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“Not sure I want to stay with you if those are the types of friends you keep. Besides, Paul here is volunteering of his own free will, not doing it out of a sense of obligation because he’s worried I’m going to freeze to death in his backyard.”
I was half razzing him, half giving him an out.
Paul sucked his lips between his teeth, fighting a smile.
Drew glared at him. “Where, exactly, is she going to sleep at your place? Last time I checked, you had a one-bedroom apartment.”
Jessica snorted.
“I’ll give her my room and take the couch.” He grinned at me. “I’ve got an amazing couch.”
“I’ve got three extra rooms. Makes more sense to stay at my place. Plus, you know you’re safe with me since I didn’t poison you last night.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” Paul raised his hands defensively. “What are you trying to say, man?”
Drew dropped his head, shook it, and looked back up. “Nothing.” He turned his attention to me. “Paul’s a stand-up guy. You’d be perfectly safe staying with him.”
Displeasure slithered through me at his backpedaling.
Paul’s easygoing demeanor returned. “I’m just here because Jessica said you needed a place to stay tonight.” He looked between me and Drew before turning to Jessica. “I think we should give them a few minutes alone to sort things out.”
Jessica rolled her eyes and moved to the door. “I’ve got your bags in my car. Whatever you decide.”
Paul smirked at Drew on his way to the door. “The offer stands, but I won’t take offense if you decide you’d rather stay in a bed you’ve already slept in.” He wiggled his eyebrows before joining Jessica in the hallway.
“Jesus Christ,” Drew muttered.
“Why are you here?” I asked.
He gripped the back of his neck and stared at the window on the far side of the room. “Your company paid my idiotic friend for a room in my house and now you’re in the hospital because you were staying in a motel that shouldn’t even have been open. This is the least I can do.”
Drew Evans was the kind of guy who needed to make things right, even if they weren’t his fault. Interesting.
“Would it bother you if I stayed with Paul?”
Why was I pushing him?
His eyes darted back to me but landed on my mouth, staying there while he answered. “No skin off my teeth.” The intensity in his expression said otherwise.
Who was I kidding? There was nothing I wanted more in this moment than to get pulled into this enigmatic man’s orbit. Dig into his secrets. Unearth his truth.
And I couldn’t do any of that from the sidelines.
“Let’s tell the doctor and grab my bags.”
