Maybe Lyla’s back because shit isn’t as resolved with Barrett as she thought.
Getting up, I go over to the door in just the jogging pants I was sleeping in. I flip on the outside light to scare off any thieves before I open the door. As soon as I see the gorgeous blond man, I think I’m dreaming.
“RJ?” Then it hits me. “That little bitch,” I grit out.
“Don’t be mad at Lyla,” he says. “It cost me my soul to get this address from her.”
“Your soul, huh?” I ask, trying to figure out what that means.
When it occurs to me that he may have been honest with her about everything, I take a reflexive step back, certain I must be wrong. RJ takes the opportunity to climb the cinder-block makeshift steps to come inside. “So, this is where you’re living?”
“Yep.”
“It’s…disgusting.”
“Is that why you’re here? To make me feel shitty about where I live? If so, you can fuck right off!”
Okay, so maybe I’m a little defensive.
“No, that’s not…well, I guess it is part of why I came. Why don’t you come stay with us?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because I can’t.”
“Sure you can. You get your ass on your bike, drive it over, and come inside to sleep in the guest room.”
“No, really, RJ. I can’t be in that house with you.”
“Why not? Because I messed up that night?”
“Messed up? What are you talking about?’
“Look, I’m sorry for pushing you into doing it, okay? I’m sorry. I would’ve apologized sooner if you hadn’t up and left!”
“You think that’s why I left? Because you did something wrong?”
“Isn’t it?”
“No, it’s not.”
“Then what happened? I thought I fucked things up.”
Dammit. I should’ve known he would blame himself when I left. “You didn’t fuck anything up,” I assure him. “I left because…because I realized that I would literally do anything for you, and you still flinch when I touch you. Hell, you blush when I look at you for more than two seconds.”
“No kidding! I have no idea what to do with all this shit in my head.”
“What shit? Being with a man?”
“I shouldn’t want you.”
“Says who? Your brothers? Your father?”
“Says twenty-four years of my life I spent fucking women before you came along.”
“Jesus, RJ, why do you think I left? I know all of that! I know you don’t want this, that you don’t want me.”