Page 174 of If Our Hearts Collide

Making my way to the front door, I take one look back to make sure I didn’t forget anything. Ah, the blanket is all balled up. Oh well, I’m sure his compulsiveness will push him toward giving it a fresh wash and folding it into perfection once again, if that’s how he wants to spend seventy-five minutes of his time. It’s best that I don’t try a task that I know I’ll just mess up anyway.

With shaky fingers, I unlock the deadbolt and pull open the door. I hear the vibrating countdown of the alarm system, instructing me to type in the pin code. Shit. I need to be fast.

I rush out the door, slam it shut, and dash down the hallway toward the elevators. I sigh in relief when the door opens as soon as I press the button. I enter, hit my floor’s number, and say a silentthank youfor not running into anyone in my bra-less and panty-less state of being.

If I learned anything this evening, it’s to be more prepared and to think about a worst-case scenario. Forgetting my house keys and my phone was a major flaw in my plan. I still can’t believe I did that.

The ding of the elevator startles me, making me fidget. When the doors open, I walk quickly to my unit.

Please be home, Luke.Please.

I ring the doorbell and follow it with a series of three knocks. Why isn’t he answering? C’mon!

My mind races at the possible options. I can either go back to Collins’s and sleep there, or I can sleep on the floor here in the hallway. I don’t even know which one sounds better.

I give another pitiful knock, and I smack the doorbell. Leaning my forehead against the cold metal of the door, I close my eyes in defeat. Then I hear it—the sound of the knob.

I jump back as Luke pulls open the door, looking freshly showered and exhausted.

“Penny,” he says smoothly. He gives me the once-over, most definitely noticing I’m not wearing undergarments. “Is this an unannounced booty call? I love surprises.”

I push him back, laughing. “I live here. Remember?”

“So, we are friends with benefits. Either way, I very much approve.”

“Being friends is still up for debate,” I tease.

Luke grabs his heart. “Ouch.”

I shake my head at him as he shuts the door and hits the lock. “I don’t have my keys or phone. It’s been”—I expel the air from my lungs—“one of those nights.”

Luke scratches the back of his head. “Yeah, I hear you. Has your man made any more moves on you?”

I allow his words to penetrate my brain. “Which man?” I don’t have a man.

“You know,” he says, circling his hand into the air. “The guy with the one facial expression.” Then he demonstrates with a look of indifference. “He has a perpetual scowl on his face, like this.”

Oh my. He’s good at this.

“Collins?” I bark out into a laugh, making Luke nod. “Oh heavens, no. He is basically the opposite version of what I’m looking for.” As soon as the words leave my lips, I know I just told a lie. At least that’s how it feels. Have I been fooling myself all this time? Could someone like Collins want a girl like me?

Sure, we kissed… And ground against each other… But that could have been chalked up to heightened hormones from both of us.

I’m nothing like Daphne.

But Collins didn’t seem all that into her either considering he couldn’t even remember her name. And Daphne is pretty memorable.

“I’ve seen the way he looks at you.”

“And how is that?”

“Like he’s the Little Mermaid and you are dry land.”

I laugh. “I guess that’s better than me being a flower.”

“Oh, you can be that too.”

“But then I’ll always be treated like someone who is delicate, when all I really want is to be ravished.”

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