Page 21 of Love Like Lightning

“Now what are we going to do?”

“I am going to go throw on some comfy clothes and take a nap. Maybe we can meet up for dinner later?” I offer, knowing that he’ll more than likely decide to stay solo for the night.

As nice as he is, and as much as we genuinely like working together, he tends to live a lone-wolf lifestyle. I usually let it slide, especially so early on a project, since we usually have to spend a lot of time together for work.

“Yeah, we’ll see. We’ll connect. I’m going to grab a coffee at that café. Want me to grab you something?”

“I’m set. Let me know how the coffee is.”

“Will do.”

With that, we both get into our cars. I watch him drive away as I kick off my shoes and throw them into the passenger's seat. There’s just a short drive between me and my bed, and I need a nap. Badly.

9

Henry

I’ve been walking around with an extra skip in my step since the moment I saw Gia.

There must have been a super low chance of this happening.

I mean, out of all the small mountain towns in the area, she ends up here.

Again.

And right when I was talking about her, she appeared.

I throw my bag into the back of my truck and shut the door before hopping into the front seat. Pulling my phone out, I check my schedule again to make sure I’m done for the day before I make the short drive home to shower. After clearing out Mrs. Bartley’s gutters, I need it.

Even feeling grimy can’t wipe the smile off my face. When I pull up to the green house where I rent an apartment, I throw my car into park and sit back. Staring ahead at the white wraparound porch, I can’t help but think about how close Gia is. I wonder if we’ll run into each other again. I don’t have plans for tonight, so maybe I’ll go out for dinner. She’s gotta eat, right?

Luckily, Ever Lake is only so big.

Grabbing my backpack, I hop out and take the front steps two at a time. Before I make it to the door that leads up to my apartment, the door to the right swings open.

“Come down for some tea after you wash up,” Hank, the owner of Daisy’s Diner and one of my landlords, orders me with a stern look. No matter how serious he’s trying to be, he can’t scrub the twinkle in his eye.

“Only if you promise you have that apple tea,” I respond with a smile.

He just grins, his white smile contrasting against his rich brown skin. Shooting me a wink, he shuts the door on me.

With the promise of tea, I unlock my door and make my way upstairs. Hank and Betty have been my landlords for a few years now. Once my parents were convinced that I could live on my own, even if it’s within town limits, I snagged this apartment.

They had just finished renovating their home, splitting it into the upstairs/downstairs duplex it is today. And I love it.

I love having my own place, doing what I want when I want. It’s been the perfect bachelor pad. Even when Ian visits and stays on my large sectional couch, it’s a big enough place that we still have our own space.

And let me tell you, after growing up as the youngest of five, space is a hot commodity.

And I love Betty and Hank. They’ve become great friends.

I unhook the carabiner clip that holds my keys from my belt loop and slide my key into the lock of the door at the top of the stairs. I turn the doorknob, step inside, and shut the door behind me.

Inhaling deeply, I take in the smell of home. It’s a mix of the lemon cleaner I used this morning in the kitchen and the teakwood candle I burned while I ate breakfast. My shoulders relax, and all of my usual day to day stress melts away. I drop my bag on the couch and pull out my phone to check the alert I got while I was driving.

It says my blood sugar is low, so I grab a juice box from my fridge and suck down half of it. Knowing that should be enough to level things out, I head straight for the stall shower in my bathroom. I turn the shower knob to let the water heat up and start peeling away my clothes.

Steam begins to fill the bathroom right as I’m pulling off my black boxer briefs. Stepping into the shower, I close my eyes against the hot spray and feel leagues better immediately.

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