The Two-Night One-Night Stand (20 page)

“Holly, you’re home.” He doesn’t get up when he sees me but does lower the volume on the blaring music.

I stagger inside in a stunned, zombie-esque fashion and drop my purse to the floor. “What are you doing here?”

He frowns. “Is that all I get? Aren’t you excited to see me?”

Excited? No. Frightened? A little bit.

“How did you get in here?”

“I still have your key.”

“You can’t just let yourself into my apartment,” I nip out with a slight tremble to my voice. Perhaps I should’ve called the cops.

“Of course I can. I used to do it all the time.”

“Used to, when we were together. We’re not together anymore. You lost that privilege when we broke up.”

“Well, that’s why I’m here.” He sets his wine down and stands up with outstretched arms. “I’m here to take you back.”

Oh Lord. He’s gone cray cray. I scan the apartment for something I can use as a weapon if needed.

“I don’t want to be taken back,” I say, moving away from the arms that are closing in on me. “What happened to your fiancée?”

“It didn’t work out.” He clears his throat, shifting nervously from one leg to the other.

“Oh, I see. She dumped you and now you’re here thinking I’ll just come running back to you?”

“Actually, yes, that is what I think.” He snickers. “Holly, you and I both know I was the best thing that ever happened to you. Without me, you have to admit, things have fallen apart.” He waves a dismissive hand in my direction. “Out drinking with that piece of trash girl. You left your job to become some professional tweeter, and look at you—you look like hell. You’re broken out, your hair’s a disaster, and you’ve gained at least five pounds.” He walks over to the kitchen and picks up a brown bag. “And ordering a hundred dollars’ worth of greasy Chinese food is not helping that out any.”

Chinese food? He drones on but I tune him out, walking over and taking the bag from his hand. I unroll the bag and peer inside. It’s my order from Lucky Star. “Where did this come from?” I ask. I’m dizzy; the thumping in my chest is out of control. I think I need to sit. Tyler ignores me, still on his rant of why I’m no good yet he still wants me back. “Where did this come from?” I demand, using a forceful tone this time.

“The guy delivered it.” He shrugs, ready to launch back into his spiel.

“What guy? When?”

“I don’t know, Holly, but I will tell you, this rudeness, that’s another thing that you need to work on.”

I stoop down and grab my purse up off the floor, digging for my keys. “Tyler, I will tell
you
, there isn’t a chance in hell between us. You were right when you said you didn’t see me in your future. Because I would be happy to never see you again. Leave your key on my counter when you go and don’t ever come back.” Note to self, call locksmith and have lock changed ASAP.

“Holly, what has gotten into you?”

“I grew a brain, got a backbone, met a real man. Take your pick.”

“Do you even understand what you’re doing?” he barks, with a mix of shock and terror smeared across his arrogant face.

“Yes, I’m walking away from the wrong guy and following my heart toward the right guy.” He holds his hands up in protest, trying to stop me from leaving. I catch the gleam coming from the gold cuff links I gave him. “Oh, and if you could, leave those cuff links next to the key, I can go to one of those cash for gold places. I got a pricey ticket tonight.”

“Holly, get back in here! Do not walk out that door! You need me!”

“Bye, Tyler,” I say with a laugh… the last laugh, and slam the door.

I CATCH A glimpse of neon through my peephole before swinging the door open.

“You’re here,” I say.

“I’m here,” she replies.

“I went to your apartment tonight.”

“I know.”

“Tyler was there.”

“You don’t need to worry about him.”

“I met him. I’m not worried.” I smile.

She smiles. Then she laughs.

“I went back to the restaurant,” she says.

“I heard. Thanks for telling my family about Jeremy. It’s certainly given them something to talk about tonight.”

“Good, takes some of the pressure off me.” She smiles.

I smile. Then I laugh.

Her hair is wild, no makeup on her pretty face, and I get a whole new appreciation for her natural beauty.

“I really like you,” I say.

She clicks her thumb over an imaginary buzzer. “What is, how I feel about Matthew?”

I blink in a moment of disbelief. “Holy shit, did you just
Jeopardy!
your feelings for me?”

“I did.” She giggles and covers her face in mock shame. “I’ve conformed into a nerdette.”

“I have fallen in complete like with you, Holly.” Pretty sure it’s love I’m feeling, but it seems a bit soon to admit something like that just yet.

“Me too. Complete like,” she whispers, her mouth puckering into a heart. Her arms wrap around my neck, pulling me in close.

