AllFreeNovel
Share Us
CHAPTER12
NOVA
I gripthe edge of the bathroom counter and exhale slowly through my nose to settle my stomach.
“Hey, are you good in there?” Zeke calls through the door, his voice uncertain. I wipe my mouth and shake it off. When I open the door, he’s standing right there, and I stumble with a squeak of surprise.
He’s holding a glass of water, insecurity bathing his entire demeanour. He juts out the glass to me, and I take it, noticing the grease stains on his skin and under his nails. I wonder if it ever comes out.
Figgy weaves between my feet and hisses at Zeke, who steps back. It’s amusing that my tiny cat terrifies this six-foot beast of a man.
“Thanks,” I say, taking a drink to wash the vomit taste from my tongue.
We shuffle around each other for a moment before he heads to the couch. The low hum of the hockey game playing on TV obviously didn’t hide the sounds of my barfing. Embarrassment seeps through me, and these are the moments where I wish he weren’t living here, too.
I’ve been here for two days. After the initial shock wore off, Zeke and I were left with the uncomfortable reality of being roommates and having a baby together. I doubt it would be any less awkward if he were still living upstairs, but at least he wouldn’t hear me puke.
“Let me know if you need help with anything, okay?” he asks as I make my way to my yoga mat in the centre of the room.
“I’m fine,” I say, and he huffs out a short breath. I don’t miss the irritation in the quick shrug of his shoulders, but I don’t say anything. He’s asked that question a million times in forty-eight hours and every time, I say I’m fine.
I shake the feeling that he’s annoyed with me and focus on my yoga. It’s an automatic part of my day. Yoga has been an essential part of managing my MS. The stretching and breathing help my stress levels, and the poses and flow strengthen my body and balance.
The flow of the movements calms me in an instant, and I find the rhythm between my breath and movements. I sink deep into a downward dog, and that’s when I notice Zeke. His deep gaze ignites goosebumps along my skin.
As soon as he realizes he’s caught, he shifts his focus to the TV. He scratches his chin, pulling his hand across his mouth. It seems to be a nervous tick. He hides his face behind hoods, baseball hats, and his hand like he doesn’t want anyone to see him.
His eyes flicker to me again as I arch my back into a cobra pose. The fact that he’s checking me out makes me laugh, and I shift to sitting on my knees.
“Have you ever done yoga before?” I ask.
“No. I have not.” He adjusts the brim of his ball cap.
“Want to do it with me?” There’s no chance he will agree, and the smirk that shows up on my face feels like a challenge. “Or are you happy staring at me with my ass in the air?”
He takes his hat off and tosses it on the coffee table, making my heart do a little flip in my chest. I was joking, calling him out, but I’m the one called out now.
“Yeah, alright.” He stands up and removes his hoodie. The movement lifts his t-shirt as well, and I gawk at the shape of his hips and lines of his stomach for a split second, making my double standards very apparent. He shifts his face into a goofy smirk and claps his hands up over his head, lifting one foot in the air. The pose is ridiculous, and he wobbles around like a cartoon character. “Like this, right?”
I burst out laughing and shake my head. “Good God, no. Not like that at all.”
Going up on my tippy-toes, I grab at his arms and set them down to his sides. His smile is mesmerizing, and there’s a lightness in his eyes I’ve never seen before. Playful and goofy.
He was neither of these things when I first met him.
This close, it’s all him. The scent of him wraps me up in memories, and I miss them. The memories. Not just of him. Of me. Of the way I took charge. The way my arms shook as I told him what I wanted.
He’d gone into his office and I followed him, even though I was sure I wasn’t supposed to. I leaned against the door frame and fluffed my hair like an idiot. My body quaked with the anticipation of his reaction. I was leaving his shop either embarrassed or satisfied. There was no in-between in a situation like that.
He turned around and startled when he saw me in the doorway. A flash of understanding passed across his lowered brow before it vanished, and he tilted his head to the side. It was the confused look of a man who was pretty sure he was being hit on, but I got the sense he wasn’t going to assume. This turned me on, and that was the last thread I needed in my bravery blanket.
“I think you’re sexy,” I said, and his eyes widened.
“Um, thank you?” he responded, and I laughed, slipping into his office. “Me, too. No. I mean, I think you are, too.”
He ran his tongue over his teeth, and his cheeks flushed at screwing up his words. I was drunk on the control I had over him. Making him trip up, stumble over me.
“I have some time to kill before I need to hit the road, and I just thought…” I trailed out, and he got a hold of himself, the smirk stretching across his face.
