Chapter 28
Leo
The click-clack of high heels catches my attention. I glance up and see Sophia approaching down the long hallway toward the upstairs guest bathroom. She gives me a little smile and I nod my head in greeting.
“I brought you a cupcake.” She stretches a little frosted treat to me. “I hope red velvet is fine for you.”
I set down my trowel and wipe my hands on a rag before taking it. “Red velvet is great. Thanks.”
Sophia’s actually really nice. I formed a not-so-favorable opinion of her the first time I saw her in her fancy clothes and her salon-styled hair. But she’s kind and down-to-earth. I feel bad that I misjudged her.
When I take the cake and bite into it, I expect her to turn and leave but she lingers in the doorway. Her eyes scan the bathroom floor where I’m laying down the tiles. “This looks so good,” she says wistfully. “I’m so excited for it to be done.”
I half-smile. “Almost there.” In two bites, I’ve already devoured the delicious cake. Reese is amazing at what she does. Actually, Reese is amazing, period.
Last night shit got real. I wanted to lie there and hold her, fall asleep with her in my arms. But I saw the look on her face as we lay next to each other recovering from the aftershocks of the earthshattering sex. She’s starting to feel things. Things that mirror the feelings digging their way into my heart. Things that go beyond the physical.
I thought I could use her body to get numb, to forget the bullshit in my life. But I don't feel numb at all. I feel everything. Every emotion is magnified when she smiles at me, when she kisses me, when she lies next to me. I like all of Reese's pieces. They're sugary. Addictive. I can't help myself.
I want her. Badly. I miss her whenever she's not next to me. I spend my days thinking about her. I want to do things for her, make her life easier. And god knows I want to do things to her. She's so good. She's an angel. I want to be someone she can rely on. Someone she can trust. Even though she deserves better than I could ever give her.
But I'm not in the right headspace to venture into a relationship with her. It wouldn't be fair to her. There are so many reasons why I shouldn’t be dragging her any deeper into my world. I’m a mess.
Reese is sweet and innocent. She doesn't know the sting of betrayal or the chill of uncertainty or the bite of regret. At night, when she's sound asleep under her floral-patterned duvet in her tone matching bed, betrayal, uncertainty and grief keep me company.
I snap out of my musings and realize that Sophia is still standing there, dawdling, stalling as if there’s something she’s hesitating to say. She remains silent so I pick up my trowel and resume slathering the tile adhesive all over the floor.
“I had my doubts about putting terra cotta tiles in the bathroom,” she says slowly, “Because the paint doesn’t match and the crown molding has a different style completely…I went back and forth in my mind for a while but ultimately, I took a risk…even though I wasn’t one hundred percent sure. Sometimes in life, you can’t be one hundred percent sure…” She gives me a hard, meaningful look. Something tells me she isn’t talking about floor tiles anymore. “Sometimes, you have to take a risk. Even when you aren’t ready. When you aren’t sure.”
“Uh…yeah.” I turn my attention back to the work in front of me.
Eventually, she sighs in frustration and spins on her heel but then she pauses again. She just can’t control herself. “You do realize that that was a metaphor, right?”
I laugh deep in my throat. “Yes, Sophia. I get the deeper meaning.” She’s telling me to take a risk on Reese even though I have no idea what the hell I’m doing.
She looks pleased with herself and smiles wide. “There’s more cupcakes in the kitchen if you want.” Her heels click loudly as she disappears back down the hall.