I bend down, planting my lips on hers. The temperature in my apartment rises at least ten degrees. It takes all my strength to pry myself away, but I’m scared if I don’t, things may take a fast turn and set us back on the wrong path. Not that I think that path was wrong, I just need to be careful to not overstep and screw things up. Now that I have her, I don’t want to lose her. I’ll do or
not
do whatever it takes to keep this girl mine. “Want to go somewhere? You never ate. You must be hungry.”

“Speaking of that, you charged Tyler a hundred bucks for my Chinese food?” She laughs.

“Yeah, okay, seeing him there
may
have rattled me a little bit,” I confess. It wasn’t until I talked to my mom and she explained how Holly had gone back to the restaurant in search of me that my nerves settled down and I put the pieces together that Tyler was not an invited guest.

“How much was it really?”

“I don’t know, my mom took care of it and then sent me on my way to go find you.”

“She did?”

“Yeah, she likes you. Even though I think from this point on we can omit her from the details of our sex life.” A quick chat with Ashley had filled me in on the conversation that took place. She said my mom handled all the things that were said at the table well, but I do think it’s safe to assume we’ll be avoiding eye contact at the next few family gatherings.

“I just wanted them to know that this is more than what they were probably thinking.” She tugs her sweatshirt back up over her face. “I may have said a bit too much.” Her words are muffled.

“I’m glad you said what you did. It showed them just how much you care and the length you were willing to go to let them know those feelings.” It also proved a lot to me. “They like you. You’re gonna fit in great with my family.”

“Really?” She peeks her beautiful brown eyes out.

“Yup.” I pull down the zipper that hides the rest of her face, but can’t stop myself from tugging it down even farther. A fitted tee clings to the curves of her body. After an embarrassingly audible gulp, I yank her zipper back up. “Okay. Food. Go. Now. Out.” It’s a string of random words.

“Or we could stay in.” Holly unzips her hoodie and tosses it to the side. She walks seductively over to my couch and takes a seat at the end with her legs tucked up underneath her. Her hands glide through her glossy brown hair before she whips it over her shoulder. “Come sit next to me,” she purrs, and I’m eager to comply. The couch creaks at how fast and hard I jump into the spot beside her.

Our bodies are dangerously close, her hand traveling up my chest until it reaches my cheek. I am at a loss on what to do next. This is the part when Peen would usually jump in, telling me what to do. But now I’m all on my own. Her fingertips slide softly across my face. I’ve never failed a test in my life, but if this is a test, that record may be about to change.

“Holly, we have professed our like for each other. We are officially dating. After a night… make that months of confusion and misunderstandings, I feel like we have finally landed ourselves on track and in the right direction. So, before I make a move even one inch closer to you, I need to know if anything we do here is gonna send you running away from me.”

“Nothing.” She grabs on to my shirt, pulling me to her. One of her hands tangles into my hair and she presses gentle kisses along my neck. I sink into the sensation, letting go, relaxing, and just when I’m ready to fall into full enjoyment mode, she pulls away. “Actually, there is something. Lumberjack.”

“Lumberjack?”

“Yes, log splitting is off-limits.” My shoulders tense at the humiliating reminder. Really? After all the shit we’ve been through tonight, she goes and ruins this moment by bringing up the taboo fantasy that slipped out when I was drunk. “At least for now,” she adds with a wink.

My heart stops. Or I stop breathing. Maybe both. I’m not sure. But for a few seconds I think I’ve actually died and gone to heaven. With my defenses down, the voice I sent packing makes a brief return and I allow him to have his moment.

Ahhhhhhh-Maaaaazing Grace, how sweet theeeee sooooooound….

“Matthew, are you okay?” Holly’s giggle brings the air back to my lungs and the beats back to my heart. The falsetto serenade fades out. She studies my face and purses her lips. “Hmm, you have your fact face on. Is there a fact you need to tell me?”

Her playful brown eyes connect with mine. I’m lost in their beauty. Consumed by every amazing detail there is to this woman. Is there a fact I need to tell her? Yeah, I think there is.

“One night you walked up to me, thinking I was someone else, and my life changed forever. I was hooked from that very first moment. And the second time I saw you, I knew I didn’t
stand
a two-night one-night chance.”

I pause for a second to give her a chance to laugh at my cleverness. She does.

“The fact is, when I see my future….”

“Your future.” She pales, a slight tremble to her lower lip. “Am I in it?”

I place my hands on her hips, hoisting her up to settle in my lap. She coos out a soft sigh and I bring my lips to hers. The kiss I give her is gentle, but the next one won’t be.

“Baby, you are it.”

Coming 2017