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I lifted an eyebrow. “Like leaving you to bleed dry in the parking lot of the mall?”
He nodded grimly. “Yes.”
“You weren’t going to get in the car with Brandy or James. Who would do that? Just leave you there?”
“Anybody but you. My sister cheated on your brother.”
“I know.” My tone lowered. “But I couldn’t just leave you there.”
“I just wanted to thank you,” he said, his voice softer now. “I don’t know a lot of people who would have done that, so … thanks.”
He stood, then walked to the fridge, pulling out a small cake, but not without effort. I stood, grabbing the cake from him and placing it on the center island.
The chocolate cake with strawberries on top was a good nine inches round with a plastic cover. I lifted the cover off and sliced a piece, sliding it onto the plate and pushing the plate in his direction.
He shook his head. “No, it’s okay. I don’t eat sugar.”
My eyebrows flew to my hairline. “At all?”
“I like to take care of myself, so I’m in tip-top shape for work.”
I blinked. “But you’re on vacation.” The shock could be heard in my tone.Like never ever ate sweets? Impossible.“And why did you buy such a big cake anyway if you weren’t going to share it with me?”
“Because it’s the only one they had.” He tipped his chin. “Go ahead. Eat. I’m fine. I promise you.”
He didn’t have to tell me twice.
The first bite was heaven, and I didn’t want it to ever end. I could probably eat the cake all by myself. I was making random yummy noises that made Austin perk up and study me as though I were a foreign animal.
He laughed, and when I was done, he leaned in so close that I thought he was going to kiss me. I held my breath, eyes wide.
Butterflies took flight in my stomach, and for a moment, his piercing eyes stilled me in my spot.
But then inched closer.
Heat rushed through my body, and immediately, I stood, taking his plate and placing it on top of mine. “Thanks for the cake.”
“I’m glad you enjoyed it. I enjoyed watching you tear it up.”
I cleaned up, feeling his eyes on me the whole time.
“Did you do a lot of chores when you were younger?” I asked, drying the dishes after I had washed them.
“I cooked. I cleaned. I worked. When my father left, I had to. Plus, my mother was never home.”
His eyes clouded over with the memory, and I stopped myself before I wrapped my arms around him to console him. It was a natural instinct in me.
I sighed, thinking of how unfortunate his circumstances had been. I guessed everyone’s life was not as easy as it seemed. Only on the outside did everything look peachy keen.
I stepped across the room to a beautiful abstract painting with bright yellows and oranges and reds. And farther down the wall were pictures of Austin against the skyline, his neck outstretched toward the blue sky above him. Other pictures were more staged—with his friends, family, one of him and Alec that made my heart twinge.
“These are beautiful,” I said, my throat thick.
I heard his steps behind me. He was so close that I could feel the warmth of his presence.
“Brandy helped me with that.” His voice was soft, contemplative. “She has an eye for beautiful things. She took that photo of me and the team. It’s a candid one. She was there on the field when we won the World Series a few years back.” He stood beside me, almost shoulder to shoulder, and the air felt heavier all of a sudden.
“That’s one of my favorite ones.”
