Page 99 of Taking Chances

Paint splatters my face from the pressure I’m putting on the roller.

Fuck.

I wipe it with the back of my hand.

This is bullshit.

Days goby as I finish the guest room and dining room.

I talk to no one, other than texting Connor a few times. He’s waiting on Rina hand and foot as they count the last few days before their baby arrives. Good thing he’s too busy to call me up to meet.

I don’t think I could be around Anne right now. I don’t think I could stop myself from staring at her gorgeous green eyes or tracing her freckles with my finger. I’m not positive I could keep myself from kissing her rosy, pouty lips.

The thing between us was never public, but I got my private fix every few days. Now, I feel like I’m starving. I should probably visit the club one of these days, take the edge off, but the thought makes bile rise in my throat. Touching someone that isn’t Anne doesn’t hold appeal.

Also, being secluded is getting to me. I’ve been a loner most of my life, but these people grew on me. I got used to their obvious care for each other and now I feel like I’m missing something.

There’s not much I can do about it, so I throw myself into work and start the renovation of the garage.

A week later,thanks to sheer force of my loneliness, the house is finally done. The walls of the garage are fresh and clean, mold nowhere to be found. The bathroom is completely redone, and it looks pretty good. I worked from sunrise to sundown, trying to keep a certain firecracker out of my mind.

It had zero effect. Everything I did, I imagined how she would react if she were to see it.

Would she like it? Would she be proud of me?

By now, it’s obvious she isn’t the only one that developed feelings, but I have to let them pass. If I gave her my whole heart, it’s still only the ruined remains I have left. And she deserves so much more.

My phone vibrates with a call.

Jason.

My stomach drops. It’s almost 11 p.m. He never calls me this late.

“Hey, man… your mom is here, at the house…” His voice is low, but it echoes in my ears.

“What happened?” I butt in.

“She’s OK. But they had another fight, and she came here. I’m not sure what happened…” He continues speaking, but I’m not fully there.

My heart beats out of my chest as my palms grow sweaty. I run them through my hair, desperately trying to ground myself.

Before I can think it through, I hop onto my bike and head out the garage. My vision is tunnel as I ride the silent night streets. My hands break at their own accord, parking right in front of her building.

What the hell am I doing?

It’s too late to stop because I’m already knocking at her door.

Footsteps approach. The lock clicks.

The door snaps open, streaks of red appearing in my blurry eyesight.

“What’s wrong?” Anne’s voice is laced with worry and barely louder than my heartbeat. As I try to focus my vision, I notice she’s in a skimpy nightgown, her hair a mess.

She’s beautiful, but she was obviously sleeping.

“I woke you up. I’m sorry,” I mumble.

She waves me off, dragging me into her apartment. “Lennox, what’s wrong? What happened?”

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