Page 36 of The Ones We Fight For

Flipping around, she marched off toward her living room, leaving all sexual thoughts of Walker behind in the kitchen. The blood coursing through her face pulsed under her cheeks, making the sensitive area across her nose throb. If the blush staining her cheeks was any indication, she had to be careful with her friendship with Walker. He continually and unintentionally brought the truth out of her in a way that felt natural. Safe. But sharing too much would be a mistake. What Walker needed wasn’t another person fawning over how attractive he was, but someone he could count on. Someone he could be vulnerable about his family with without the assumption that there would be sex involved. Talia had a feeling Walker had been used too often as a good time instead of someone with a dying devotion to his family. Realness. That was what they both needed, and that was what she would give.

“Sounds good. I brought breakfast, too, but they’re just the shitty bagels from Roaster’s Republic, so don’t get too excited.” Walker followed her into the living room and sat down next to her on the couch, pulling two crinkled brown paper bags from his satchel, passing her one, then ripping it from her grasp a second later. “You need to wear the heat mask for at least five minutes first, then you can have the bagel.”

“What are you, my dad?” Talia huffed and then grimaced, backtracking. “Okay, not really the right thing to say ‘cause my dad was an asshat. You’re more like an imaginary dad who took me to the zoo on my birthday, fed me chicken noodle soup when I was sick, and wasn’t a sloppy drunk.”

“Ugh, don’t relate me to a dad at all. That makes me feel like I should be wearing white Shape Ups and khakis with zippers at the knees,” Walker complained, still holding out the heating pad.

“Your Shape Ups better have green stains from mowing the lawn, or I don’t want it,” Talia joked, finally taking the heating pad and laying down on the couch. She propped her head up on a pile of throw pillows and bent her knees so her feet were planted on the cushion a few inches away from Walker’s legs. It was best to avoid touching him after the charged moment they’d shared.

“That can’t be comfortable. Just stretch your legs out, and I’ll use them as a table for my laptop,” Walker motioned to his lap. Adjusting carefully, Talia draped her legs over him, feeling the heat rise inside her again. He didn’t seem to notice the different kind of discomfort she was enduring as he pulled out his laptop, sliding under her more so that her thighs were ultimately what he used as a tabletop. It was more comfortable than it would have been if he placed the base atop her shins, but the close proximity and her center pressed into his leg made her breathing falter. It took a moment to regain control of herself, fumbling with the heating pad she draped over her face.

“This feels like a warm hug,” Talia sighed dreamily. The heat felt amazing. She closed her eyes in ecstasy, not realizing how badly her face had been hurting before until she felt the relief. “How are you so good with black eyes?”

“I’ve been punched in the face a few times. Why do you think my nose is so crooked?” Walker laughed. Talia fought the urge to ask what the hell he was talking about. His nose was not crooked.

“Why were you punched?”

“Let’s see… the first time was… there was some kid back in high school who was making fun of Curtis—”

“As in my employee who I just hired, Curtis?” Talia inquired.

“Yeah, I went to school with him, and someone was bullying him for having Down syndrome. I don’t think Curtis noticed that they were picking on him, and I probably shouldn’t have started a fight, but I was a dumb teenager, ready to take out my anger on unsuspecting assholes.” Walker lifted his shoulders slightly.

“And you lost the fight?”

“No, of course not. I’m offended that you would even say that,” Walker said pridefully.

“Okay, okay,” Talia chuckled. “And the other times?”

“One of them was a random guy at a bar who sucker-punched me when I was a waiter right out of high school because the bartender didn’t have a heavy enough pour—yet another reason to swear off alcohol. And the last one was… an ex-girlfriend.” Walker looked down at Talia sheepishly then looked away.

Talia jostled her legs in his lap, sitting up a bit more. “Oh? Do tell!”

“I didn’t realize we were exclusive ‘cause we had only been on two dates. She saw me out with another girl… on her birthday.” Walker quickly raised his hands at the widening of Talia’s eyes, which shot a zing of pain through her head. “I didn’t know it was her birthday! I swear! I also maybe forgot that she was an avid kickboxer with a really mean high kick.”

“Two dates? That’s it. What are you doing to these women to make them so obsessed with you? Was Harper the barista on cloud nine this morning when you came in without me?” Talia teased, a smirk pulling on the corner of her lips despite her attempt to restrain it.

“Uh… I don’t know? I just bought our coffee and bagels and left. She only gave me her number that one time. There’s no way she’s still into me.”

“God, you’re daft.” Talia shook her head in reproach and sat up fully, grabbing the bagel from beside him. “She ogles you like a piece of meat every day.”

“No, she doesn’t! Plus, you already know that I’m off the market,” Walker stated and then quickly added, “‘cause of the nieces and nephews.”

“Right.” Talia nodded. “Guess that makes two of us.”

“You aren’t planning on getting out into the dating pool? I’m kinda an expert with Tinder if you want assistance with your profile.”

“As appealing as that sounds, I’m not ready,” Talia said simply, looking over at him for a moment before pulling her legs off his lap and setting them on the ground. “I was engaged in New York, and that didn’t work out, so I’m still… on the mend.”

“Oh,” Walker swallowed and shifted in his seat. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to bring up… should I send this guy hate mail?”

“No.” Talia forced a smile. “It’s just one of those things that I have to get over. It wasn’t anything he did.”

“He’s an idiot,” Walker declared.

“Clifford was a lawyer who was the top of his class in law school. He’s definitely not an idiot,” Talia shot back, not entirely sure why she felt the need to defend her ex, given that they weren’t together anymore.

“His name is Clifford?”

---