Page 57 of My Brother's Roommate (Frisky Business 2)
The words send a twinge to my gut. Maybe if my dad had been the advice-giving type, I would have had an easier go of things. What I wouldn’t give to turn back the clock and tell teenage Wolfie the same thing Connor just told me.
But I can’t. All I can do is take his advice and run with it.
And I know exactly where I’m running.
Once the tab is squared away, I thank Connor for his words of wisdom, then rush to my car, routing my GPS straight to Penelope’s apartment.It’s not until I’m looking for parking outside of Penelope’s place that it occurs to me how bold I’m being. Hell, there’s a very high likelihood that she’s not even home.
The thought of her chatting up some guy at a bar downtown comes to mind, and my heart kicks in protest. All I can do is hope and pray it’s just a thought, not a reality.
By some miracle, I nab a spot at the end of her block, which should be almost impossible at this time of night on a Saturday. I know better than to take it as a good sign, though. I don’t believe in signs or luck or any of that bullshit. But I do believe in me and Penelope, so I race down the block, drawing cold air into my lungs as I stop in front of her apartment building and slam my thumb on the buzzer.
“Hello?” Her voice is soft on the other end of the intercom.
Just one word from her and relief pulses through my veins. Thank fuck she’s home.
“Penelope. It’s me. Can I come in?” I ask, but it’s quiet for too long.
Fuck. I should have lied and said I was a pizza delivery guy or something. At least that would have gotten my foot in the door.
But then I hear the latch of the door click open and the low hum of the buzzer allowing me in. She’ll see me. It’s a start.
I take the stairs two at a time up to her apartment, where she’s ready to greet me from behind a crack in the door.
“What are you doing here?” she asks, opening it wider.
There’s a judgmental edge to her voice, which I can’t blame her for. Last time I showed up at her door, the conversation was an ugly one.
She lets out the slightest yawn, covering her mouth with her palm. “It’s late.”
I glance at my watch, then lift a brow at her. “It’s barely ten o’clock.”
“Really? Oops.” The faintest blush creeps over the apples of her cheeks.
God, she’s adorable. All rosy-cheeked and ready for bed. But I can’t get distracted by how cute she is. Not when I have much more serious topics in mind.
“Can I come in?”
Her gaze drops to her fuzzy pink slipper socks, then wanders back up to meet mine. “I’m not exactly dressed for company.”
“You look perfect.”
Hesitant, she chews her bottom lip for a moment, then pulls open the door. “Come on in.”
In the kitchen, I take a seat at her table, and she offers me a mug of tea, which I take her up on. I could probably use something stronger. Liquid courage and all that. But maybe it’s for the best that I’m completely sober as I say this.
“I saw Connor tonight,” I say hesitantly.
She blinks at me in surprise, obviously wondering where this conversation is going. That makes two of us, since I’m honestly not even sure what to say.
“We met for a beer near his new neighborhood.”
Penelope nods. “That’s nice.”
I take a breath and meet her eyes. They’re guarded. Unsure. And I hate that I put that look in her eyes. She used to look at me with such hope, such wide-eyed optimism.
“He mentioned something.” My chest feels tight, like I can’t quite get enough air. I don’t know how to say this next part, so the words fall ungracefully from my mouth. “You told your brother about us.”
She frowns as she sets my mug in front of me, then settles in with her own. “Is that a problem?”
“It should’ve been,” I say honestly. “When he started talking, I thought he was going to castrate me. Which I probably would’ve deserved, with what I’ve put you through.”
She barely hides her smirk behind her pink ceramic mug. “I’m not sure I’d go that far.”
“I would. I’ve put you through hell.”
“You’ve been through hell yourself,” she says, pausing to sip her chamomile, still watching me over the rim of her mug. “Connor and I talked about that too. It helped a lot.”
My eyes widen.
Wait, what? Never did I expect Connor Blake to actually be helpful in my effort to win over his sister, but wilder things have happened, I suppose. Like me falling for her in the first place.
“What did he say about me?” I ask.
