Page 17 of Lake
CHAPTER FIVE
Bridget
The knock at the door had me knifing up with alertness as my heart jumped into my throat. It took me a moment to recall the past night’s events and remember where I was.
“Hold on,” I called out as I jumped out of the bed and snatched up my pants. Hopping up and down, I tried to get them up my legs as quickly as possible. “Who is it?” At least I remembered to ask before just throwing the door open.
“Lake,” he called out softly from the other side of the door.
“Hey,” I said a little uncoolly as I opened the door while trying to tame the rat’s nest that had become my hair.
“Morning,” he said and I sensed a tiredness in his voice. “I forgot to get your keys last night.”
“Oh, yeah. That would probably be a big help. Well, maybe. She might not start for you.”
I moved back as I waved him in, which felt strange because it was his room and all.
“I brought you some coffee. Figured it was the least I could do for waking you up so early,” he said and set the steaming cup on the table next to the bed, then proceeded to pull a bunch of sugar packets out of his pocket. “There’s some milk in the fridge.” He pointed to a small cube fridge on the other side of the room. “Or there’s a shit ton of different creamers down in the kitchen. I wasn’t sure what you liked so…”
“Milk will work. Thanks.”
I didn’t know why I couldn’t turn and face him. He didn’t have to do that and I was being a bit rude. But in all honesty, it threw me. I’d never had anyone bring me coffee before. Not even my dad, but mostly because he didn’t drink it and probably never realized how addicted to the stuff I was.
I found my keys and hesitantly crossed the room before placing them in his outstretched hand.
“I, um,” I paused, hating that I might not have enough to actually get the thing fixed and also not wanting him to know just how fucking broke I was. “Can you just look at it and tell me what’s wrong.”
He studied me for a beat longer than I was comfortable with.
“Yeah, no problem. I’ll come find you when I figure it out.”
“If.”
“What?”
“If,” I repeated. “Ifyou figure it out.”
I wasn’t trying to underestimate his qualifications, I just knew that my car could be difficult and if she didn’t want you to figure it out then you wouldn’t. Who knew, she could have just wanted a break and knew the smoke show would make me pull over.
“She’s a different kind of beast,” I rushed to say so he knew I wasn’t cutting him down.
“Right…” He drew the word out as he looked at me like I was the one off my rocker. He just didn’t get it. But oh, he would see very soon.
“I’m not crazy,” I said as he started to back out of the room, his eyes locked onto mine.
“No, of course not. I would never say that.” His lips twitched like he was trying hard not to smile. Though I couldn’t tell if it was because he was being playful or trying to cover the fact that crazy was exactly what he was thinking I was. “I wouldn’t want you to punch my good eye.”
He shot me a smile and a wink before he turned and took off out of the room. A laugh bubbled up from out of my throat and I had no choice but to set it free. Oddly enough, I stood there in a strange daze, smiling for far too long.
I closed the door and turned on the balls of my feet. The still steaming cup of coffee caught my attention right away. I didn’t want to think it but…
He brought me coffee.
Sure it probably meant significantly less to him than it did to me. I mean, come on, I wasn’t going to go and get gushy over something so small. I wasn’t. Really.
I was not the type of girl to swoon over the first man to show me any type of affection and I wasn’t the kind of nut-head that would latch onto someone in the blink of an eye. It was just a nice gesture and I could let my guard down enough to take appreciation of it.
I was surprised to find that the milk was not out of date or smelled funny. I wasn’t judging, after all, I had my share of forgotten cartons in my fridge during my lifespan.
