With a heavy sigh, his shoulders roll forward. “I shouldn’t have—”
“Kicked me out?” Maybe I’m being dramatic. Harper did say he has his reasons.
He frowns. “Asked you to leave. After we…after what… Well, it was wrong. I’m sorry.”
“Do you want to tell me what has you twisted in knots?” Will he open up to me like Harper said he might?
He drops his head to look at the floor. For a moment, I’m hopeful he’ll tell me. When he lifts his head, his expression is closed. “Like I’ve said before, I have shit to sort through.”
My heart sinks. We’re not close enough for him to share his feelings. Just close enough to nearly fuck.
“So, I’ll go find Harper.” I hook my thumb over my shoulder toward the door.
He nods. “See you soon.”
“Soon?”
“At Lily’s dance class.”
Of course. I fiddle with the button on my jacket. “Right, yes. See you then. Does Lily still want private lessons?” With what has happened between Hayden and me, I’m sure he’ll cancel them.
“Yes, she does. If you’re still available.”
If I keep away from coffee and showers, I should be safe. “I’m still available.”
“Great,” he says.
“Great,” I repeat. God, we’re talking like strangers, not like two people who had their hands and mouths all over each other’s bodies the night before. “Goodbye, Hayden.”
“Goodbye, Alyssa.”
I turn and head toward the door.
“Alyssa!” Hayden calls behind me. I slowly turn around. He walks over to a chair in the corner of the room and picks up a plastic clothing bag. “I had your clothes dry-cleaned. I was going to give them to Harper, but since you’re here…”
My stomach drops to my knees. Was I hoping he stopped me to tell me to forget everything he said? That it was a big mistake letting me go? “Thank you. You didn’t have to do that.” I take them off his hands.
He picks up a canvas bag from the floor. “Your boots are still damp. I didn’t know what to do with them, so I aired them out.”
Plastering a fake smile on my face, I take the bag from him and thank him again.
As I get to the door, Hayden calls my name again. When I face him, he says, “I am sorry about last night. About all the times I’ve acted like a jerk.” The sincere expression on his face tells me he’s telling the truth. He’s not some guy who likes to lead women on. Something is troubling him and holding him back.
“We’ll pretend it never happened.”
He nods, relief flooding his face.
When I leave the room, I lean on the closed door and drop my head back. We may pretend it never happened, yet I have a feeling I’ll be reliving those moments over and over in my mind for years.
Chapter Fifteen
HAYDEN
The moment I sit down in the booth at the bar where Finn and Lucas are waiting for me, I know that this is going to be more than after-work drinks. The smiling assassins are eager to kill me with their questions. Lily is playing at a friend’s house; I should tell them I don’t have time for a drink because I have to pick her up so I can avoid what I know is coming. But they’ll only keep badgering me about it, so it’s best to get it over with.
Before they can fire their questions, the waiter comes to our table and I order a scotch. Something strong to get me through this conversation. When he leaves, I face my brothers. “Get it over with.”
“Get what over with?” Lucas smirks.
