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I shake my head and pull my arm out of his grasp gently. I don’t want to offend him, but I have a boyfriend. “This needs to stay platonic between us, okay?”
“Uh…” Rhett scratches the back of his head. “I was just going to ask if I could walk you in.”
“Oh.” I grimace. “Yeah, sorry.” A nervous chuckle escapes from my throat and I busy myself with getting out of the car, suddenly aware of every movement between us.
He follows and walks over to my side. “I would never get in the way of what you have going on with Alex. I’m not that guy. And I’m sorry. For touching your arm. I didn’t mean anything by it. Besides, I’m not looking for a serious relationship anytime soon.”
Ugh. His words tug at my heart.
“Don’t apologize. I…I…” I stumble over my words. My mind is blank. Why did I act that way? Am I more afraid of my own reactions toward him?
Like if I let him touch me, or take my hand, or put his lips on mine…
Then I won’t be able to stop.
“Maia? You okay?”
“Lost my train of thought. Anyway, it’s no big deal.” I wave my hand and walk toward our building. Rhett falls into step beside me. We don’t say much as we make our way inside and take the stairs to the third floor. At my landing, Rhett holds the hallway door open for me.
“I’ll walk you to your door. You know, make sure you get in safe.” He winks, and I can’t help the stupid, infatuated giggle that escapes my lips.
When we reach my door, I turn and face him. “Thanks again, Rhett. Text me when the next lesson is.”
“You know I will. You better answer this time,” he says as a cute grin stretches across his mouth. I try so hard to ignore how kissable his lips look or how badly I want to taste them.
He’s a friend, Maia. A friend.
And you very much have a boyfriend.
I blink and try to focus. Rhett’s walking away backward while waving like a dork.
I wave back like an equal dork. I wait until he disappears through the door into the stairway before I go inside.
What I find waiting for me is a pissed-off Alex.
Sitting in the dark.
In my living room.
My stomach drops to my feet.
What the fuck?
* * *
“Nice to see you finally arrive. Forget something?” He holds up my phone, and the screen lights up. With one swipe of his finger, a series of notifications scroll over the screen, loads of missed calls and texts. Jeez. Was there an emergency or something?
I step forward and hold my hand out, but he snatches the phone away. “Who let you in?”
“Does it matter? Where have you been all day?”
“Out with a friend. Why?”
“You don’t think to tell your boyfriend?”
I shrug. “I didn’t know I had to.”
He stands and slams my phone down on the coffee table. The sound of the glass screen cracking echoes throughout the quiet room. “You want to give me attitude? That’s what’ll happen.”
