Chapter Seven

Garrett

There was a fine line between heaven and hell, and he was currently living it.

He looked at the tiny beauty in his arms, taking in every fucking detail he could while in awe of the fact he was in bed with her.

She had shocked the shit out of him when she had led him into her room and quietly grabbed sexy-as-sin pajamas. Not that they were outright sexy. No. His tempting bit of sunshine wore skin soft, light-purple sleep shorts with a buttery yellow spaghetti strap top. When he had pointed out he didn’t have any sleeping clothes, she had suggested he could sleep in his boxers, and he’d loved the way her face had turned a bright pink.

That was how he had found himself in bed with the little minx wrapped around him as she softly snored. He couldn’t get his body to relax. He was wound tightly, but not in a bad way. Instead of the usual anxiety and tension, he felt lust.

Lust and something else.

Something he couldn’t put a name to, something eerily like happiness.

His hands seemed to have a mind of their own as he stroked her soft hair.

“Hmm,” she sighed deeply, her soft breath tickling his bare chest as she snuggled closer. He fought shutting his eyes. His body was hard, and when he said hard, he meant HARD. Her toned leg moved upward in sleep and curled into him, and he groaned, his fingers tangling further into her hair.

Her head moved up, her hand on his chest, and he swallowed hard.

“I’m wrapped up all around you,” she mumbled sleepily, moving her leg down, and he let his hand touch the soft skin of her thigh.

“Don’t move.” His voice was slightly rough. “I like it.”

“I’m squishing you.”

“Pshh,” he scoffed. “Hardly.” Her weight on him felt amazing.

“You don’t look like you’ve slept at all,” she pointed out, her lips hovering over his. Damn, she was tempting him. Tempting to take her and whatever it was brewing between them to the next level.

“Sleep, sunshine.”

“Hmm… I like all your nicknames.” She sighed, resting her head back on his chest as his fingers gently stroked her scalp. “I’ve never had a nickname,” she admitted in her sleepy haze. Her hand stroked the area above his pec, back and forth. The featherlight touch made his eyes heavy, and he drifted off to sleep wondering how the hell it was possible his beautiful Cupid had never had a nickname when he couldn’t decide on one for her.

_______________

He woke up, and without opening his eyes, he knew he was alone. There was a stillness in the room and throughout the entire apartment.

Slowly opening his eyes, he took in the view of her bedroom. But unlike the last time he’d woken up in it, he wasn’t in a world of pain. Sitting up, he smiled and picked up the note on her nightstand.

Garrett,

I guess it was my turn to slip out and leave a note.

Last night was fun. We should hang out again.

You have my number.

Sunshine McCupid

Damn, she was cute.

Cute and way too trusting.

Looking around, he shook his head. She had let a stranger stay in her home. Sure, it was him, but nonetheless, she seriously needed to be more careful. The idea of someone taking advantage of her kind spirit made his blood boil, and the need to keep her safe bubbled up again. He wanted to protect her. Him. He shook his head. He wasn’t any good at keeping people safe.

He should walk out and leave her be.

She was better off without someone like him screwing with her life and her head. Because if there was one thing he was certain of, it was his capability to fuck things up.

Knowing this, Garrett still took her handwritten note from the notepad and stuffed it into his back pocket. He picked up a pen, tempted to write her back, but he didn’t.

The ball was in his court.

He just needed to decide whether he should keep playing the game.

Stefanie

He was back.

In my bar. Well, not my bar, but Kip’s.

He was at the Lunar Dive. Again.

Standing off to the side by the entrance, I bit the tip of the nail on my thumb. As cheesy and stupid as it was, the sight of him sitting next to my usual barstool made my heart flip-flop.

He came back.

He hadn’t called.

Or texted.

Nothing the entire week. I had chalked it up to the fact he was just not interested. Maybe he had been in the bar, but he hadn’t even tried to kiss me while we were in bed. It had stung, him going incommunicado, but it was also life. I didn’t expect much from people, and he was no different than everyone else.

