Page 83 of Every Bit As Perfect
He swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing in his throat.“I know.I just need to talk to her, and I couldn’t leave you there.”
“Why not?”
He looked at me like I was out of his mind.“Because I needed you with me, so I know you’re okay until I can reassure myself she’s okay.”
Confused but willing to go along with it to ease his anxiety, I squeezed his thigh.
We went directly to his place, which I discovered was the quintessential bachelor’s pad.When he said he wasn’t much for creature comforts, he wasn’t kidding.
“Come on,” he said, urging me toward his laptop on the kitchen table.“We can video call her and you can meet her.”
“Does she know about me?”
“Yes.”
“What did you tell her?”I asked, curious as to what label he put on us.
He tossed a sardonic half-smile over his shoulder as he booted up his laptop.“The first time I told her anything about you was when you called me a sanctimonious ass.”
He laughed and ducked as I mock swung at him, easily catching my fist in his hand.
Hearing his laughter eased my heart.I hated seeing him so out of control.Out of character.
“I talk about you all the time.She knows how I feel about you.”
“And you, Professor?How do you feel about me?”
“If you haven’t figured it out by now, I’m not doing my job.”
“Maybe I need the words,” I whispered.
“Then I’ll give those to you, too,” he whispered back.“I’ll show you my love in such a way you’ll never doubt its truth.”
26
Promises
BeforeIcouldanswer,I found myself face-to-face with a handsome older man through the screen.
He smiled at me.“You must be Harley.”
“H-hi,” I stuttered.“It’s nice to meet you.”
“Likewise.”He smiled warmly.“There’s someone in the living room who’s going to be royally pissed that I got to meet you first, so I better get the laptop down to her.”
His eyes flicked to Daire, soft with concern.“It’s not necessary for you to fly out here.”
“The fuck it isn’t,” Daire growled back as he stood up from the table, laptop in hand, and paced the length of the room.
The uncharacteristic hostility in his voice startled me.My eyes followed him as he paced.
A woman’s voice cajoled, “Darling, darling, please honey.Come for Christmas.Bring Harley.I’m desperate to meet her.”
He stopped short.“I need to see you.”
“Honey,” she answered softly.“I really am okay.Look.I’ll show you my set-up.”
Daire loped back to the table and set the laptop down in front of us before tucking his chair in close beside me.
