Page 7 of Liv Parrish

“Wow, do you always work this late?”

“Nah, we’re just in the middle of a contract that is taking up a bit more manpower than usual. Guys out in the field, others working on different assignments. You know how it is.” Odd that he would assume that, and it surprises me that he’s willing to share even that much. The work they do must be all kinds of confidential, and even though I love the mystery, I’m pretty sure sharing with me would be a big no-no.

“Oh, okay. I won’t keep you then. You must be exhausted and dying to get home.”

“No problem, I’ve got nowhere to rush off to and you haven’t told me why you called. Were you looking for Heath?” What?

“No! I mean … no. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have called. Take care, okay?” And then I hang up, because really? How stupid can a person be? And why does the mention of Heath’s name make me so flustered? I know he’s not available, he probably hasn’t given me a second thought since returning Luke’s sweatshirt. And now Riley thinks I’m weird, or worse, a clingy female looking for attention. Ugh, I should just go to bed. Who knows, my humiliation might drag me under, and I might finally get some sleep. But I don’t. Instead, I stay on my sofa and wander down the rabbit hole that is YouTube. Until my phone vibrates with an incoming text.

Unknown: Hey, it’s Riley. You awake?

I stare blankly at my phone for a moment before answering.

Me: Hey, yes, I am

Riley: Cool, open up

The buzzer startles me out of my stupor, and I stand up to do as instructed. Besides the small photos on their website my memory of Heath’s friends is a bit hazy, but seeing Riley again brings it all back. He’s well over six feet tall with sandy blonde hair, blue eyes and a boyish smile full of mischief. Oh, and let’s not forget about the dimples. Good God, the man is gorgeous up close and in person. Strange that I didn’t notice that the last time he was in my apartment, but then again, I was trying to blend into the walls while avoiding the moment I had to say goodbye to the man I truly wanted. Riley’s smile diminishes slightly and his eyes narrow when he takes me in. I’m dressed in leggings and an oversized sweatshirt, and my hair is loose around my shoulders. I wasn’t expecting company, so this is as good as it gets, but it’s as if he sees more than just my outward appearance. For someone who prefers not to be the center of attention, it feels disconcerting.

“Hey, Liv.” That’s all he says before stepping forward and I automatically step back to give him room to enter. Once I’ve closed the door, I turn to him, unsure of what to say but curious about the reason for his visit.

“Hey. I thought you were heading home. Do you live close by?” He gives me a look that suggests he knows I know better, and then he shakes his head.

“Why did you call earlier?” Okay, so that’s why he’s here. I open my mouth to apologize again, but he cuts me off before I can get the words out: “And don’t apologize. I don’t mind, I just want to know why and you never said. If there’s anything I can do to help.” Now I feel even worse. He was worried about me when all I was, was bored.

“It’s kind of stupid, to be honest. I couldn’t sleep and I found myself wondering about you guys and your company, and the next thing I knew …” I shrug, managing to cut my rambling short mid ramble, hoping that he will draw the necessary conclusions without me spelling it out.

“Were you trying to get hold of Heath?” He asked this earlier. Maybe he didn’t believe me the first time? I guess I wouldn’t either if I was him, but at least now I can answer him sounding a little less frantic.

“No. That’s the thing. I never expected anyone to answer the phone. I thought it would go through to your voicemail service and I was wondering if it would be a man or a woman’s voice on the other side. I was just curious.” God, it sounds so stupid. Riley just stares at me for a moment, holding my gaze captive, before a smirk appears on his face.

“Which one were you betting on?”

“Male, for sure.” I smile back at him, because maybe he understands. Or at least he’s choosing to have a sense of humor about the situation. We grin at each other for a few seconds before I remember my manners. “Can I offer you something to drink? Tea, coffee, hot chocolate?” His brows shoot up at that last option.

“I shouldn’t. I just stopped by to check on you and make sure you were okay, but hot chocolate sounds great.”

“Cool, give me a minute. Have a seat.” I nod towards the sofa and then walk over to my kitchen to prepare our drinks. When I turn around from my fridge with the milk in my hands, Riley is standing next to me, not close enough to make me uncomfortable but near enough that I can smell his cologne as well as the faint scent of male musk lingering from a long day’s work. I raise my eyes to his, which are staring at me intently.

“Why aren’t you sleeping?” Again, I get the feeling he understands, or at least sees more than what’s on the surface. He can obviously see it’s not a one-time-thing, but an endless string of nights lying awake with no reprieve. Whether it’s the bags under my eyes or the sallowness of my skin, he sees and now he wants answers, but there’s too much to tell this virtual stranger, or maybe not enough to put a new friend’s mind at ease. I don’t know. Is this the beginning of a new friendship or just him showing concern because that’s what he and his friends promised? An obligation he would sooner forget but is honor bound to fulfil. Despite their reassurance that they would always be there for me, this feels too personal and is something I shy away from without thinking.

“It’s no big deal. I’ve always gotten by on little sleep. It’s just been a bit less than usual lately.” I fidget with the container of milk before putting it down on the counter and preparing the mugs, keeping my eyes averted from his probing gaze.

“Did something happen? Or did anything change that would cause this?” His voice is low and soothing, as if I might confide some dark secret if he’s patient enough.

“It’s nice of you to ask, but there’s nothing for you to worry about. I’m fine, honestly.” His eyes linger on me for a few more seconds.

“Okay then, but anytime you feel like talking, you have my number. Yeah?” and then he turns away without waiting for me to answer and saunters over to the sofa. And I feel like a giant spotlight has shifted its focus and I can breathe again. I finish making our drinks and join him on the sofa. We don’t talk for a few minutes; just wait for our drinks to cool, but I can sense Riley is thinking about something and he doesn’t keep me waiting long to find out what that is.

“I’ve been wondering about you since the day we met. Heath never said much, just that you took care of his injuries and gave him a place to stay, but nothing about who you are or why you were in that alley in the middle of the night.” There’s no questioning tone, but I know he’s expecting a response.

“That’s probably because I never told him. Neither one of us shared much about ourselves while he was here. I thought he preferred it that way.” I know I do.

“I can understand that; a woman on her own. You can’t just open up to anybody, but I think you know we’re not regular guys off the street. Something must have told you that you would be safe allowing Heath into your home.” Again, it was not phrased as a question. Riley knows what kind of man he is, and I get the impression he wants me to know too.

“I believe people call that gut instinct, but the tattoo on his chest was pretty convincing too.” I smile over at him, and he smirks back.

“You know tattoos, do you?” Instinctively I turn my head away, knowing where this is headed and unwilling to go there. Talking about Luke means talking about family, which inevitably leads to questions about my past. It’s a painful subject and not one I’m about to share with Riley, no matter how comfortable he makes me feel.

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