Cassie (The Mitchell/Healy Family #7)(41)
Logan snapped his fingers to get my attention. “Did you hear me?”
I’d been so mesmerized I’d zoned out. “No, sorry. What did you say?”
“Thanks for cleaning the bathroom. I know Charlie didn’t do it. She hates to clean, especially bathrooms. I don’t think it’s been that shiny since I moved in.”
“You’re welcome. It’s the least I could do for you letting me stay here. I know I’m a stranger, and you can’t trust me, especially after you caught me looking through your stuff, but I can assure you I won’t give you any trouble. I appreciate you helping me.”
“So, you cleaned all day and cooked me dinner. I’m surprised you found something edible. We have snacks, but rarely use the stove. Neither one of us have the time.”
“So, Charlie, is she your…”
“Roommate. Come on, Cassie, it’s not a secret she’s gay. She doesn’t try to hide it.”
“I was just checking. I didn’t want to make her feel like I’m intruding.”
“She’s my friend. Our living arrangement works for us. I hardly ever see her. She works nights, and when she’s off, she’s usually out with friends all hours of the night. I guess she’s used to the hours anyway, so it’s not a big deal to her.”
“What about you?” I asked. “Do you go out on the town much?” I realized it was a personal question, but I was trying to stay focused on something mundane to distract me from embarrassing myself again by taking another peek at his chest.
“I’m the most boring guy you’ll ever meet.” He reached in a cabinet and pulled out a loaf of bread. Then I watched him fetch a tub of butter out of the refrigerator. He started buttering a few pieces. “Would you like a couple slices?”
“Yeah, that will be great. I like to pile it high with pasta and…”
“And eat it like a sandwich. Yeah, me too. Maybe it’s an east coast thing.”
“Maybe,” he replied.
With so much on my mind I was trying to avoid, I sat across the table from the agent who’d saved my life. I don’t know why I felt so weird about sharing a meal with him. Maybe I was afraid we’d have nothing to talk about. Maybe I was afraid we’d have too much to discuss.
It wasn’t until we started eating when I realized how normal it felt. Aside from the time my family came to visit, I hadn’t had a sit-down home-cooked meal. The pasta was tangy and delicious. Logan probably thought I was a hog. I slurped my noodles, just like my daddy taught me to do. One time I splattered sauce all over my nose. Logan tossed me a paper towel to wipe it off with. For the way we met, I was beginning to feel almost comfortable in his presence. Granted, I was in a desperate situation, but he was being extra nice about it.
After dinner he insisted on doing the dishes. It made me think about Brant, and how he’d done the same thing when we had company. I already missed him, even though I knew I had reasons not to. I didn’t care how much of a liar he was, I still loved him and thought we’d have a chance at a future.
When Logan realized my mind had wandered, he snapped me out of it. “I have an extra television out in the shed if you want one for the room you’re in. It’s nothing fancy. It’s one of those old heavy ones, but it works. The cable is already run in that room, so all you have to do is hook it up in the back.”
“You don’t have to do extra things to accommodate me. I’m good with what I have.”
“I’m just trying to make you feel more comfortable.”
“Maybe I’ll change my mind later. Honestly, I prefer reading a book when I’m in bed.”
I was surprised when he took ahold of my arm and pulled me down the long hallway. “If you like to read, You’re going to go nuts when you see this.”
I don’t know what I expected. Of course I knew he wasn’t going to harm me, but his mysterious outburst had me worried. Once we came to a halt I was in awe. I’d never seen something quite like it. His entire bedroom wall was covered in book shelves. His door had been shut all day, and I didn’t have the nerve to look inside. “Wow. Have you read all these?”
“Most. There’s only so much TV I can handle. I like horror and science fiction the most. I’ve got a good collection of both. I’ve got a section of mystery and a bunch of crime books. Oh, and there’s even some romance novels on the bottom shelf. Charlie thinks she’s funny, but she adds to my collection when I’m not paying attention. I don’t know if she reads them first, or gets them from the hospital. Help yourself. I have no idea why I keep them. It’s not like I reread. There’s too much out there to explore.”
Never in my life had I met a guy who had a love for books like this guy. It was very nerdy, but also impressive. “I never would have pegged you as a bookworm.”
“Ditto.”
“Yeah, I haven’t been myself since I arrived in this crazy town.”
“It’s never too late to be yourself again. You’re still in there, you’re just hiding. I’ll be honest with you, life is a lot easier when you’re real. There’s no one to impress in this house, Cassie. We all fart and poop. Our shit sometimes smells up the whole house. We have bad habits, and sometimes have to disappoint one another because life gets in the way. It’s normal. It’s human. Let me ask you something, apart from moving here with Brant, had you ever lived away from your family before?”