Page 40 of Simply Irresistible
I smiled at the doorman. I couldn’t remember his name, but I’d seen him a few times before. I took the elevator to the tenth floor and got out, nervously making my way down the hall to his apartment. I wasn’t sure why I was nervous. He wasn’t home. I shook off the nerves and stopped in front of his door.
I took a deep breath and slowly stuck the key in the lock and turned. As I heard the click of the lock disengaging, I heard some rustling from the common area. Panicking at the thought of getting caught—though I wasn’t entirely sure why—I quickly opened the door, slipped inside, and slammed it shut. I leaned my back against the door and closed my eyes, my breath coming like I’d just run up the ten flights.
Then it registered...the television was on. Well, not a television because Tyler didn’t have one, but his laptop. Some cop TV show was playing.
I opened one eye and took in a slice of the brightly lit apartment before me. A bit too lit up considering Tyler wasn’t home. Then I opened the other eye and let them both wander around the room.
I froze when I met Tyler’s eyes.
He was sitting up in his bed, decked out in blue plaid pajama pants and a white t-shirt. He had a handful of popcorn halfway to his mouth.
“Hi,” I said, stunned.
“Hi,” he said, also stunned.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, my back still stuck to his door.
“I live here?” He said it like it was a question. I didn’t blame him. I’d just barrel-assed through his front door like a psychopath, andIwas askinghimwhat he was doing in his own apartment.
“Of course. I thought you were out,” I said, taking one step away from the door.
He sighed and dropped the popcorn into the bowl. “I’m sorry…I lied.”
Tears pricked the back of my eyes, but I didn’t let them fall. Why was I even going to cry? Because he lied to me? Why would he lie to me? Why would he say he was going out but stay home? Did he not want to see me? That was it...wasn’t it...he didn’t want to see me.
“Oh,” I said as realization dawned. “I’m just gonna go then.”
“No, Mel, wait.” He was up and in front of me in a flash. “It’s nothing bad, I swear.”
“I asked you to be with me tonight, and you lied to get out of it. What isn’t bad about that?” I wasn’t upset anymore, now I was just mad. Now he was going to lie about lying?
Tyler groaned. “It’s not like that. I mean it is, but it isn’t. I’m gonna miss you, Mel. I didn’t want to say goodbye to you tonight, okay? I knew if we hung out, I’d just be waiting until the end of the night when you had to say goodbye, and I fucking hate saying goodbye. It was a stupid way of going about it, but I didn’t think you’d find out.”
“And that makes it okay?” I asked, feeling a little less mad at him.
“No. It doesn’t make it okay.” Tyler covered his face with his hands and sighed. “I’m bad at this, Melanie.” He looked me in the eyes. “I’ve never been in a serious relationship before. I’ve had other relationships, but they were never like me and you. I never really cared what they were doing, and I don’t think they cared what I was doing either. When things got too real, I did something stupid to screw it up. I don’t want to do that with you, and I’m so afraid that one day I will, like I almost did tonight. Please don’t tell me I screwed this up for good?”
As much of an adult as Tyler was, I could see that part of him was still that young boy whose parents left and never came home.
I lifted my hand to his cheek and felt the light stubble there. “You didn’t screw this up for good.”
Tyler let out a big breath. “Thank you,” he said, kissing my forehead and pulling me into his chest.
I pulled away, and he frowned. “You have to talk to me, Ty. I’m not a relationship expert either, but I know that people who are in relationships have to communicate with each other. It’s the only way it’s going to work. We talk pretty well with each other, don’t you think?”
He nodded. “Yeah, I do.”
“Then just talk to me next time you’re feeling this way, okay? I don’t want to say goodbye to you either. I’m going to miss you so much. I feel like we have barely seen each other this month because my job has had me so busy, but I still love you.”
“I love you, too,” he said, giving me a quick kiss.
I smiled and let him hold me again. It felt so right being in his arms, but part of me was still upset that he’d lied instead of just talking to me about it.
“But I have to ask...whatareyou doing here? And why did you come flying in the door like you were being chased?”
I groaned into his chest. “I heard someone in the hall. Don’t even ask. I’d be a terrible spy. We’ll leave it at that. And I just wanted to see you. I was remembering being in bed with you this morning and I missed that. I wanted to be here waiting for you when you got home tonight.”
“You’re the sweetest person I’ve ever met,” he said, holding me tighter.
