Page 43 of Be With Me

I did, but nothing that couldn’t be put off. So, I shook my head. “No. I don’t have any plans. Not really.” He had a tumor. That was the only explanation. At least, that’s what I told myself. Anything else…well…I wasn’t ready to think about that.

“I know Snickers would like it if you stayed.”

“Is that his name?” I grinned down at the furry face that had been watching me with a forlorn expression since the moment I stood.

“Yes. There’s a story behind it, but I think that’s something for another time.” He stood and clapped his hands together. “So, what do you say? I’ll make some tea or some cocoa, and we can watch movies or something.”

That actually sounded really nice, but I still had the feeling I was imposing somehow. “Don’t feel like you have to invite me to stay just because I showed up here. Really. I just wanted to check on you, and you’re obviously okay…” I trailed off as he approached me and took my hands.

“Ailee. I want you to stay. I want to get to know you better.” He grinned. “And not in the biblical kind of way. Just…you.” He gave me a little smile and shrugged.

I still wasn’t completely comfortable, but I didn’t feel threatened or anything. Just that something was off. And I wanted to figure out what it was. Something told me this wasn’t just a game. “Okay. That sounds nice.”

He smiled at me, his brown eyes warm and friendly.

It took me a minute to figure out what was different. And then I did. There was no heat in his gaze. Not one spark. Same as when I saw him at Whole Foods.

“Great. I’ll go get our drinks.”

As he walked away, I noticed for the first time what he was wearing. Soft, form-fitting pants clung to his muscular legs, and a long, baby-blue sweatshirt hung down past his hips.

Like something I would wear lounging around at home. Yeah, now that I thought about it, it was kind of feminine. But styles had changed quite a bit these days. Men didn’t always wear stuff that was overtly masculine, and vice-versa. And it wasn’t unattractive on him.

“Tea or cocoa?” he asked from the kitchen.

“Tea,” I replied. “Can I use your bathroom?”

“Of course. Down the hall. First door on your right.”

I smiled at Snickers and told him I’d be right back, then made my way down the hall. I could see Tyler’s room at the end, and with a peek over my shoulder, I wandered over to the doorway and looked in. A large bed took up most of the room. It had a dark leather backboard and was covered with a dark blue comforter. A small lamp and a thick book took up most of the space on the nightstand on the far side. On the wall closest to me looked to be the closet and maybe another bathroom.

Against the far wall, a wooden table was shoved into the corner. There were papers scattered across the top, drawings from the looks of it. I wanted to take a closer look, but I didn’t feel comfortable just walking into his room.

I backtracked and quickly shut myself in the hall bathroom. It was only a half bath—a pedestal sink and a toilet—so there was nothing there to give me any insight into this man I was finding myself more and more entangled with. When I was finished, I washed my hands and headed back out to the living room. Snickers greeted me with a wagging tail and a smile.

I heard rain hitting the windows as Tyler came in with two mugs of tea. He set them on the coffee table and invited me to sit down. “What’ll it be? A movie? A card game?”

I got comfy on the couch near Snickers. “How about Truth or Dare?”

Tyler sat near me, one leg tucked beneath him. He laughed at my suggestion. “Or…we could just talk.”

“Okay.” This was so strange. Sitting here with him now was kind of like hanging out with a new girlfriend for the first time. It was both weird and comfortable. I had no idea how he could turn it off and on again—that thing, whatever it was, that made the fire burn in my blood with nothing but a heated glance from him.

“So, you’re divorced.” He drew out the last word a bit.

“Yes.” I was confused. “But you know that.”

“I do.” He sounded more confident this time. “Was it really bad?”

“The marriage or the divorce?”

He smiled. “Both.”

“Um…” I wasn’t sure where he was going with this. “We already talked about a lot of this the other night. Don’t you remember?”

He stared at me hard, but I had the strangest feeling he wasn’t seeing me at all. After a few seconds, he focused on my face. “That’s right. We did.”

I picked up my tea and took a sip. It was good. Some kind of orange spice. “It was the best thing I ever did.”

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