Page 45 of Obligation
She shifted in her seat. Was he implying she could—or should—call Danny, too? Because he was the very last person she wanted to talk to. In fact, letting him wonder and worry about where she was would serve him right for what he’d done.
“I’ll have to call my dad to tell him about my phone,” she said. Then, another thought suddenly struck her. “I don’t have any clothes with me, and these”—she glanced down at her jeans and shirt, both of which were dirty and sweat-stained—“do you happen to have a washer and dryer?”
“Yes, but my sister always has extra clothes at the penthouse. I’m sure you can wear something of hers until those are clean.” He nodded at her attire. “Or until you buy new clothes at the mall. Whichever you want.”
“Thanks.”
Before she could say anything else, their food arrived. The smell of meat and cheese and bacon wafted from her plate, and her mouth watered. Originally, she and Danny were going to grab food after the bonfire, then go back to his place for the night. That obviously didn’t work out.
Carissa snatched the ketchup and squirted a generous amount onto her plate. Swirling a fry in the ketchup, she popped the crispy potato into her mouth. Her eyes fluttered closed with satisfaction, and for the first time since Danny had shown up at the bonfire, her body relaxed—truly relaxed—as if her cells instinctively knew she was safe now. When was the last time she’d felt that way?
She glanced up just as Bradley dipped a fry in mustard and bit into it. She scrunched up her face. “Eww. Mustard, really?”
He laughed. “You shouldn’t yuck someone else’s yum. That’s rude.” He wagged his finger at her, his grin light and contagious.
“Whatever you say.” She shook her head, then mumbled, “Weirdo.”
A split second later, a French fry smacked her in the forehead. She jerked her head up, jaw open in disbelief. “Did you just throw food at me?”
“Maybe. What’re you going to do about it?” His voice was low and rough, a delicious mix of taunting playfulness.
“Oh, I’ll get even. That’s a promise.”
“Mm-hmm.” He took a large bite of his burger, his eyes dancing with humor, and if she weren’t mistaken, a dare, too. “So.” He wiped his mouth and took a sip of his soda. “How long do you want to stay here?”
She shrugged and pushed fries around on her plate. “I don’t know. Is there a time limit on this invitation?”
“Nope,” he said without a moment’s hesitation. “You can stay as long as you want. With or without me.” He met and held her gaze.
Carissa’s breath caught in her throat, and she reached for her drink, needing to dislodge the emotion choking her, and to cool her rising temperature. Bradley’s offer was generous and sweet, and she’d never be able to tell him how much this meant to her, but no way would she stay in his penthouse without him. That seemed… wrong, somehow.
“Is there any store or pharmacy open now?” she asked and tossed another fry in her mouth.
“I don’t think so. Why?”
“I need a few things. Toothbrush, hairbrush. You know, the necessities.” She lifted her burger from her plate. The thing was huge, and she had no idea how she was supposed to eat without making a mess.
“We have all that at the penthouse. Mom always keeps it stocked with extra stuff like that just in case any of us ever need to go there.” Bradley finished his burger and pushed his plate away. “And like I said, my sister always has clothes stashed there. Most of them have never been worn.”
She nodded, grateful she wouldn’t have to go into a store looking like she did. Thankfully, the diner was empty save for one customer at the counter, so she wasn’t too concerned right now. Besides, she was quickly running out of steam. The past two days had been non-stop, and then fighting with Danny tonight had drained her. The nap she’d had in Bradley’s car only made her more tired. She really just wanted to sleep.
They finished their food in silence. While Bradley paid the check, Carissa used the restroom. Her face was streaked with makeup, and her hair was a mess. She wetted paper towels and cleaned her face as best as she could; then she tamed her hair with her fingers. She wouldn’t win any beauty pageants, but she no longer looked like a hobo, either.
When she emerged from the bathroom, Bradley was waiting for her. He smiled and straightened from where he’d been leaning against the wall. “Ready?” he asked.
“Yup.” She covered her yawn with the back of her hand.
They walked out to his car, and he once again opened her door for her. She could easily get used to that. She slid into the passenger seat and hooked her seat belt. Moments later, they were back on the road.
“So, um… what’re the sleeping arrangements? Is this a one bedroom penthouse?” she asked, her face heating with the question.
Bradley’s answering smirk was sinful. “No, there are multiple bedrooms, but if you want a snuggle buddy…”
Laughing, she playfully smacked his arm, and he laughed, too. “I’ve got enough guy issues. I don’t need another one.”
“So now I’m an issue?” He raised a brow. “And here I thought I was your knight in shining armor.”
If he only knew how true that was, but she refused to tell him so. She didn’t want to lead him on or give him false hope. He was too nice for that, and until she figured things out with Danny, she couldn’t drag anyone else into her life—least of all someone as great as Bradley.
