So, why weren't you at work today then?
I waited a solid five minutes between that message and the next. I wasn't sure why it was taking him so long to answer, but when he responded, I knew he had been deciding if he wanted to be bold.
I liked bold.
Why don't you come over to my apartment, and I'll tell you all about it?
Nineteen
Heidi
Going to Landon's apartment fell under the category of Bad Ideas. Yet here I was, driving over to the address he had texted to me and feeling ridiculous that I was doing so. I could try to convince myself that it was simply because I was worried about his well-being.
Actually, let's go with that.
Seemed legit.
Even if it was a lie.
I was going to Landon's because I wanted to see him, and staying away from him fucking sucked. Point-blank.
Just as I pulled into the parking lot of his apartment building, I got a text from Emery. Blood pounded in my ears, and I felt frozen. I still hadn't told Emery that anything was going on with Landon. I mean, nothing was going on with Landon, but she would want to know why I was going over there to see him, and I didn't have a real answer to that. At least not one that I could give her.
Hey! I'm heading over to Jensen's tonight, but I miss you. Can we plan a girls' night this weekend?
I sighed and parked the car. Man, I missed my best friend, too. I should probably head straight home and go hang out with her. That was the sensible thing to do. But there was the door to Landon's apartment, and that was where all my curiosity led.
Feeling like a crappy best friend, I decided not to tell her.
Yes! I miss you, too. How about tomorrow night?
Oh my God, this needs to happen! This damn man always takes all my time.
Yes, because you hate it.
Not in the slightest, but it takes time away from my bestie roomie! So, tomorrow for sure, bitch! You'd better be there.
Definitely tomorrow. I'll be all yours, lover.
Oh, don't tease me!
I laughed at her silly behavior that I adored.
It was officially official though. I had to tell Emery that I was into Landon. I was dreading it. Seriously dreading it. But Emery was my family. One hundred fifty percent. I wasn't going to lie to her. My poor heart couldn't handle dealing with that. I was already tied up in knots over the fact that she didn't know.
It wasn't as if I were cheating. I was just … hanging out with my boss. Who happened to be her ex-boyfriend.
Fuck, I'm screwed.
I tossed my phone in my purse and hurried up to Landon's front door. I knocked twice and tapped my foot on the ground in anticipation. I couldn't believe I was doing this. Sure, I might be able to lie to myself and say that Landon and I had been friends forever, so it wasn't weird to come over here. But it was still a lie.
Landon cracked the door open, and his face brightened. "Hey! You showed."
"I said I would."
"Yeah, you did, but I wasn't sure. With, well … you know."
Yeah, I do know.
He stepped back and gestured for me to enter. With my heart in my throat, I passed him and went into the living room.
The apartment wasn't anything special. I could see everything about the place in one sweep. The small living space had an enormous curved TV that was currently showing some golf tournament, a tiny kitchen with a two-person breakfast nook, and a one bedroom with a too-big bed. This was not the sort of place I would have guessed from someone in the Wright family. Let alone a professional golfer. From what I knew-not that I cared one way or another-the Wrights were all millionaires-plus, and professional golf, even in the midrange, raked in over a million a year. Yet here he was, in a tiny one-bedroom in Lubbock, Texas.
"Nice place," I told him.
He coughed twice as he choked on his own laugh. "Yeah. Sure. Awesome digs."
"It's not what I expected," I said truthfully.
He closed the door behind me and followed me into the living room. "I'm not bitter, I swear, but I went from living in a five-thousand-square-foot house in Clearwater with a pool and Jacuzzi, across from a PGA-regulation golf course, to this. This is … an adjustment."
My jaw hung open at his words. "Well, shit."
"Pretty much my take on it."
"Why did you pick this place? It's not like you can't live somewhere … better."
"That's true. I could move again if I wanted. But, considering all the other changes in my life, I just wanted to go minimalist. I don't need the space. It's just me after all."
"That makes sense actually."
"I think it sounds better in my head than when I said it out loud to Jensen," Landon said. He angled for the kitchen. "You want a drink? Water? Coke? A beer?"
"Coke is fine with me."
He popped open two cans and handed one to me. I made myself comfortable on his couch, which was really low to the ground and clearly very new. The bubbles fizzed at the top of the can and tickled my nose when I went to take a sip. I giggled quietly to myself, and my eyes darted to Landon's mouth. I licked my lips where the bubbles were and tried not to think about what he would taste like without whiskey.