Page 24 of Hard To Stay

Chapter Eight

Brad

I was standingoutside Lexi’s apartment, mentally running through the lines that I had rehearsed all morning in my bathroom mirror. I hoped with all that I had that she wouldn’t slam the door in my face, even though that is exactly what I deserved. I swallowed hard when I imagined how the situation behind it would go. She wasn’t going to be happy to see me that much I was sure of. My hands fumbled for the doorbell and I held my breath while listening for her footsteps to approach.

The door slowly swung open and the sight of her beautiful face felt like a punch in the gut. She was standing there with her hand on her hip and an annoyed look in her eyes. Even in the dimly lit hallway, she still looked breathtaking. She was wearing a grey crop top with a pair of tight leggings that showed off her curves. Her long blonde hair was pulled up on top of her head in a messy bun, showcasing a gorgeous, make-up free face. I was such a fuck up. I would do anything to make this right, even if I had to beg her every damn day for the rest of my life.

“What do you want, Brad?” At least she acknowledged my existence. I could work with that.

I flashed her my million-dollar smile that seemed to draw compliments from the ladies. It’s all I had. I knew these dimples were deadly, and I was going to use them to my advantage. Unfortunately, Lexi seemed completely immune to my charms. She looked back at me with a blank, empty stare causing the grin on my face to drop in disappointment. She wasn’t going to make this easy on me.

“Can I come in?” I asked, holding out the brown paper bag I picked up on my way over. “I brought a peace offering.” I held the bag up like it was proof that I wasn’t lying.

She craned her neck to the side to get a better look at the logo. “Is that the egg white sandwich, that I like?”

My lips twisted into a smirk noticing her resolve weakening. “And the spinach and artichoke soufflé that you love. I wasn’t sure what you wanted, so I brought you one of each.”

She seemed to think it over for a beat longer than I was comfortable with as I anxiously awaited her reply.

“I’m not hungry,” she announced, causing my glance to fall to the toes of her bare feet.

“Can I please come in? We need to talk.” I pleaded, leaning my tall frame against the doorjamb.

“I’m busy… and I’m not hungry, so I’m not sure why you need to come in.”

Jesus, she was really going to make me work for this.

“With what?” I asked, cocking an eyebrow. It felt like I was losing my touch, which made me more determined than before to gain an invitation inside. It was clear that the distance between us was far greater than I had anticipated, but I knew in my heart I could close that gap. I would wear her down like the lead on a drawing pencil. If she wanted to get rid of me I wasn’t going to make it easy on her.

“Look Brad, it’s been a shitty 24 hours and I’m up to my elbows scrubbing my toilet.”

My lips tipped up into a grin, not sure if her word play was intentional or accidental. Either way, she was absolutely adorable without even realizing it. There was no way I was leaving here without getting everything off my chest.

“Well, that certainly sounds like a lot of fun and all, but I really only need five minutes of your time.”

She huffed out a frustrated breath, “Fine.” She opened the door wider to allow me in as she looked at the clock on the kitchen wall. “Five minutes. I’ve got scrubbing bubbles that are demanding my attention.” She said, slamming the door behind us. She walked right past me, drawing my eyes to her perfect ass and the lace thong creeping above the top of her leggings. She gave her hips an extra swing with each step that appeared to be for my benefit or punishment. I still wasn’t sure.

I walked over to her small kitchen table, taking her breakfast out of the bag. I pulled out a chair and gestured for her to join me.

She slid into the seat across from me with a scowl on her face. “Please make yourself at home.”

“Lexi, I need to apologize.”

She looked away, biting down on her bottom lip. It took her a couple of minutes to find her voice, but when she did, it pissed me off. “Brad, we were both drinking last night. We can just agree to forget the kiss ever happened.”

“What?” My voice rose, and I shot up straight in my seat. Was she serious? She was delusional if she thought I could forget that kiss. I’d kissed plenty of other women, and not one had ever impacted me as much as the one we shared last night. Comparing that kiss only made the rest feel empty and insignificant.

“The kiss.” She eyed me carefully. “You don’t have to apologize. I know it didn’t mean anything. We can just pretend it never happened and move on.”

I pushed down my anger while I replayed the words in my head. How could she possibly say that kiss meant nothing? I felt the way her body reacted to mine, and she was trying to pass it off like it was a drunken mistake.

“You think I’m apologizing for kissing you?”

Her eyes blinked in confusion. “Well I thought… you know…” She shrugged her shoulders. “Considering what you said afterwards,” her voice trailed off to a whisper as regret started to fill my body.

Running my hands down my face, I looked her straight in the eyes, making sure my words were loud and clear. “I’m not sorry I kissed you. I won’t apologize for that.”

“Oh.” Was all she could say, clearly not expecting that.

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