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He smirked, running a hand through his hair. “That guywasa part of our welcoming committee, now that you mention it.” He paused. “Hey, why don’t you come back to my place for the night?I don’t mean that how it sounds,”he said, though she’d never said she didn’t want him to mean it exactly how it sounded—she was atrollop, after all. “I just assume that your aunt probably won’t want to drive into the city so late. She doesn’t exactly seem to like the nightlife crowd. You can call her and tell her where to pick you up tomorrow.”
“Oh, no, honestly, I couldn’t put you out like that,” she said, trying to be polite, though she desperately wanted to say yes.
“It’s fine,” he said simply. “It makes the most sense, anyway. If you trust me.”
She nodded, surprising herself as the truth slipped from her tongue. “I trust you.”
* * *
Back at hisplace once again, he offered to let her sleep in his bed, which she promptly declined.
“I’m honestly not being…chivalrous or whatever. I’ll sleep on the couch. It’s just…I don’t have extra bed stuff. Pillows or whatever. And I’m not going to make you sleep out here with nothing. I’ll be fine. I usually crash on the couch, anyway.”
She bit her lip. “Are you sure?” she asked.
He raised his eyebrows. “You aren’t gonna steal from me, are ya?”
“What, and become a part of New York’s welcoming committee? Honestly, the job didn’t seem all that glamorous.”
He laughed—she loved the way he laughed at her jokes—and rubbed a thumb over his lip, walking past her toward the bedroom. He pulled open a drawer and handed her a T-shirt and sweatpants. “Don’t worry, they’re clean.”
She held them tightly to her chest, staring at the man who’d saved her life in more ways than one that day. “Thank you, Finn. For…everything.”
“I didn’t do much,” he said simply. “Bathroom’s there.” He pointed to a door to his right. “You can wake me up if you need anything.”
She nodded in agreement, watching as he walked out the door. Before it had closed completely, he turned back to glance at her one last time. “Good night, Blythe.”
“Good night, Finn.” With that, he shut the door and she heard his heavy footsteps as he walked away from her.
She slipped out of her clothes carefully, pulling his shirt over her head. It smelled like him. This entire room smelled just like his metallic cologne. She laid down in his bed, enjoying the scent surrounding every inch of her. She wasn’t sure what it was about this man that had her so enraptured—perhaps the mystery, perhaps that he’d been so kind on a day that she’d really needed kindness—either way, the thoughts she was having about him would’ve had Aunt Patty clutching her pearls.
She turned off the lamp on his bedside table, listening to the fan above her whirling around, and tried to fall asleep. Outside, she could hear sirens, horns, and people laughing.The sounds of New York City.It was incredibly noisy. She rolled over, wrapping her head in a pillow. She’d certainly have to get used to this.
Then again, Aunt Patty’s home wasn’t going to be this noisy…was it? And she’d only be at Finn’s for the night. So, this noise was only temporary.
After a few minutes of tossing and turning and wishing desperately for her phone and earphones to drown out the thoughts of the mile-long to-do list she now had to complete—a trip to the nearest DMV at the top of that list—she threw the covers off her legs and walked from the room. She didn’t want to think of all the misfortune the robber had cost her: the bank card she’d need to replace, the only family photos she owned now in the hands of a stranger; she just wanted to sleep.
He was sitting on the couch, staring at a blank TV. He looked up, surprised to see her. “Need something?” he asked.
“I…I can’t sleep,” she said, bumping one knee into the other awkwardly.
He seemed to understand, patting the seat next to him. It was an invitation. She took him up on his offer without much coaxing, sliding onto the couch next to him and watching as he picked up the remote. “Any preferences?” he asked.
She shook her head, leaning over onto his chest without hesitation. He was right, without pillows this couch certainly wasn’t comfortable. He didn’t seem to mind her weight, scooting further down into the couch in what seemed like an attempt to make her more relaxed. She could hear his heart racing in his chest, and she wondered if he could hear hers. His hand stroked her arm carefully, causing the hair on her arms to raise.
It had been so long since she’d touched anyone else…as painful as that was to admit. A year. A year since her parents died and she dumped her high school boyfriend. A year since her life effectively stopped.
He flipped through the channels casually, though she was pretty sure he wasn’t actually paying attention to what was on. She closed her eyes for a split second, focusing on his heartbeat and finally allowing herself to succumb to her exhaustion.
Next thing she knew, she woke up.
Chapter Three
She opened her eyes in a strange place. It took awhile for her vision to adjust to the light streaming into the window and then for her brain to catch up.
“Sorry,” a voice whispered from underneath her. They were lying on a couch in an apartment she didn’t immediately recognize. She looked over, staring at Finn with what she was sure was a strange expression. “I didn’t mean to wake you…I just really need to pee.” He lifted her head from his chest, darting across the apartment in a hurry.
She rubbed the sleep from her eyes, the past day’s events coming back to her. She hadn’t slept so well in over a year. Apparently, the city’s sounds grew on her faster than she’d ever imagined.
