Glitch (Next Level #1)(24)

Do not be aggressive. Do not be possessive.

“He always breathes heavy into the phone.”

I’m glad I haven’t picked my plate up yet because I’m sure it would break under my clenching hand. Taking in a few deep breaths, I hope I sound calm when I ask, “How long ago did you break up?”

“About six weeks ago. Just after he broke my computer.”

“I’m glad you got away from that asshole.”

“Me too.”

I grab my plate and follow her out to the little dining table between the kitchen and living room. I glance at her door and immediately plan out a new security system for her apartment. One deadbolt doesn’t cut it for me.

“Thank you for telling me,” I say, sitting down across from her.

“Thanks for listening.”

I’ll always listen. I’m good at it, and I want her to know she can come to me about anything—something I wish she’d known sooner.

Ara shrugs. “He’ll get over it.”

I leave it alone, but I’m not convinced she’s right. Ara’s amazing and Jason’s lost her. Even if it’s his own fault, that doesn’t mean he won’t regret it enough to try and beg her for another chance. He’s done that plenty of times already and his persistence has paid off in the past.

But I can’t let that stop me from showing her there’s better out there than that fuckface.

“Olives, huh?” I chomp down.

“Are you judging me, Glitch?”

“A little.” I take another bite.

“Better than pineapple.”

“I knew it.” I lean back and wipe my mouth with a napkin. “I just knew there’d be something about you that wasn’t perfect.”

“Hey!” She laughs and takes another bite of her veggie-laden pizza. Her gaze narrows at me. “You seriously like pineapple on your pizza?”

Shrugging, I sip my water and sit back. “Is that a deal breaker?”

“Maybe.” She’s so cheeky.

After we banter back and forth and devour the entire pizza, Ara yawns and she grabs our plates to carry them back into the kitchen.

“I can wash.”

“I’ve got it, Glitch. Just sit down for a second and relax.” After cleaning our plates, she wipes her hands dry and comes back to the table. “What time does your shop open?”

“Eleven.” It’s four am at this point. “I don’t have to go in, though.” I never really do. My shop is a well-oiled machine that basically runs itself. I just go in because I like having control and seeing the kids enjoy themselves in the safe space I’ve created for them.

Ara twirls a tendril of her pink hair around her finger. “Do you want to see my studio?”

“Abso-fucking-lutely.”

Her smile is massive. “Yay!” She grabs her purse from the couch.

“Wait, you mean now?”





Chapter 13


Ara



I’m elated Glitch is willing to go to my studio. Who cares if it’s before the ass crack of dawn? That power nap I took gave me a second wind, and I’m ready for another round of anything with this man.

I have plenty of canvases, sketchbooks, and supplies at my apartment, but I want to show him what I do. How I do it. I want to give him a peek at the me that’s not on my best behavior. The raw parts. The insecure parts. The real deal.

I rent space on the top floor of an old warehouse because it has the best light. When we pull up, the building is completely deserted and the streetlamp flickers by the front door. Glitch looks up and frowns. “You work here?”

“Yup.” I know it doesn’t look great from the outside, but it’s the inside that counts.

“There’s no security,” he says as we head towards the door. “There’s nothing and no one keeping you safe.”

“It’s fine.” I unlock the door and give it a good shove to open it. “Really. No one comes in here who doesn’t belong. And the place is usually packed with people.”

“How many?”

“Five of us rent space here.”

Glitch looks at me like five isn’t a huge number and certainly wouldn’t be his definition of “packed.” I don’t blame him. We’ve never had a safety issue here before, but that doesn’t mean it can’t happen.

“The guy on the first floor is a sculptor. He has two dogs he takes with him everywhere he goes. They usually run the hallway on the main floor, and no one can even walk by the building without them barking their asses off.” Which has led to arguments because the dogs are great for guarding but shit for concentration.

I head towards the steps, and Glitch follows. “The elevator’s broke. These steps are my only form of exercise most days.” We climb the stairwell and Glitch looks more and more concerned by the time we reach my floor. I want to be annoyed, but I’m not. He’s only thinking about my safety, and I love that. It’s nice to be worried about.

I unlock the door to my studio and the smell of acrylics and wood smacks us in the face. I flick on the lights and smile big. “Welcome to where the magic happens.” Okay, that sounded cooler in my head.

Glitch blinks up at the light fixtures first.