Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 79147 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 396(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79147 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 396(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Hayden looks at me for a moment, his eyes getting small wrinkles around them as though he’s trying to figure me out. “There’s not a big mystery here. I just figure if we’re going to be roommates, we should also be friends. Where I come from, real friends are few and far between, so you treat the ones you have right.” He pushes his nerdy-but-sexy black-framed glasses higher on his nose, nods, and steps inside.
It’s not too busy for a weekend. Most people are out getting drunk rather than drinking coffee. The hostess seats us, handing Hayden and me menus. With a parting smile, she disappears toward the kitchen.
“My treat,” Hayden tells me and I nod because I figure he feels like he owes me that. He doesn’t, but if he needs it, I don’t want to take it away from him.
“Nice. So I’ll order one of everything.” I wink and then take a look at the menu. We both end up ordering cranberry orange muffins and light caramel lattes.
“How long have you known Travis?” he asks.
“A couple of years. We met when I moved in. He had that I am an island, I need no one, bullshit going on, which you know is hot as fuck.”
Hayden nods in agreement.
“So, we hooked up once, and it was awkward as hell. That’s when he realized he was actually my friend. It was devastating for him.”
“Did you have feelings for him?” Hayden asks.
“No, only in my dick and that was before we fucked around. There’s something about him that makes it impossible not to like him, though. I’m sure Gary would agree with me because he went and fell in love with the bastard.”
The waitress approaches the table and sets a giant muffin in front of each of us, then our drinks. “Jesus, this looks good.”
“It does. The crumble on top is different for orange cranberry.” He picks a piece of the top, eats it, and asks, “What about you? Have you ever been in love?” I’m not sure why but the question surprises me. I’m sure he has his relationship on his mind because of what just happened. Or maybe not.
“Wow…we’re going deep tonight, huh? And not even in the fun way.” I nod at him playfully and Hayden gives me this sexy little smirk. “Nope. I’ve never been in love.”
“Not something you’re looking for or just haven’t found it?”
I shrug. “I’m not looking for it, but I’m also not running away from it either. I take life as it comes to me. Like I told you before, I believe everything happens for a reason, so I just go with the flow and let shit work itself out.”
“Oh my God. I’d lose my fucking mind.” Hayden takes a bite of his muffin and then licks his fingers.
“So you’ve got a control freak hidden inside you, just waiting to be let loose, huh?”
“Why does everything sound like innuendo with you?”
“Because it is?” I tease.
“You are going to get me into trouble.” Hayden takes a drink of his coffee, then adds, “Yes and no.”
He doesn’t expand and somehow, I know he isn’t going to. “Give me a minute,” I tell him.
He frowns. “A minute for what?”
“I’m trying to think of a smooth way to lead into a discussion about Lance. Oh wait, I just did.”
Hayden laughs, balls up his napkin and throws it at me. I catch it and hold on to it, not willing to play his game.
Finally, he sighs and says, “There’s not much more to tell you other than what I already did. He has some self-esteem issues. Has ingrained ideas on what’s appropriate and what isn’t. What we should do and what we shouldn’t. He’s the kind of man who deeply cares what people think about him.”
This time, it’s me who frowns. “It’s crazy as hell to me that you guys were together. You seem nothing alike. And self-esteem issues or not, he doesn’t have the right to try and make you feel like shit about yourself.”
“It wasn’t always like that. And he can be a really fun guy. It’s not as if we were miserable our whole relationship or anything. It’s just…” He picks at his muffin. “I guess the longer we were together the more pronounced our differences became. And hell, maybe there was a part of me who expected those differences to emerge, who always knew it would happen. I met Lance during a really hard part of my life, and I think I needed him in the beginning. As time went on, I wanted him, yes, but I didn’t need him.”
“Ooh, and the plot thickens.” I cross my arms, lean back and put my feet up on the bench seat beside him.
“What are you doing?”
“Getting comfortable.”
“You’re different.”
“Different from what?” I ask him.
“From what I expected.”
“I’m more than a pretty face, huh? Now tell me, what is this hard time you speak of?”