But he was back. He was back and sitting at the bar.

Breathing in deeply, I walked over to him, sitting in my usual spot, tapping his shoulder. He turned his chocolate-brown eyes to meet mine. I smiled. He was even more handsome than I recalled.

“Buy you a drink, soldier?” I offered. God, he was gorgeous. Too damn sexy. He squinted at me, and his lips gave a half grin before he shook his head.

“Take a seat,” his deep voice rumbled. His elbows on the bar, he looked like a regular, sitting like that. “I’ll get them.” He grabbed Alex’s attention and then looked at me. “You look good, sunshine.” His little nicknames were cute, and I liked them. But I couldn’t help but wonder if he used them because he couldn’t remember my name.

“Thanks.” Was I one of many? Maybe his new flavor for the day, and the nicknames were so no one in his little harem got offended by being called the wrong name. He ordered both of us both a diet Coke. “I can’t believe you’re here.”

“You mentioned something about how you screech, I mean sing, at nine twenty-five, right? Every Thursday,” he teased, and I playfully punched his shoulder.

“Screech, huh?” I laughed, shaking my hair. “Very funny, soldier boy.” I got comfortable in my seat, and we sat there silently until after Alex brought us our drinks and I sipped my pop. “How was your week?”

“Busy.”

“That’s good.” Silence fell between us again, and I glanced at him, wondering if he was going to ask about my week, but he obviously wasn’t.

“I have to say I didn’t think you would come here again,” I laid out honestly.

I was never going to be a smooth operator, and I was okay with that. I was just me. He didn’t respond, and I wondered what the hell his game was. Instead of asking him, I looked around the bar, taking in the way it was filling up quickly, like it usually did around this time.

“Why is that?” he asked, and my eyes found their way back to his. There was something about the way he held his body. Tense, almost conflicted.

“I don’t know…” The olive-green and white-checkered short-sleeved button-up showed off his biceps, but I was not going to be distracted by the pretty packaging that was Garrett Wright. “I didn’t hear anything from you this week. This honestly doesn’t seem like it would be your local type of watering hole.”

“Why not? It’s good enough for you.”

“Oh, I don’t know, soldier boy. Maybe it’s this extra aura you have to you.”

“Extra aura?”

“Yeah, combined with the whole grouchy-old-man thing you have going on.”

“What does that even mean? Extra? Is this something I need to look up on urban dictionary because of my grouchy-old-man side?” he asked, clearly amused by me.

“Oh, please, like you’ve never heard that before.”

“I haven’t.”

“Somehow, I don’t believe that. It’s clear you aren’t from around here, Rocky.”

“Maybe I like karaoke.” he responded, and I couldn’t help it. I laughed. The idea of him being a karaoke fanatic was just too funny. “You don’t believe me?” he asked, and I pressed my lips together, shaking my head.

“Okay, fair enough. I’m not from around here.” He sighed, and I grinned.

“I know.”

“How can you be so sure, though?”

“Garrett.”

“Maybe I liked the drive.” He lifted and dropped one broad shoulder. I bit my lip and spoke without thinking.

“Or maybe you have a wife and three kids somewhere in… LA?” I guessed. A sinking feeling hit my stomach.

I didn’t want it to be true. But when things seemed too good to be true, they usually were. Oh God. Had I slept with a married man? Not that I had done anything dirty, but if I had been coveting someone’s man, I would hate myself.

“Wife and three kids, huh?” he repeated. His hand let go of his glass, and he turned his big body fully to me, giving me his undivided attention. “Never been married,” he shared, and just like that, my heart started beating again. “No kids either. Unless you count my niece.” I felt the heat of blushing on my cheeks blooming to life.

“Niece?”

“Yup. And a nephew coming soon,” he mumbled, and I smiled bigger. He was sharing something obviously important to him, but he was trying to make it seem like he couldn’t care less.

“Mazel tov,” I congratulated. He tipped his head at me.

