Page 17

CELINE

R esting the back of my head against the door as it closes, I rub my eyes and groan. What a shit show of a day. I’m glad I got to see my dad, but it was a rough one. It was going so well initially that I let down my guard and was rewarded with a slap in the face.

“Meow.” A black floof yells at me from the floor sitting like a perfect angel. I know better, but still risk it and reach down to hold him close. Midnight allows it like he knows what’s happened and I need comfort, animals are smart like that.

I pet his soft head and run my finger down his little nose. In a rare show of affection his pink tongue flicks out to lick my pointer.

“See, we can be friends.” Rocking him like a baby in my arms we have a moment that’s promptly ruined by a knocking at the door. Midnight yowls and scratches my arm in the process of sprinting away.

“Ow, you little shit!” Assessing the damage and finding no blood drawn I open the door, expecting it to be Zavier although I don’t know for what.

“Ava?” Her face appears and she pulls me in for a hug.

“Aw, my girl. Look at your poor face.” Wiping under my eye she pulls her hand away to show black streaks. “I hoped it would be a good day, but I guess not.”

“Oh my God, I must look like a clown.” Rushing to my bathroom, and leaving her to let herself in, I stare at my appearance and let out a squeak. “Jesus, I look awful.”

Mascara is smeared everywhere, and my eyes are puffy and red rimmed.

My face is blotchy from my outburst, and I make quick work wiping off as much gunk as I can with a washcloth.

I turn my head from side to side and don’t see any other makeup but it’s not great.

I just have to accept my sorry state for now.

“Get out here and let me comfort you,” Ava calls from the living room. “I didn’t drive across town for nothing.”

“What’re you doing here, Aves?” I question, plopping down next to her when I meander my way back in with a forced smile.

“I knew today was that day of the month, so I wanted to stop by and check in. And I’m not talking about your period.” She supports her head with her hand and leans her elbow against the back of the couch. Warmth shines in her eyes and I'm instantly surrounded by her healing aura.

“Thanks. I’m all right.” I fold my arms across my abdomen and lay back against the couch.

“Oh, I know you’re all right, you hussy.” Ava swats my shoulder, and I scoff.

“What are you talking about?”

“I ran into Zavier in the hall. He literally lives right next to you! Not just in the same building but next door.” She draws out his name when she says it and I know I’m in trouble. “Did you sleep with him last night?” Her voice goes up a few octaves and I jump up to defend myself.

“What? No!” Frantically waving my hands I try to put her suspicions to rest. “Yes, he lives next to me, which is a crazy coincidence, but nothing happened. He got me home safe like a perfect gentleman.”

I don’t mention the weirdness when he dropped me off, or him comforting me during my meltdown, knowing that’ll add fuel to her gossip bonfire. I pray Zavier didn’t mention it during whatever conversation they had.

Ava gives a disappointed noise and slinks back down on the couch.

“I wouldn’t have judged you if you did. He’s a hot piece of man and from the little I've seen he genuinely seems into you. If you don't feel a spark with Asher, why don’t you go on a date with Zav?”

“Zav?” I question incredulously.

Since when were they besties and on nickname basis?

A loud thud followed by several bangs next door has us both jumping out of our seats and running to the door.

“The fuck? Was that his apartment?” she asks as I’m already knocking on his door to make sure he’s okay.

The man in question appears within a few seconds. One emerald eyeball shines back at us through the small crack he’s opened of the door.

“Zavier? Are you okay?” I try to see more of him through the tiny sliver to make sure.

“Uh. Yeah, why?”

Ava and I share a confused glance and look back at him.

“We heard some pretty loud thuds coming from your direction. Did something happen?”

Zavier sighs and fully opens the door to show blood trickling down the side of his face.

“What the hell happened?” I jump into action, shoving him aside and racing toward the kitchen.

Ripping off a piece of paper towel I run it under water and wring it out before blotting his forehead when he sits in front of me. I grip his chin gently and push his glasses up onto his head to properly wipe the stream of blood away.

What starts as frantic concern on my part turns into intense heat as our eyes lock.

There’s an emotion reflected in his eyes I can’t place, but it makes butterflies awaken in my belly.

With his glasses out of place I can fully appreciate the sharp angle of his cheekbones, the curve of his jaw, and the perfect symmetry of his face.

My eyes dart back and forth between his and I step further into his body.

His arms firmly wrap around the backs of my thighs, and I let loose a sigh I didn’t know I was holding.

The bubble is broken when Ava gasps and I abruptly step back clearing my throat.

“So.” Ava purses her lips. “That thing I was talking about?”

She gives me a knowing look and I threaten to throw the bloodied paper towel at her. Bloodborne pathogens be damned. Tapping her foot, she sets her sights on Zavier who pushes his glasses back in place. God, he’s fucking hot.

She came over here to comfort me and now she’s pushing me into yet another date. I know she means well, and I do like Zavier, but I wish she didn’t feel like she has to worry so much about my love life or lack thereof.

“Celine wants you to take her on a date.”

“What?” Zavier and I shout simultaneously, a grin quickly spreading across his face.

“Ava,” I hiss vehemently.

“I’d love to,” Zavier responds cheerily, linking his arm with mine.

I turn to him in shock and quickly regret it when I tweak my neck with the force of my whiplash.

A small whimper leaks out and my eyes widen once again when Zavier gently cups the back of my neck.

He twists my head to the side and traces the curve of my décolletage, momentarily zeroing in on my pulse and rubbing it with his thumb.

I swear I see a dulling of the vibrant green of his eyes when he zones out but in a flash it’s gone. The concern reflected in them is crazy considering he’s the one who was bleeding a second ago.

