Page 26 of Secret Admirer

“Oh…are you sure? We can…just stay inside.”

I hate that she’s scared to go outside. That’s no way to live your life. “Open the shades and you can watch me if it will make you feel better. I doubt anyone is out there right now.”

“But they might be back tonight.” Her chin trembles.

If she’s right and there was someone there every time her security lights came on, she’s right that whoever it is will probably be back. “Maybe with the police showing up last night, he won’t come back.”

“You don’t believe that,” Coco says barely above a whisper.

I can’t lie to her. “It’s what I hope. Now let me go check around outside and I’ll be right back. I promise.”

“Fine,” she answers reluctantly. Taking her phone, she opens the shades and we stand silently watching as the light filters into the room. After a few moments of looking outside from her spot, Coco turns off the alarm. “Please be safe, Bodhi.”

Unlocking the door, I nod and step outside into the warm sunlight. I still haven’t gotten used to the fact that it feels like summer in October here. At least I have a place to sleep at night. The extreme temperatures really did a number on me when I first moved here.

The outside of Coco’s house is as beautiful as the inside. There’s an outdoor kitchen, a bar with a pool and hot tub, along with a fire pit. If she wasn’t scared of someone being outside stalking her, I bet Coco would spend her evenings outside enjoying the beautiful scenery. I trail along the property line, looking for anything out of the ordinary but don’t find anything. I’m not sure I’d know it if I saw anything. As I make my way back to the house, I stop by a planter full of little red flowers and break off one of the bunches. I’m showing my hand and I hope it doesn’t freak Coco out when I give them to her.

Coming up to the sliding glass wall where I exited the house, I stand waiting for Coco to let me in. Beginning to worry when she doesn’t immediately come to the door, my mind races with possibilities of what could have happened. Before I panic, I decide to walk along the side of the house. Keeping my eyes trained on the inside with each passing moment, a pit starts to form in my stomach. When I see her curled up in a chair on the phone, I let out a sigh of relief knowing that she’s inside and safe.

Jumping up, Coco runs to the door and unlocks it before stepping back to let me in. “Trixie, uh…I’ll call you back later.” She pauses listening to her friend. “Yeah, everything is fine.” Another pause. “I promise I’m going to take it easy and will call you if I need anything.” Pause. “Bye, Trix.”

Locking the door, she turns back to me. “Did you find anything?”

With my hands behind my back, I shake my head. “Nothing, but I’m not surprised. Is everything with your friend okay?”

“Oh, yeah, she’s fine with me not coming in today. I’m a little sore…” I eye the bruising on her face. “Okay, I’m a lot sore, but it’s more my state of mind. I would probably jump at every little noise and I don’t think I could concentrate so I’m taking a mental health day. What about you? When do you work, or do you work today?” She fidgets with the end of her shirt sleeve, something she seems to do when she’s nervous.

“I have to be at work by three-thirty. The class I run is from four to six.” Coco looks outside and back to me. “We have plenty of time, don’t worry.”

“Is it strange that I feel safe when I’m with you?” Her big blue eyes well up, and glisten with unshed tears.

To hear Coco say those words does something strange inside of me. It makes what I’ve been feeling since the moment I saw her feel validated. “I don’t think it’s strange for you to feel that way.” It’s now or never. Taking a deep breath, I let it out slowly through my nose. Bringing my hand from behind my back, I hold out the flowers to Coco. I do feel bad that I picked her flowers, but I didn’t have any other option if I wanted to give her a flower today.

Her eyes widen as she clamps her hand over her mouth. Looking back and forth from the flowers to my face, she takes the flowers with a shaky hand.

“You’re the one who’s been leaving me flowers every day?”

13

Coco

Walking backward,I stop when the back of my knees hit the chair I was previously sitting in. I’m gobsmacked. Lifting the flowers to my nose, I stare up at Bodhi. Yes, I know what the flowers smell like because they’re from right outside, but I can’t help myself.

Bodhi moves to stand behind the couch and clears his throat. His eyes can’t seem to meet mine. “Do you want me to leave?”

I don’t want him to leave. I want Bodhi to stay another night or three or more.

Turning back to the sliding wall, Bodhi unlocks it and slides it open. His eyes are downcast, and he wrings his hands in front of him. “I’m so…sorry, Coco. I promise I won’t bother you again. Make sure to lock the door and turn on your alarm.” He steps outside as my heart breaks for him. Why does he think I don’t want anything to do with him? Because he leaves me flowers every morning and makes my day?

I blink and he’s gone. I don’t see him anywhere. Running outside, I look right and then left, but it’s like he’s vanished into thin air. I head around the corner of the house to see him halfway down the driveway at a fast pace.

Cupping my hands around my mouth, I yell as I keep walking. “Bodhi!” Either he doesn’t hear me, or he doesn’t want to stop. I take off in a run as I try to catch up with him. “Bodhi, please stop! Please!” I pant out. When he stops walking and turns around, I nearly fall to the ground in relief. “Bodhi, please don’t go!”

Slowly we walk toward each other. My mind’s going a mile a minute trying to think of what I’m going to say to him because underneath all that gorgeousness that is Bodhi Rivers is a sweet and sensitive man. I can’t see the look on his face. His face is bowed with his hands hanging at his sides. The moment we’re in proximity of each other, I grab his hand in mine and hold on for dear life. Fire zips up my arm and I hold him tighter, loving the way it feels each time we touch.

“I’m sorry.” I blurt out as I pull him back to my house. “I was deep in my head and the next thing I knew you were gone.” I know if Bodhi didn’t want to come, he could easily stop me from manhandling him, but he lets me bring him back. Maybe it’s just for a ride since it would be a long walk back.

Once we’re close to the house, Bodhi stops in his tracks and looks around. “You didn’t close the door.”

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