Page 39 of The Night
“Nothing. It’s just a really nice place. You’d have to see it sometime to really believe it. Really…” I looked up Weaver Street, where colored lights and greenery adorned every shop, and a guy dressed as Santa handed out flyers in front of the bed and breakfast. “Really picturesque. Really friendly. I’ve had people offering me jobs and discounted babysitting, even though I’m a perfect stranger.” I snorted. “Can you imagine that in Boston?”
“Uh, no. For areason.” Scott’s tone hit somewhere between dismay and disgust. “Liam, youhavea job. And you’re not going to let just anyone watch Hazel, are you? Someone you’ve never met before now and haven’t fully vetted?”
“I—”
“Seriously, Liam, what are you thinking? Is everything okay? Do you need my help? I know youhatetaking help from anyone—”
“Not true!” I said, stung. “I take help!” But no one offered the help Ineeded.
The bell on the bakery door chimed, and Gideon stepped outside. He looked me up and down, then frowned.
“Everything okay?” he asked softly.
Define okay. Because this thing with Scott is not okay, and the way I feel lightning-struck every time I’m around you is not okay, and staying with you means wanting you because I can’tnotand that is not okay…
I nodded.
“I’ve, um… I’ve gotta go,” I said into the phone as Gideon took a step toward me.
“Wait, no! When will you be back? We can reschedule that drink—”
“A few more days. I’ll let you know.” I hung up without regret.
“So,” I said to the man standing in front of me. His eyes tracked my features like he was trying to see inside my head. “What’s up?”
“Came out here to ask you that.” He lifted his hand to my ear—the one that hadn’t had the phone pressed to it—and I shivered at the heat of his hand against my cold skin. “Don’t you have a hat?”
I shook my head and resisted the urge to lean toward him. Gideon made a good wind break. “This was supposed to be a two-day thing, remember? With most of that time spent in the car?”
The hand on my ear moved to the back of my neck, rubbing lightly. “How upset are you about this delay,really?”
“Really?” I huffed out a breath. “I’m pretty fucking upset! We’re gonna have to stay with you—”
“I don’t mind.”
“Yeah?” I tilted my head. “Because last night, you wanted to pawn us off on anyone with a spare room, and then you and I—” I broke off and ran a hand through my hair. “Then last night happened, and now you’re all ‘no, it’s fine,’ and I just… I don’t think that’s a good idea, you know? I don’t think…”
“Liam, what did I say to you last night?” Gideon’s voice was low and hypnotic, and his fingers prodded my neck with just the right pressure.
I licked my lips. “Um. Which part? You said… a lot of things.”
“The part where I said I wasn’t gonna be angry anymore. You remember that?”
I sighed. “But then you… and we… and I just…”
His second hand came up to join the first, splaying into my hair, tugging gently against my scalp. I let out a pitiful moan.
“Yesterday, I was tired after a long shift. I got the shock of my life seeing you. SeeingHazel.Dealing with that bunch of shit stirrers.” He nodded over my head into the bakery. “But it was nice having you both there. And, not gonna lie, it wasreallynice not having Fia walking on my head at five a.m., waiting to be fed.”
“But—”
“I have no expectations, Liam. Sex is off the table unless you say different, okay?”
I frowned up at him. I wasn’t trying to be argumentative; I just couldn’t help feeling like I was missing something. Like my brain was foggy.
“But then why would you—” I shook my head. “Why would you be so nice to me?”
“You think I’m nice?Pfft. Please. It’s all part of my cunning, evil plan.”