Page 24 of Words We Didn't Say

I nodded. “Maybe I’ll take up a class or something. I heard they’re running some cooking classes in Surry Hills again—”

Whomp! Whomp!

The front door rattled under the power of the knocks pounding the old oak. I threw the blanket over my head and disappeared into the sofa.

“Gee.” Andie’s voice dripped with sarcasm. “I wonder who that could be.”

Whomp! Whomp!

“Andie!” That was Zach, alright. “I know you’re up!”

I inched the wool down to glare at Andie. “He can’t see me like this.”

Andie slapped her hands on her knees before pushing up off the sofa. “Guess I’m getting rid of him, then.”

Her footsteps pounded away.

A snap—she’d flipped the lock. A creak—she’d opened the door.

“What do you want?” Andie growled.

“Eden.”

I lowered the blanket, scrambled down the sofa, and craned my neck to peek through the gap down the hallway. My heart stuttered. Zach looked wild. Had he run across the city? Hischest heaved, and his hair flopped over his forehead. Sweat prickled on his brow. Fog clouded the bottom of his glasses. He usually only looked that unpolished—thatundone—when he was, well,fucking.

“Eden’s not here,” Andie said.

Zach’s palm landed flat on the door to stop her from slamming it in his face. “Really?” His laugh was hollow. “Funny, those boxes sure look familiar.”

“You the box police now?”

“I kicked my toe onthatbox this morning. The label says ‘kitchen,’ but I know for a fact Eden stores clothes to donate to the women’s shelter in it.”

“Cool story. See ya.” She pushed her weight into the door, but Zach pushed back.

“Slam the door in my face if you want,” he said, “but I’m not leaving until I see Eden. I’ll keep knocking all night if that’s what it takes. Just try me.”

Andie threw a helpless glance back at me.

I held up my index finger. Girl code:I need a minute to make myself presentable.

Andie dipped her chin in a nod and turned back to the wild man. “Wait there,” she said. “Step one foot through that door, and I’ll introduce you to my fist before I call the cops. Got it?”

I didn’t hear Zach’s response.

I tossed the blanket, tumbled from the sofa, stripped off the ugly cardigan, and unbuttoned my blouse until just enough eat-your-heart-out cleavage peeked through. I upended my handbag and chased the lipstick rolling into the kitchen to swipe on a fresh coat. A quick scrunch of my hair, a spritz of gardenia-scented mist, and then I strutted down the hallway like it was a runway and my entire world hadn’t turned upside down.

My stomach fluttered to see relief weaken Zach’s knees. He wouldn’t get that same reaction from me.

“Oh, it’s you,” I said, slouching against the doorframe and folding my arms like his being there was no big deal. “What do you want?”

“Please come home.”

I snorted a laugh. Home? Where the hell was that? Certainly not where I’d grown up. Not where I’d lived with him, either. “No, but thanks for stopping by.” My fingers curled around the edge of the door, getting ready to slam it shut, but Zach’s shoulder butted into the wood to stop me.

“Talk to me, Denny Dee.”

He had no right to use that achingly low voice on me. He was trying to peel my armour off. The earnest look on his face, the step he took to crowd the doorway until I could only smell his cologne—it was too much. I needed to be stronger.

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