted this too much to push him away. His mouth was magical, chock-full of endorphins and sweetness. He was syrup and pancakes for the soul.

“Wow,” I said, breathless.

“Yep.” Such a lazy, delicious smile. Why had I never noticed how devilish he could be? “I might start leaving ten minutes later, if this is the payoff. Hate to kiss and run. I just needed a top-up to last until tomorrow night.”

When I realized I was that close to finishing midterms, I nearly burst into tears. “What time should I be there?”

Ty was already rushing toward his car, long legs putting distance between us. I’d never seen him run before, and I was transfixed by the sheer, animal grace of him. He called over his shoulder, “Should be home by nine. I’ll text as soon as I pull up.”

Like I won’t be watching.

The memory of that kiss carried me through my morning shift and through afternoon exams. Somehow I lived through Friday, as well, and then I drove home, unable to believe I’d come out on the other side with my sanity intact. Stumbling into the apartment, I didn’t see anyone at first, but as I closed the door, I spotted Max just standing in the kitchen, leaning on the fridge; I hadn’t seen him since I’d talked to Lauren on Wednesday.

“It works better if you open it,” I said.

When he turned, I sucked in a sharp breath. Scratches and bruises marred his face, and one of his eyes was nearly swollen shut. I dropped my backpack and raced to his bedroom door, anticipating his next move, and I was barely fast enough to stop him from pushing past me.

“I don’t want to talk,” he said.

“Okay.” Though I originally planned to hop in the shower and get ready for tonight, I had time. Grabbing his arm, I tugged him into his bedroom and shut the door behind us.

“Don’t take this the wrong way, Conrad, but I’m not remotely in the mood.”

Smirking, I ignored the lame joke aimed at saving face and picked up a game controller. “Let’s shoot some things.”

He sighed. “You won’t go away?”

“In an hour, I will.”

“Fine.” Max plopped down on his bed and put in a noisy, violent game. For a good half hour, neither of us said a word, just tag-teaming on zombies. This wasn’t my favorite type of game, and I was usually too busy to play them, but it was worth it when he stopped looking quite so fucking alone.

Eventually, he paused the game and flopped backward on his bed. “You’re not asking.”

“Do you want me to?”

“Not really.”

“There you go, then.” Gently I put a hand on his head.

To my surprise, Max sat up and hugged me. Not really understanding, I wrapped my arms around him and rubbed his back. His breath came in ragged gulps, and he wasn’t crying, but it felt the same, just endless waves of shudders mixed with painful gasps. I just held him and said nothing because I knew Lauren had to be mixed up in it somehow. She hadn’t mentioned a fight the other day, but maybe this was a new development.

In time, he pulled away, still battered, still bruised, but there was a hint of a shy smile in his eyes. I’d call that progress.

“You’re not so bad,” he said.

“This is your home, okay? Don’t roam the streets looking for trouble. There are people here who love you.”

“Do you love me?” He pretended to leer.

“I’d call you the annoying brother I never had, but I have one already. So you can be my irritating cousin.” I stood up, stretched and caught sight of the clock.

Shit. It was past eight, and I’d left my phone in my backpack. If Ty got home early, he must be wondering where the hell I am. I’m not standing you up, I promise.

“You can clock out. I’m fine.” Max smiled, the motion pulling at his split lip.

After stepping out of his room, I immediately checked my messages. Relief surged through me when I realized Ty must still be with his parents. I emptied my backpack of notebooks and tablet, then added my phone and charger, two pairs of underwear, a couple of T-shirts, my toothbrush. I’d never spent the weekend with a guy before, at home or otherwise. I had no idea what to bring. Though I suspected I didn’t need it, I put in my cosmetic bag.

Maybe I should’ve cooked something? Is it weird to assume we’ll be naked the whole time? Should I pack more pants? Pajamas? With a shrug, I decided I could run upstairs for anything I needed, though I was trying to avoid the teasing and inquisition from my roomies. Bizarre enough that this sex-a-thon would take place in our building. The usual presex rituals calmed me a little. I showered, waxed, moisturized and then put on yoga pants and a T-shirt for easy off/on. Maybe I should dress to impress, instead, but I had the feeling anything I wore would end up on his floor. Hope so, anyway.

At fifteen after nine, my phone beeped. Ty:

I’m home in 5 4 3 2...you ready?

You have no idea.

I ran down the stairs to meet him.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Ty was stepping inside when I reached the foyer. At the front doors, he squeezed me close, kissed my forehead and then left his arm around my shoulders as he moved us toward his place. “You have no idea how much I’ve been looking forward to this weekend.”

“It got me through midterms,” I confessed.

That prompted a smile as he unlocked the door and flipped on the lights. This was the messiest I’d ever seen his place, likely because he had to feed Sam, pack for day care, plus the weekend bag, and get his son out of the house early. This was probably the first time he’d been back all day. It didn’t bother me, but Ty went around collecting stray toys, like he didn’t want any reminders. He stuffed them in the trunk and then turned to me.

“Let me take a quick shower, okay?” I was a little surprised that he didn’t suggest taking one together, and he must’ve read that in my face, because he added with a small grin, “Shower sex can be complicated. We need to work up to it. Plus, I want to take my time in bed, not worrying about how much hot water we have left.”

“I like the way you think.”

He disappeared into the bathroom, and I turned on the TV. Now that we were finally on the cusp of changing everything, butterflies flapped like pterodactyls in my stomach. There had been so much buildup, so much tension. What if reality couldn’t live up to expectations? I was frowning at an infomercial when Ty came into the living room, toweling his hair dry.