I could hear his phone buzzing the entire drive, and I wanted to smash it against the wall, almost like his creepy stalker would have felt it. I said nothing, of course. There was no point.
I was still reeling over the fact that Hunter had shown up again. That he’d violated Micah’s peace at the arena twice. And before that, he’d followed him out of town to a club and tried to ruin him there.
I knew this wasn’t going to be the end of it. Micah promised to talk to me about it, but I wasn’t going to hold him to that now. He looked defeated and exhausted, and if I could give him anything, it was a reprieve.
“Tell me how to give you tour,” I said once the door shut behind us. I dropped his bag by the door and kicked off my shoes. “So you don’t get lost.”
Micah’s brow furrowed, his long lashes fanning down along his cheeks. “Uh…I guess just a basic layout will work. Let me know if you have a bunch oflow tables or anything I’m gonna smack my head on. Like hanging plants.”
“No, no. All my plants outside in the greenhouse,” I told him. Not a lie. Gardening was something that took my mind off life.
He snorted. “Why did I totally peg you as a plant dad?”
I had no idea what that meant, so I said nothing.
After a beat, he sighed and set his cane against the wall, kicked his shoes off, then laid his hand on the back of my arm. “What am I facing right now?”
“The wall in…” I searched for the word. “Foyer.”
He stretched a hand out until his fingertips grazed the dull paint. “Okay. I know I don’t need a view, but maybe point me in the direction of a room or a hallway?”
I laughed. I didn’t know if I was supposed to laugh, but something about the way he spoke always made me smile. Turning him slightly, I took a step into the short, tiled hallway, then veered right into the living room.
“There’s big window,” I said, “in front of you. Sofa is in front of it. Small coffee table,” I went on with a frown. There was so much in my home, and I wasn’t sure how much he wanted to know.
After a beat, Micah sighed. “Just tell me what’s going to make me fall on my face, where the bathroom is, and where I can sit my ass down because I’m exhausted.”
“Oh, easy. Okay.” I led him to the sofa, stoppingjust before the table. “Table is here. You can reach down and feel. I don’t know how many inches.”
“I’d rather you not guess. People always get it wrong.” He shuffled forward until his shins met the edge of the wood, and then he traced his way around it. “And I can sit here?”
“Yes. What is that…” I furrowed my brow, trying to remember that English phrase everyone seemed to use that sounded weird and wrong. “Take…load off?”
“Something like that,” Micah said as he turned and dropped to the cushions, his head falling back with a slight groan.
“You got beat up tonight?”
He passed a hand down his face. “Not that bad. It’s just been a lot over the last week.” He said that like somehow I didn’t know. Like somehow I hadn’t been there to witness it. Or to kiss him better after that first night. To touch him and rub him until he cried out and came all over me and the front seat of Alexio’s precious car.
I took in a shaking breath and forced the image out of my head as I looked back at him.
Micah dropped his hand to his side, fingers toying with his pocket. “Do you think you can give me a moment of privacy? I want to check my messages.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t read.”
He huffed. “Yes, but you can hear.”
It took me way too long to understand, and when I did, I felt like a moron. “Sorry. Sorry. I forget. Ah…I will go take a shower, then get bed ready for you. We both need to eat and sleep.” I started to hurry off, but he cleared his throat, and I froze, turning back. “You need something else? Drink or?—”
“No, I…” He swallowed heavily and sat up, leaning over his thighs. He had his phone in his hands now, twisting it in a circle with his fingers. “I guess I just wanted to say thank you for everything tonight.”
Walking over, I dropped down beside him and hesitated. “I want to give you a hug.”
He leaned in without answering me, but that was answer enough. I gathered him in my arms, pressing him against my chest, feeling him go boneless in a way that made me wonder if he was ever this vulnerable with the people in his life. He had a slight tremble in his body that hadn’t been there that last time I’d leapt into his arms after our air hockey victory.
“Okay,” I said, “I will shower and then come take you to bed.”
He made a choking sound, and once again, it took me too long to understand why.
