Page 43 of Wrapped Up In You
Hayden
Are you still mad?
I let out a breath, scrubbing my hand over my face, guilt snaking its way through me. I’d been such a dick when I’d left this morning, and none of it had been his fault. Factor that in with the fact that I hadn’t responded to his texts about the dinner with our parents, and he’d likely worked himself up into a ball of worry.
Noting the time was nearing three o'clock, I shut off my computer and shrugged on my coat. With half the office on vacation during this holiday week, I’d been looking forward to catching up on some work while it was quiet, but it was evident I wasn’t going to get anything done today.
I strode out of my office and headed toward the elevator, my long legs eating up the carpet as I moved with purpose.
“Where’re you going, Jon-O?”
The elevator doors opened, and I punched the button for the parking garage. “To see my boyfriend,” I called out as the doors were closing, enjoying the look of surprise on Louis’s face. I’d probably pay for that impulsive comment later, but right now, I had more important things on my mind.
* * *
Itexted Hayden on the way down to my car, asking him to meet me at The Daily Grind, a coffee shop about a block away from Olive & Vine. We were only going to have about an hour to talk before he needed to be at work, but I knew this was a conversation worth having in person.
He hadn’t deserved the way I’d treated him this morning, and I owed him an apology. He had me so off-kilter and out of my routine, and while I’d enjoyed exploring the freedom that came with just rolling with it back at the cabin, I’d not handled it well back here in the real world.
It had started with me oversleeping this morning, having not set an alarm last night before passing out in a post-orgasmic coma. I hadn’t planned on spending the night when I’d shown up at Hayden’s last night. Hell, I hadn’t even stopped at my own home and unpacked first. I’d just shown up wanting to see him. To fill my senses with him. Holding him, breathing him in, gazing into his deep brown eyes had been the only things on my mind. I hadn’t thought I’d fuck him. I certainly hadn’t planned to spend the night.
I’d found myself waking up this morning two hours later than usual, with sunlight streaming in rather than the darkness that came with a December predawn morning. Hayden had still been asleep when I’d thrown off the covers, bolting out of bed, naked as the day I was born. I’d stumbled over a pair of shoes and a stack of books, but it had been the pair of jeans that had done me in. I’d gotten my feet tangled in them and fallen hard, catching my shoulder on the corner of his dresser, eliciting a shout that had finally woken him up.
Apparently, I’d also woken his roommate, who’d banged on the wall and yelled, “You guys okay in there?” which had only frustrated and embarrassed me further. Angry, I’d turned my frustration on Hayden, who’d been sitting gloriously naked in the center of the bed, eyes wide as he took in my appearance.
He’d come up on his knees, scooching himself to the end of the bed. “Are you okay?”
“No, I’m not fucking okay. Goddammit, Hayden. Your room is a fucking disaster.” I’d rubbed my bruised shoulder, then reached for my pants, yanking them on with angry, disjointed movements. “I have to go. I’m late.”
I’d at least had the presence of mind to kiss him on the forehead once I was fully dressed, I recalled. I might have been frustrated, and my shoulder had been on fire, but I was still in love with the human tornado.
I stopped in my tracks three steps from opening the door to the entrance of the coffee shop. Someone came out, nearly running into me as I stood directly in the path of anyone entering or exiting the place. Still, I didn’t budge from the spot.
I was in love with Hayden.
How was that possible? It hadn’t even been a week. I’d had some thoughts about it yesterday, but I’d attributed that to my sappy feelings about him leaving the cabin. I’d thought I wason the wayto falling in love. I couldn’t already be there. Could I?
I mentally shook myself and entered the coffee shop. These were all thoughts I could work through later. Things I needed to examine further with proper diligence and adequate time.
I spotted Hayden in the back corner and started making my way toward him, bypassing the line for coffee. I didn’t want to waste time standing in line when I had things I needed to say.
As it turned out, Hayden had already bought me a coffee. He slid it toward me as I took my seat across from him, noting that his smile was forced and he wouldn’t quite meet my eyes.
I sipped my coffee, mostly because it was there, not really tasting it beyond noting that it was black, as I liked it. Absently, I took his hand in mine as I faced him, trying to organize my thoughts. My revelation on the sidewalk was making it difficult for me to remember why I’d called him here in the first place.
He stared at our clasped hands for a moment before reluctantly drawing his eyes up to mine. The worry in his expression nearly broke my heart. I hated that I’d been the one to put that there.
“Hay, I’m—”
“I cleaned my—”
We had spoken at the same time and chuckled nervously in response.
“Go ahead,” I said, sipping my coffee to indicate he should speak first.
“Oh, I was just going to tell you I cleaned my room today.”
My breath left me in a whoosh. While I valued a clean space, I could read between the lines here and see Hayden hadn’t done it out of any desire to tidy his room but rather because he was afraid I was going to be upset with him. It was the way I’d lived my entire life. Doing things in the hope they’d be pleasing to my father, or at the very least, that I wouldn’t upset him. And here we were, with Hayden doing the same thing. I really was just like my father.
