Life In Reverse(93)

“Bullshit,” I snap, and his head lifts. “Stop using your speech impediment as a reason to bail out of life.” He opens his mouth, but I don’t give him a chance to speak. “Because I know all about that, remember? So you stutter, big f*cking deal. You had years of speech therapy and it’s hardly even noticeable anymore. Plus, it’s not who you are. This conversation is getting old and you better get your shit together and ask out that cute chick from the diner who likes you,” I grin, “or else I’ll do it for you.”

His eyes narrow into fine slits and he lets out an annoyed growl. “You w-wouldn’t.”

“Oh, I would.” I hike up the collar of my jacket. “On that note, I’m outta here.” I brush past him and he chuckles.

“Good luck.”





THE ELEVATOR RIDE up to Ember’s apartment takes too f*cking long. I tap my foot against the floor, checking my appearance on the mirrored wall for the tenth time. The numbers ding by at a slow crawl and I tell them to hurry the f*ck up under my breath. Even twenty-four hours is too long to be away from her now. Eventually, the doors open and I dart out of the car, scanning the hallway for apartment 88B.

As the number comes into view, my steps falter. I give myself a minute, rolling my shoulders and craning my neck from side to side. Then I take those last few strides and knock on the door—and wait. After too much time and when I’m beginning to think maybe she changed her mind, the door opens—and my jaw hits the ground.

My gaze sweeps over her, a slow drag starting at knee-high black boots and leading to jeans in the same shade, up to a green top cut low to the dip of her breasts. Dark silky hair spills in loose waves over smooth, creamy shoulders. Her beautiful face—free of makeup except for a little sparkle on her eyes, lips painted in a soft red gloss.

I brace my arm against the doorframe. “Wow. You look… wow.”

Shiny lips that make me want to be covered in gloss tilt at the corners as she surveys me from head to toe. My standard jeans and black shirt are not that impressive, but she seems to think differently. “You look wow, too.” She opens the door wider. “Come in.”

“Nice place.” I dig around for any other signs of life. “Where are Troy and Avery?”

“They went out to grab something to eat. Come on.” She walks ahead of me and I blatantly stare at her ass because I can’t help myself. “I’ll give you the quick tour.” She gestures with her hand. “Living room.”

My eyes travel the space, zeroing in on family pictures lining the walls, evidence of her sculpting talent covering tables and spanning shelves. Various pieces of nostalgia sit on top of a television cabinet. A brightly colored painting of Mickey Mouse hangs in the corner and makes me smile. While the apartment is filled with many things, in no way does it look cluttered. “I’m not sure I’ve ever seen an apartment this clean.” I chuckle. “Certainly not mine.”

She flicks me a grin over her shoulder. “That’s all me. If it were up to Avery, all the furniture would be draped with dirty clothes. This,” she waves her hand like a wand, “is the kitchen.”

“Nice roses.”

“Thanks.” She glances up at me with a soft smile. “Some guy gave them to me,” she says in a quiet voice as we make our way out of the kitchen. “You’ve already seen the living room.” She points to the right as I follow her down the hall. “Bathroom. And that door,” her chin lifts, “leads to Avery’s room. I’m a bit scared to walk in there so you’ll just have to use your imagination.” Crossing over to the opposite side, she reaches in to flick the light switch on the wall. “And this is my room.”

All at once, her scent attacks me. It’s everywhere, wrapping me up in so much f*cking sweetness my chest fills with it. Distracted, I struggle to absorb everything that is Ember— sculptures on colorful shelves, picture frames full of memories, blown-up prints of sunsets, and another small poster of Mickey Mouse. A short distance away I spot the snow globe I bought for her and my heart jumps in my chest. “You kept it,” I murmur, walking over to pick it up from her dresser. As I shake it, Ember comes over too, and together we watch the tiny white particles fly around inside the cheap plastic.

“Of course I kept it. It means something to me.”

Means.

I set the globe down then turn to Ember, trying like hell not to focus on the present tense of her words. Vulnerability flashes in her eyes and all the questions I want to ask die on my lips. I don’t know how I fit into her life now, and for me to push doesn’t seem fair. “I’m kind of ready to start our date. Are you?”

“Yup. Let me just grab a jacket.” My tentative expression makes her hesitate. She looks down at herself then up to me. “What?”

I brush back a few strands of her hair. “You f*cking stun me. That’s… that’s all.” A pink flush spreads over her cheeks and along her neck. I let my fingers slide down the soft skin of her arm to entwine our hands. “Let’s go before I find reasons for us to stay.”

We step off the elevator and weave our way through the lobby to street level. My mind still races with questions, but also with possibility. I release a breath and tell myself to have patience. It’s obvious Ember is preoccupied too—but with what, or who, I couldn’t say.