“Look, Stefanie—”

“You do remember my name,” I accidently said out loud and shut my eyes in embarrassment. God, I am an idiot.

“Stef, look at me,” he gently pushed, and I peeked at him with one eye.

“Don’t mind me. I’m just a little spazzy.”

“You’re not spazzy,” he voiced. “You’re fucking cute,” he muttered, “and sweet and freaking funny.” His voice trailed off into nothing, and I felt the air change. It was like his mood went dark for a second, and I knew something was up.

“But?” I knew there was a but. There always was.

“I’m not that guy,” he stated clearly and honestly. I simply froze, a fake smile pasted on my face. I was used to being rejected by, well, everyone, but his one stung a little more.

“What guy?” I probed carefully, my mask set in place. I knew exactly what was coming.

“The kind you take home to Mom,” he spoke, and I blinked. Once. Twice.

The guy you take home to Mom. Funny choice of words to a girl like me.

“That’s fine with me.” I shrugged. I didn’t have a mom to take him home to anyhow.

“Sunshine, I don’t think you get what I’m saying here.” He was sweet; I had to give him that. Gently trying to let me down when the truth was easy.

“You’re not the forever type,” I bluntly filled in the blanks. “Or at least I don’t fill the bill for that. I get it better than you know. I’m not that type either,” I sadly confessed. No matter how much I had hoped that one day, I’d have my own fairy-tale ending, I knew better.

“Girl!” Kip bellowed from the far end of the bar and pointed toward the stage. It was time for me to sing, and I was grateful. I was grateful I had my out of this conversation and that I could give him his.

Looking at Garrett, I smiled. How couldn’t I? He was handsome in every sense of the word. But he was also so much more than a pretty face. He was like my own kind of puzzle. One I had wanted to figure out, but as was life, he wasn’t mine to keep. Maybe it was because I hadn’t slept with him or because I obviously wasn’t enough. It didn’t matter. It didn’t matter. I knew better than to be stupid enough to let myself daydream about more.

But that was all I could have.

A daydream.

He was a sweet for coming all the way here from wherever the hell he was from. Even if it had been unnecessary. He could have saved himself the gas and just ghosted me. I would have almost preferred it.

“If you want me to be honest, I’m not a happily ever after believer. In my world, they don’t exist.”

“Stef—”

“I don’t believe in them. So, if you’re worried I’m going to want to take you home to Mommy Dearest and beg for a ring on my finger, I’m not that girl.”

“Baby—”

“Last week was... fun. The most I have—” ever had, I wanted to say, but I was sure I was already making an idiot of myself, “had in a long time.” That would make me less pathetic. “But I wasn’t asking you for more. I’m sorry if my note somehow seemed like I had. If you came here out of, I don’t know, pity, I’m good. I get it. It’s cool. I’m not your type. Don’t worry. I’m not going to have my heart broken or wasn’t fantasizing about you.” I totally had been. “It’s cool. Not pulling your leg here, G-Man. So, if that’s what this is, I would like it if you weren’t here when I come back. I’m a big girl, Garrett.”

“I didn’t mean it like—” he started to say, but I simply cut him off.

“Then stay if you didn’t. But if you did, have a safe drive home.” I winked and hopped off my barstool. I didn’t look back and did my own thing.

I started off karaoke night like I always did on a Thursday.

I did my thing up on stage, introducing myself, talking about the night, explaining how it all worked. Then I chose my song for the night. Belting out Shake It Off by Taylor Swift could have been my life mantra, but more so today. After I was done, I dawdled a little more than usual. I called up those who had signed up to sing and hung out with some regulars.

What I didn’t do was glance toward the bar.

Not once.

Once I was sure I had let enough time go by and that karaoke night was running itself, I headed toward the bar. I shouldn’t have been surprised, but mostly, I shouldn’t have let myself feel the disappointment I did, but I couldn’t help it.

He was gone.

With every step, my heart thundered heavily in my chest, and I swallowed down sadness so thick I was afraid I would choke on it.

All at the sight of his empty seat.