AllFreeNovel
Share Us
It didn’t take me long to figure out that he wasn’t here. I came back to the living room, trying not to grimace at Bennett, who still stood in the threshold of the door holding the cake.
“Sorry about that. I guess he’s not home. You can just leave it on the counter there. I really appreciate your help.”
His frown had only deepened in the time since we got here and he looked a little annoyed as he set the cake down on the counter. That was my fault. I should’ve taken the cake from him instead of running around the apartment looking for Alan.
“He know you were coming?” he asked.
Scrunching my nose, I shrugged. “I texted him, but he did say he had a dinner meeting with a client this evening. It must’ve run late or something.”
Bennett crossed his arms over his massive chest. “Call him. You went through all that effort to surprise him.”
Sucking in a breath, I nodded, pulling my phone out of my pocket. He was at a client dinner. It ran late, and he was too busy to text me. That’s all.
The phone rang a few times, and I almost gave up before he finally answered. “Jules?”
Letting out a relieved sigh, I forced myself to smile. Alan always said he could tell when I was upset, even over the phone. I didn’t want him to think I was mad at him on his birthday.
“Hey. I’m at your apartment. Where are you?”
“Meeting ran late, then a few of the guys decided to take me out for drinks since it’s my birthday. You don’t mind, right?”
“Oh… No, of course not. Go have fun. I’ll just see you tomorrow, okay?”
“Ah, I’m so sorry, Jules. I can’t do tomorrow. I’m gonna be working late. I’ll text you, alright?”
I nodded, almost forgetting he couldn’t see me. “Alright… have fun. I–”
“Gotta go! Terry just ordered shots. Bye, babe!”
Grimacing, I pulled the phone away from my ear as he hung up. I hated when he called me that. Of all the terms of endearment, that was the only one I couldn’t stand. He’d been drinking though, so he probably wouldn’t remember in the morning if I brought it up. I bolstered myself before turning back to Bennett.
“Well, I guess he’s going out with friends. I’m just gonna head home. Thanks so much for your help.”
He scowled. “I’ll walk you to your car.”
“Oh no, you don’t have to do that. You’ve done plenty. I–”
Something flashed over his face before he shook his head and took a step back. “It’s not safe. I won’t hurt you, I promise.”
My eyebrows flew up. “I never thought you would.”
He shifted uncomfortably again and nodded his head, taking a few steps back this time. I followed him out, locking the door behind me. I had to wonder why it felt like he was worried I’d be afraid of him. He seemed kind enough, and he’d been nothing but helpful since we met. He could be introverted, like my cousin. Porter hated meeting new people, and it took a while for him to warm up to strangers. It always helped when I led the conversation, so I went with that for now.
“So, Bennett, what do you do?”
Chapter Four
JULIE
I never liked awkward silences. I talk a lot to fill the quiet. It drove Alan up the walls. He liked the quiet, so I kept glancing back at Bennett to gauge whether I was starting to irritate him. He’d been so kind, I didn’t want to sour the moment.
“I work security at LifeTech.”
My eyebrows flew up. “Wow! Small world! Alan works at LifeTech, too. He’s a project manager.”
A muscle in Bennett’s jaw ticked, and I rolled my lips between my teeth. I was talking too much. I needed to stop. We waited for the elevator in awkward silence before he spoke again.
“You work there too?”
