Page 141 of One Night Only
I glance at him and the innocent look on his face. “This couch is—”
“The worst? Yeah, I know. It came with the apartment. I never sit there if I can help it.”
“But you’re fine if I do?”
He shrugs. “It’s my place.”
“Such a gentleman.”
“You can join me over here?”
“I’m fine. But I think I know why you have a bad back.” I take a sip of water. It’s so cold it hurts my teeth, but I gulp it back gratefully and press the bottle to the side of my neck.
Declan’s gaze tracks the movement.
“We lived in Brooklyn,” I say and his eyes snap back to mine. “Me and Annie. In Williamsburg.”
“Trendy.”
“We liked to think so.”
“I like this neighborhood,” he says. “I could probably be closer to work but it’s quiet. The lease is up in a couple of weeks but I’m hoping to hold onto it. You and Annie met in college?”
“That’s right.”
“Where you were studying architecture.”
“You know that already.”
“I do,” he says. “I’m being polite.”
He’s being annoying and he knows it. But he’s still looking at me, settled back in his comfy chair. Like he has all the time in the world. And I’m the most fascinating person in it.
“She said you lived together for years,” he continues.
“Four,” I say. “Not including college. She eventually moved in with a guy she was seeing but they didn’t last long. She went home for while and then she met Paul.”
“And you met Claire.”
“On Craigslist. I couch surfed in between. Somehow I’m still alive.”
I meant it as a joke but Declan’s looking at me curiously.
“You never lived with a partner before? Not even with Josh?”
I shake my head, picking at the label. “He’s actually the longest I’ve ever been with someone.”
Declan only nods. There’s no judgment in his expression.
“What about you?” I ask, desperate to keep the conversation moving. “You said you don’t do hookups,” I say, risking a glance at him. “But you never said anything about girlfriends. There must have been someone since you moved here.”
“There have been girlfriends,” he admits. “It took a while though.”
“No rebound sex?”
“No,” he says, flashing a smile. “I was crushed when Fiona left me. I didn’t know how to deal with it or even how to go about finding someone new.”
“But you did.”
