I felt sorry for her. She was right. No woman deserved this. The unmoved expression in his eyes looked annoyed if anything.
“You’re right. I’m sorry. I’ve just had a lot on my mind today. I shouldn’t have acted the way I did at lunch. My dad pushes my buttons the way no one else can. What I said and how I acted was not because of you but because of him.”
My heart hurt. The flash of sadness in his eyes had only been there for a moment but I’d seen it. I wanted to hug him and make the sadness go away. But I couldn’t. He wasn’t mine to hug.
An elegantly manicured hand rested on his arm. The rage that had caused her to tremble just a few seconds ago was gone. Her shoulders had relaxed and her body was leaning toward him. Her voice was no longer loud enough to carry over the parking lot and I didn’t hear what she said. I only saw the acceptance on Woods’ face as he nodded. Her arm snaked around his and they walked inside the clubhouse together.
I opened my car door and tried hard not to think about the makeup sex they were probably going to have in his office. I couldn’t think about it and remain calm. My attraction to Woods was a door I needed to close. He was a friend only. The bitter taste in my mouth as I drove away and headed toward the condo only got stronger. I knew how it felt to be touched by Woods.
A familiar Harley-Davidson was in the space beside mine. Tripp was here. I had to decide what I was going to do and fast. Maybe he would ask me to leave. Maybe I wouldn’t have a choice.
I made my way to the door of the condo and started to unlock the door when I decided it was probably better to knock. I wasn’t staying here alone anymore.
I knocked and waited.
Tripp opened the door almost right away and his friendly smile turned into a frown. “You got a key. Why’re you knocking?” he asked, stepping back and letting me in.
“Well, you’re home now. I felt weird walking into your place without knocking.” I replied. This was awkward. I needed to leave.
“Me coming home to visit doesn’t change anything. You have a key, your stuff is here, you can come and go as you please. Don’t let me being here bother you.”
So he wanted me to stay? I hadn’t expected that. Not really.
“I was thinking I might pack up and hit the road. I’ve made enough money to get me further than Dallas this time.”
Tripp tilted his head to the side and lowered his eyebrows as he studied me. “You leaving because I’m here?”
Yes. “No,” I replied instead.
“Why don’t I believe you?”
Because I was lying. I shrugged.
Tripp let out a sigh and closed the door. “Come on blue eyes. You and I need to talk and I want to do it while drinking a beer and looking at the Gulf.”
I followed him as we walked down the hall and into the kitchen. He stopped and grabbed two beers out of the fridge then turned and tossed one to me. Luckily, I caught it. Tripp nodded his head toward the French doors leading out onto his balcony overlooking the water. I stepped outside first.
“Have a seat,” Tripp said as he came up behind me. The warmth of his body was startling and I quickly moved to sit down in one of the chairs sitting around the patio table.
Tripp smirked at me as if he could read my mind and took a seat in the lounger stretching his legs out in front of him and leaning back. “God, I’ve missed this place. Not the people in it but the place itself.”
That was odd. Everyone I’d met missed Tripp. Did he just mean his parents or did he truly not miss anyone here?
“You enjoying it here?” he asked, turning his head to look over at me.
“Yes. It’s a nice place,” I answered truthfully.
He grinned. “Yeah, it is.”
“Why are you in Dallas then?” I asked. I’d heard from everyone else why Tripp had left but I didn’t know the whole story.
“My parents wanted me to be someone I wasn’t. I wanted freedom. So I left. I couldn’t be free here.”
But he had come back.
“I won’t be here long. The need to travel and experience life will get to me soon enough. I resigned at the bar. I’m positive Jeff is screwing the newest bartender. I can’t keep working for that man. Besides, Dallas was getting old.”
Was this his way of telling me I could stay? I wasn’t sure I wanted to. He didn’t know me. I didn’t know him really. If I stayed here he’d learn more about me than he probably wanted to know.
“I should be moving on along anyway. I’ve enjoyed staying in your place. It’s really nice.”
“Are we back to this again? I didn’t come here to run you off. I don’t want you to leave. At least not yet. You’ve only been here a few weeks. Enjoy the coast a little longer before you head out. I promise I’m a good roommate. I don’t snore and I don’t drink out of the milk carton unless it’s almost empty and I’m finishing it off.”
His teasing tone made me smile. It was time I was honest with him. I couldn’t lie my way out of this one. He’d think I didn’t like him and I couldn’t let him think that. Not after he’d been so kind to me.
“My leaving isn’t because I’m worried you’ll be a bad roommate,” I began and stopped. What did I say here? How did I explain this without sounding crazy?
“Good. Then there’s no problem,” he finished for me. That wasn’t true, however.
“Yeah, there is. I’m the problem. I’m not exactly easy to live with. I… I might not snore but I have bad dreams. They might… No, they will wake you up. I also have anxiety issues. I can hide it but if we’re living together then you’re going to end up seeing me at my worst. I, I’m just not… living with me isn’t something anyone wants to do. Trust me. I need to just be on my way.”