“Are you okay?”

The care in his voice makes me want to curl into him and never let go. Between our moment of comfort in the hall, Ava stopping by, and him caring for me now, I’ve felt more care than I have in a long time, and I don’t know how to handle it.

“Cel?” Ava comes into my field of vision, and I straighten, slowly removing Zavier’s hand from my neck. He frowns but doesn’t comment. I notice him clench his hand and cradle it in his other reverently like the one that touched me is something to be treasured.

“Totally fine.” I stretch my neck from side to side to gently work out the kink and direct attention away from me. “What about you? You’re the one with the cut on your head. What happened?” Zavier’s cheeks stain red when I focus my gaze back on him.

He mumbles something unintelligible, and his embarrassment is palpable.

“What?” Tucking my hair behind my ear I lean closer to him feigning deafness. “I didn’t catch that.”

“I fell off a chair and nailed my forehead on the ground.”

Zavier says it so quietly I can’t help but laugh. Ava tries to hold in her snort but fails miserably when it comes out around the hand she holds to her mouth. Envisioning this elegant force of a man, eating shit falling off a chair is hilarious.

I peer around the kitchen island and see the chair in question tipped over onto the floor as well as one of the posters that had been hung on the wall. The frame is shattered and it’s shocking he’s not cut worse than he is.

“Who would’ve thought you’d be a clumsy one.” I chuckle under my breath and head over to the living room to help right the fallen pieces. “Do you have a broom?”

“You don’t have to do that.” Zavier jogs over with the cleaning tool and starts to sweep it up himself.

Ava passes me a plastic bag she found, and I carefully place the larger pieces of glass in the bag. When I’m done, I pass it to Zavier to finish up. Our fingers brush and I feel the familiar tingle I only experience around him.

“Well, we’re glad you’re okay, Zav.” Ava nods her head at him, and we start to head toward his front door.

An amused chuckle makes me stop and turn back around. “What?”

He stands and places his large hands on his hips. A smirk tilts his gorgeous lips up and my brows furrow.

“I just think it’s funny you’ve known me longer than Ava has and yet you never call me Zav. It’s always Zavier this, Zavier that.”

A scoff leaves my mouth as I place my own hands on my hips to mimic his stance.

“You just moved in! I’m sorry if I don’t think we’re in the territory of nicknames.”

He levels me with a stare of challenge, and I know I’m in trouble.

“I think you’re afraid, baby.”

The sputter that leaves my mouth is immediate. “Baby? Afraid of what? Who do you think you are?”

This little bastard.

Ava stands off to the side watching our showdown with interest. If she could have a bucket of popcorn for the performance, I’m sure she would.

“Getting close to anybody.” Zavier struts over like a peacock with his feathers out. “For the short period of time I’ve known you, I’ve read you like a book, and you don’t like to let people in.”

I would love nothing more than to smack the stupid smile right off his gorgeous face right now.

“Oh, please. Zavier whatever-your-last-name-is-know-it-all.” I inwardly cringe at myself and the shitty comeback, but I’m too riled up to care. “You don’t know me.” Poking his chest with a finger I emphasize my point.

He grabs my finger so quickly I can barely react and nips at it. I try to pull away, but he refuses to let go. “Lockwood. Zavier Lockwood. L-O-C-K-W-O-O-D. Why aren’t you writing this down? It’s going to be your last name one day, too.” His grin is downright wicked.

I sputter incoherently.

His pink tongue slips out to lick me like a popsicle and I try to suppress the shiver that wants to wrack my body. In one swift pull from him we’re toe to toe, and my heaving chest brushes his hard pecs.

I should be grossed out, angry even, but I’m not.

I’m … intrigued.

And maybe even a little turned on.

“And I want to know even more about you, Celine Won’t-Face-The-Truth-Brennan.”

Our height difference doesn’t help with me trying to be intimidating so I rip my finger out of his grip and pull a stool over to stand on top of it because I’m petty like that.

“Ha.”

Zavier shakes his head and grabs my hips, pulling me off the stool with ease. His flexing arms let me down but not without letting our fronts rub against each other as he slowly lowers me. The hardness in his crotch is undeniable and I fight the growing blush on my cheeks both from anger and lust.

“I’m leaving.”

I turn and purposely hit him in the face with my hair.

The groan he lets out proves to have had the opposite effect than intended.

I don’t know what to do with him. Grabbing Ava’s hand in mine, I yank her out into the hallway and fumble for the keys in my pocket, trying to get away as soon as possible.

“Where are my damn keys?” I pat down my clothing but can’t find them. A jingling noise has me turning to Mr. Frustrating himself. Zavier has one sassy hand on a hip and the other holding my missing keys nonchalantly.

“You dropped these,” he drawls, only serving to piss me off even more.

“Give me those.” I storm over and snag them from his hand then run out of his apartment like my ass is on fire. Ava continues to watch like we’re providing endless entertainment.

“Oh, and Celine?”

“What?” I shout louder than I mean to and glance around the hallway hoping my neighbors aren’t out.

“See you on Saturday for our date.”

He pushes his door shut and locks it before I can verbally attack him. Smart man.

“You asshole,” I whisper shout, and hear his chuckle on the other side of the door.

Even with my annoyance I can’t help but smile at Ava, who smiles right back at me.

“Want to explain what that was?” she asks, pointing over her shoulder toward Zavier’s apartment. “It’s like you forgot I was standing there. I’ve never seen you get so wrapped up in someone.”

“I couldn’t if I wanted to, because I have no freaking idea.”