She shrugged, and a beat passed before she asked, “So, what brought you by today?”
“I wanted to apologize for how I left things. As soon as I found out the roads had cleared, I left.”
“You didn’t say anything to me. I thought—“ She shook her head. “I thought we had become friends.”
“Honestly, I was a little upset that you implied we weren’t friends. You made it sound like anyone knowing that we had been together was the worst thing that could ever happen to you.”
She cringed. “I know. I’m sorry. I’m just having a hard time viewing you in a different light. I have spent years thinking I knew who you were, and then come to find out I was wrong.” She shook her head. “It’s just going to take me some time to change my thought process—to rewire my brain.”
“I can understand that.” He had never thought negatively of Candace, so to hear that she had thought so poorly of him was hard. And his leaving so abruptly hadn’t helped her view of him. “Let me make it up to you.”
“Make what up?”
“I want to change your opinion of me.”
“Brent, I already know I was wrong about you. You don’t need to make anything up to me. Our history in college was a misunderstanding. And I carried that with me when I saw you again. It wasn’t fair to you.”
He reached out and took her hand. She startled, but didn’t pull away. “Let me try anyway. If anything, we might have some fun together.”
She smirked. “Is this your way of getting in my pants?”
“No!” he blurted. “No. I’m just trying to be a friend. And the best way I know how to do that is to take care of you in your time of need.”
She tilted her head. “What does that entail?”
“I’m going to stay here tonight and be at your beck and call.”
She laughed. “That’s not necessary.”
“Too late. It’s happening.”
“What about your job? I thought you had to get back for it?”
He shrugged. “It’s Christmas Eve. The office is closed, and even if it wasn’t, I won’t be returning.”
She raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”
“I’m tired of my boss. I got the biggest eye-opener of my life when he demanded I drive back from Wintervale or lose my job.” He shook his head. “I already hated working there, and that was the final straw.”
“So you quit?”
He nodded. “I did. So I’m here to help you for as long as you can stand me.”
She watched him for a bit before her tongue darted out and licked her lower lip. “Does that also mean you’ll be here to take care of other needs?”
His head jerked toward her, wondering if she meant what he thought she meant.
A knock on the door interrupted the moment. He gave her one last look before standing and going to the door to pay for the pizza. Once he dished her up and then himself, they settled back on the couch and ate their food in silence.
“I’m kinda gross, aren’t I?” she asked.
He laughed before he could stop himself and looked over at her. “What?”
She stayed silent.
“You aren’t gross. I don’t even know why you would ask me that.”
“Just look at me,” she whispered.
