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“Breakfast?” he asked.
She stared at him through heavily lidded eyes. “How are you even standing?”
Not standing. Running. “I think breakfast is the least I can do. Plus the dog probably needs to go on a walk, and at some point, I have to go to work. You’re off today, right?”
She sat and nodded. “I completely forgot about Shaggy being here. Don’t you dare tell her.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it. Want to take her out? Grab something on the go?”
“Sounds perfect.”
Thirty minutes later, it kind of was. Or it would have been if perfect wasn’t the last thing he needed. Walking down the street with her, holding coffee in one hand and bagels in the other, was comfortable. Too comfortable. He was grateful her hands were also full—one with Shaggy’s leash and the other with her iced coffee—because holding her was out of the question. He needed distance. He needed time to think. He needed…to make up a work emergency. But that wouldn’t work without getting a text or a phone call, so he waited until they got to the park and she knelt to play with Shaggy to fire off a quick text to Liam.
Call me ASAP.
Minutes later, the phone rang.
“What’s up?” Liam asked.
Ethan waited a few seconds before replying, presumably enough time for Liam to tell him about some crisis, and tried hard to ignore the questioning look on Rue’s face. “I’m on my way,” he finally said, ending the call before Liam could spit out a response.
“Something wrong?”
“They need me at work.” Uttering the lie made him feel like a complete ass, but admitting he couldn’t handle the aftermath would be worse. He didn’t want to hurt her, but he couldn’t just sit there and drown any more than he could expect her to save him. That part was over before it had begun.
It had to be for both their sakes.
Her brow furrowed. “I thought you were off until later.”
“You’d be amazed at how inconveniently things break down.” At least that part was true. He dug in his pocket for his key. “Do you mind taking Shaggy back when you’re ready? I have a spare key at the office, so I’ll just get it from you later.”
“Sure thing,” she said brightly. A little too brightly. “We’ll make a girls’ day of it.”
“Thanks,” he said. He hesitated for a moment, unsure what the proper good-bye was for a fucking lie, and settled for kissing her cheek. Again, awkward. At least on his part. She looked kind of pissed. He couldn’t pinpoint what made him think that, which only made him feel worse. He wasn’t the kind of guy who could read women, but he was a little too tuned into this one. A sudden urge to tell her the truth hit him hard. She’d understand, probably before he fumbled through half an explanation. But then she’d tell him to stop worrying and stop hiding and live. He admired that greatly about her, but that wasn’t him. Where she was impulsive, he was dedicated.
Where she was free, he’d flail.
“You’d better go,” she said, making him realize he’d just been standing there, staring at her.
He nodded and took the first couple of steps in reverse, not quite willing to turn his back on her. And then he had to, because that’s what casual sex people did. They walked away.
He probably walked faster than most.
The distance back to his apartment wasn’t that great. Within minutes, he was back in the comfort of his truck. He fired it up and sat there for a while, eventually realizing he’d have to drive.
The trip wasn’t long enough.
He was at the office before he wanted to be. Inside, Liam looked up from the computer and back down again.
“That’s it?” Ethan asked.
Liam sat back, his gaze settling this time on his brother. “I’m pretty sure I know what happened, and I’m not sure I want to hear the details, so yeah, that’s about it.”
Suspicion narrowed Ethan’s eyes. “What do you think happened?”
Liam shrugged, though despite the casual gesture, he pinned him down with a razor sharp stare. “I think you realized you were falling for her, probably after you had sex, and now guilt has you feeling like hell.”
