I’ve been keeping myself busy for the past three hours in my work garage, but nothing is erasing the image of Hayleigh half naked in my bedroom, and every time I do think of it, Mr Happythinks it’s playtime. I need to clear the air. I need her to know she’s safe in my home with Archie and me and that nothing will happen between us if she doesn’t want it to. I throw my rag down and decide to head back up to the house to check on her.
When I walk in, the house seems empty, so I head upstairs to check if she’s in her room. When I do, there’s a murmuring behind her door that’s cracked open ever so slightly, so I do what any normal person would and listen in.
“You don’t get it, I’m mortified! What are people going to think? I moved in here, and now I’m throwing myself at him,naked, might I add,and I have no idea why I did it. I can’t stay here…”Who is she talking to? Is it Archie? Shit, why does that make me feel sick?
A tap on my shoulder has me jumping out of my skin, but when I turn around, it’s Archie, and relief courses through me that she isn’t talking to him.
He nods to the door. “Why are you spying on-”
I cover his mouth with my hand and push him into the bathroom, closing the door in time as I hear Hayleigh’s feet padding across her room.
He licks the inside of my palm, and I recoil in disgust. “What the fuck did you do that for?”
Grinning at me, he takes a bite of the apple in his hand. “Hayleigh taught me that. Why were you spying on her?”
I blow out an exasperated breath. “I wasn’tspyingon her. I went to apologise for…something that happened earlier.”
Archie’s eyes widen, and I know he’s about to blow because he flaps his hands about and almost drops his half-eaten apple. “Did you two have S E X?” He spells the word out, enunciating each letter.
Rolling my eyes, I huff out, “Grow up, why didn’t you just say sex? No, actually, we did not have sex…but she did listen in when I was practising self-care in the shower and then saw me nakedoutside of the shower and then took my t-shirt off what she was wearing and chucked it at me, but there was no touching.” I suck in a deep breath after the words tumbled out of me at a rapid rate.
He screws his face up. “That was way too much information, but you cannot have sex with our roomie, and you certainly shouldn’t be listening in to her conversations.”
I wipe my hand down my face and groan. “I know. I know. Trust me. I wanted to let her know that it’s all forgotten and that we can move on from it.”
“Okay, well, remember to think with the brain in your head and not between your legs.” He opens the bathroom door, and we both walk out at the same time as Hayleigh exits her room.
She stops dead, looking between us both and then to the bathroom behind us. She shakes her head, raising her hands as if in surrender. “I don’t want to know.”
Archie throws her a wink. “I saw that Why Choose book in your bag earlier. Don’t tell me you don’t want to know.”
A high-pitched laugh leaves her as Archie saunters away. “Why Choose. He’s funny. I have to go now.”
I gently grab hold of her hand to stop her. She doesn’t pull away from me, but steps closer as if gravity is pulling her in.
“I have no clue what a why choose is, but I wanted to let you know that earlier is forgotten, and I’m sorry if I made it weird.”
She blushes but doesn’t meet my eye. “It’s fine. I need to go and look at a viewing now, so I’ll see you later.”
I don’t let go. “Great. Let’s go and tick off that list.” And like that, she’s smiling, causing something in my chest to bloom.
**********
Every single time this smarmy estate agent opens his mouth, I want to punch him.
He hasn’t stopped ogling Hayleigh, constantly looks at her backside or chest when he thinks she isn’t looking, but I am, andany minute now, he and his fake Gucci suit are going headfirst down the stairs. I could totally stick my foot out and make it look like an accident, or maybe I could…
“What do you think, Nate?” Hayleigh eyeballs me like I’m the one being rude, then she nods to the stairs. “Aren't those stairs pretty?”
Mr Dickwad opens his mouth. “Oh yeah, real, solid oak. Very expensive, definitely worth the price tag alone.”
I snort, and Hayleigh shoots me a glare. I shrug. “Actually, they’re oak veneer. Not solid and they’re definitelynotworth the price tag, especially not with the black mould that’s growing in the upstairs bedroom and over there in that corner.” I throw him a smile and take hold of Hayleigh’s hand. “Come on, I found another place that I think you’ll love.”
She follows me outside, trying and failing to keep her smile hidden. “You didn’t have to be so mean to him.”
I roll my eyes. “Please, if he spent half as much time looking at the property and not your butt and tits, then he’d have noticed how much of a shit property it is, but this one, the oneIfound. You’re going to love it.”
It’s only a short drive to the property I picked out for her weeks ago; I just didn’t tell her until I knew she was ready to start looking, and today is the perfect day for it.
