Page 16 of Reckless Bonds

“Here and there. I’ve moved around a lot.”

I let the silence linger. Maybe he’ll say something else. No? Nothing else? “Oh cool. Where’s your favorite place you’ve lived?”

“Atlanta.”

Is he bored? Why isn’t he talking much? His eyes dart around the room, staring intently at various sections before moving on. He pauses for long stretches on Bobble. His eyes bore into him with the intensity of a supernova. I guess he really hates cats. This’ll never work.

He rolls his eyes. “Okay. Come on over,” he extends one of his fingers toward Bobble, who jumps to rub against him.

A small bit of relief washes over me. Interesting.

I just need to get through this awkward social interaction, and I can be done with this guy. I bite my lip, resisting the urge to look at my phone. I feel my mind drifting to my book.

“Sunder is a unique name. Your parents must be fun.” He obviously doesn’t share that trait. He nods absently while not making eye contact. This is getting ridiculous. Who goes to someone’s house and doesn’t make an effort to converse?

I gulp half my wine. I’ll make an excuse about needing to get up early as soon as we finish dinner. Gotta plant the seeds. I let out a small yawn. It started fake but quickly became real.

“I really can’t thank you enough for yesterday.”

I take another sip of wine, waiting for him to say something. Anything.

“How fares your head?” he asks. My hand touches the tender spot on my forehead. Tiny scabs dot my egg-sized purple lump. Explaining that one at work today was fun. The guys teased me all day.

“Sore but fine. In a couple of weeks, you won’t even be able to tell anymore.”

His eyes finally touch mine. Holding them. Something deep is swirling behind them. I can nearly see gears turning. Questioning. But not saying anything.

Did he literally just come over to eat?Of course he did. Why would someone who looks like that actually be interested in me?

“I’ll go check on the food,” I say, excusing myself into the kitchen. Taking a deep breath and another big sip of wine to calm my nerves and shut Brenda up, I debate puttering around the kitchen until the lasagna’s done. Just another five minutes.

I knock back the rest of my glass and refill it. When I saunter back to the living room, Sunder is hunched over, as if inspecting Bobble. The orange cat stares back at him blankly. What is up with this guy?

Straightening, Sunder says, “He’s an interesting cat. How long have you had him?”

“Oh, a few years now. It’s a funny story, actually. I saw him in a park one day, and he just ran up to me wanting to be petted. After that, he followed me home, purring and meowing at my feet. I figured he belonged to someone, so I left him outside. But the next day he was still there, so I brought him in. I put posters everywhere, but no one ever called to claim him. I always say he adopted me.”

Sunder doesn’t even crack a smile when he says, “Yes. Hilarious.”

I pull my bottom lip between my teeth, trying to fight the urge to fidget. I mean, I know I’m not terribly interesting, but he could at least try.

He shakes his head, as if clearing his thoughts. “Apologies. I am not feeling…” he trails off. “I didn’t realize you had a cat.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t think to mention it. Cat allergies don’t even cross my mind. If it’s getting to you, we can reschedule. I’ll take you out to a real restaurant. Your pick.” Internally, I cross my fingers. I will definitely find lots of excuses to never reschedule. Please, please say yes.

“No. It is fine. It’s just… unexpected. Begging your pardon, I am being a terrible guest.” He shakes his head to himself, sighing. A small hint of guilt creeps into my chest. Maybe he’s just as introverted as I am, and he doesn’t like socializing either. My eyes soften as my chest deflates a little. I’m a self-centered asshole. He saves my life, and then I judge him for being quiet.

“No, you’re fine. It’s always a little awkward going to a new place and meeting new people. I struggle with that stuff a lot honestly. I never know what to say to people. Even the ones I’ve known for years.”

His eyes flick to mine. The intensity of his gaze pushes me back imperceptibly. My chest tightens as I watch a swirling storm beneath the surface. Then it’s gone, his eyes back to the cat now purring on my lap.

“Yeah… so…,” he says. I smile warmly at him. Encouraging. After I moment, I help him out.

“Well, what do you do for a living? I’m a software developer.”

“My deepest apologies, but I cannot do this.” My eyebrows twitch in confusion as he stands up. I guess he’s leaving.

“That’s okay! We’ll reschedule when you feel up to it.” Lasagna and reading sounds amazing, anyway. And a bubble bath. I wonder if I can balance my plate on the side of the tub while I read. Probably a bad idea. But maybe the best idea.

---