Page 81 of Just a Number

“I don’t think much of the company you’re keeping these days, Melody,” Alex says with a tut.

I leap away from him. “What the actual fuck are you doing here?”

He stands his ground, taking his time to look at me, starting from my heels, all the way up my bare legs to the brown suede pencil skirt I’m wearing and further up over the sky blue pussy-bow blouse. It’s like an eternity and I do nothing but stand there and let him do it. Finally, our eyes meet.

“Fuck, I missed you,” he rasps.

I suck in a breath. My knees, still not recovered from the shock of seeing him, wobble.

“Can we go inside?” he asks.

“If we do, will you tell me why you’re here? Six months before you’re supposed to be.”

His head dips in a nod. “Of course.”

My hands tremble as I reach into my bag and pull out my keys. Alex follows close behind as I step up to the front door to unlock it. His breath skates along the back of my neck and there’s a deep-seated reluctance to move away from him.I want to be close to him.I let go of a sigh that’s been building since I clapped eyes on him, straighten my shoulders, and step into the house.

He reaches up to unclasp his biker jacket and I cannot tear my gaze away as he pulls the zip down, slowly revealing the black t-shirt he’s wearing underneath. He shrugs out of the jacket and I startle as he steps in my direction to hang it on top of where I’ve put my bag on the bannister.

He holds my chin, but I keep my gaze averted, looking down at his tattooed arm. There’s new ink since I last saw him.

“Look at me, Mel,” he rasps and then he adds, “please.” It’s the ‘please’ that does it. My eyes whip up to meet his, making every single cell in my body vibrate with need and longing.

His touch is a gift after six long months.

His presence here, with me, feels momentous.

My lips part on a gasp as he lowers his head and plants a soft kiss against my lips. He lets loose a groan that seems to vibrate through him. “I don’t suppose you’d be open to the physical reunion before the conversational one, would you?” He rests his forehead against mine so he is all I can see.

“What are you doing here?” I whisper. It’s so intimate, being this close. I should push him away, but he’s taken me by surprise and my will is weak. I want to soak up every touch, every look before he leaves again.

“I came to see you. I couldn’t stay away a moment longer,” he whispers back, and the huskiness of his voice makes me want to melt.

“I can’t…” Panic starts to overtake me. I bring my hands up to his chest to push him away. “I just need a moment. I wasn’t expecting…” My brain refuses to cooperate and form a sentence. But he listens and takes a step back, his eyes clouded with concern.

“Take a moment. Do you want me to get you some water?” he asks, gesturing up the hallway towards the kitchen. I nod, grateful for the reprieve and a moment to centre myself. Hetakes my hand in his as he passes, tugging me along to the kitchen.

Inside, he flicks on the light and steers me over to the breakfast bar, settling me onto a stool. He grabs a glass and fills it from the tap, bringing it over and then stands with one hand on the back of my stool and one on the countertop, hemming me in so I can’t escape. But there’s some distance now and sitting down has helped my wobbly knees. I take a few sips before placing the glass back down.

“I thought we said a year,” I say, not seeing any reason not to get straight to the point now I’m calmer.

“You said a year,” he retorts, a brow lifted.

“I’m sure you agreed.”

“I managed six months, Mel, and I still think about you every bloody day. You're the first thing on my mind every morning before I’ve had coffee. And you’re always the last thing on my mind at night. I had to come and see how you were doing. I couldn’t stay away any longer.” The light from above plays against his face. It makes me want to reach up and touch him, run my palm over the stubble covering his chin. “How long have you been dating that guy?” he asks, gesturing his head to the front door.

“Tonight was the first time I met him. One of the girls I used to work with set it up.”

“And are you planning to see him again?” He stares right into my eyes like he’s trying to pluck the answer directly from my brain rather than wait to hear it on my lips.

“No. It was… He’s not for me.”

“And is there anyone else?”

“What does it matter?” I ask with a sigh.

“I want to know if I’ll be stepping on anyone’s toes if I kiss you properly. If we spent the night together.”

---