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“Okay.” She blows her hair out of her face. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what got into me tonight. I’ll be done in a bit.”
Alexsei runs his thumb over her cheek. “Sounds good. I love you.”
“I love you, too. You were awesome tonight, sweetheart. I’m so proud of you.”
“Thanks.” Then he turns and mouths “Phew,” to me while miming wiping his brow.
I grin at him. He’s not known for his subtlety. I’m reaching out to give his ass a smack as he passes by the couch when my phone rings. Pissed off that I’m getting a call this late, I grab my phone off the end table, ready to chew someone out. The number on the screen is the apartment building concierge.
Frowning, I swipe to answer it. “Hello?”
It’s the front desk manager, Rob. It’s one of the things I love about this building. We have an attendant twenty-four/seven.
“Sorry to disturb you, Mr. Bach, but Mr. Phillips is down here in the lobby. I let him in because he’s been a guest before, but now I’m concerned…”
I glance over at Luna. This could be good or bad. I’m not sure yet. “No, no, it’s fine that you let him in. Is there a problem? Why isn’t he coming up?”
“He’s been pacing in the lobby for twenty minutes muttering to himself. With a bouquet of very unattractive flowers.”
That has me walking over to the door and sliding my feet into what Alexsei calls my lobby sandals. I keep them by the front door for picking up packages, mail, and any other reason I might need to head to the lobby on a moment’s notice.
Rob is somewhat of a snarky apartment manager, probably because he works nights and sees some unusual activity, but even if he’s exaggerating about how long Owen has been there, I clearly need to intervene. “Thanks, Rob. I will come down and retrieve him.”
“Thank you, sir. He’s triggering my fear of rejection. Turn him down gently.”
That makes me roll my eyes. “Thank you for the head’s up.” I put my phone in my pocket and call out to Luna, “I’ll be right back. I have to run down to the lobby for a package.”
“Now?”
“Yes. I’ll be two minutes.” I don’t wait for her response.
The second the elevator doors open, I see Owen, exactly as Rob described him. He’s pacing by the leather sofa that no one ever sits on and looking disheveled in jeans and a T-shirt, his hair sticking up a little. Rob even gives me a fucking-told-you-so look while gesturing toward Owen with his index finger.
I see what he means about the flowers. They’re blue carnations. Like dishwashing detergent blue. The blue of high school spirit colors and the Smurfs. There might be a party or occasion these would be perfect for, but this is not it.
“Owen.”
He pauses in front of the electric fireplace and glances up at me in surprise, as if this isn’t my apartment building. “Cam?”
“You okay?” I ask. “I got a phone call that you’ve been hanging around the lobby.”
“I came to talk to Luna.” He sighs. “I guess all of you, really. And I figured she was here.”
“Good.” The guy looks tormented. “Can I ask what you want to say to her? Or to all of us?” Because I’m taking the flowers as a good sign, but if he’s not one hundred percent sure of his feelings and what comes next, there’s no way he’s getting on that elevator.
“I’m not sure what to say,” he admits. “That’s why I’m still down here.”
“Owen, you have to figure your shit out,” I say bluntly. “I’m not letting you up if you’re not sure.”
He shakes his head. “I’m sure of her. I want her back. I want to do this thing with all of you. But I’ve been trying to come up with a grand gesture, something to prove it. And I don’t know what to do.”
Thank God. He’s here for the right reason.
But there are a few things I need to be sure he understands before I let him upstairs.
I take a step forward. “You know that you don’t have to always have the answers, right?” I ask. “You do not have to be the one that fixes things all the time. I know people come to you for that. I know you pride yourself on being the guy everyone leans on. You’re really fucking good at it.” I pause, because I really want this part to sink in. “But if you come upstairs, you have to be okay with not always having the answers and with leaning on the three of us sometimes.”
He straightens to his full height. He takes a deep breath. And he meets my gaze directly. “I do know that. I’m actually looking forward to having you three to lean on when I need to.”
