Palico sat purring in my lap a few days after the Fourth of July party, her warm body curled up into a little ball. Leo didn’t stand a chance against me once I gave the little furball a name, and although he’d never admit it, I knew from just the past couple nights that he adored the thing as much as I did.
With one fingertip, I absentmindedly stroked the white spot on her head that led down to her little pink nose as I watched ESPN with Kyle and Braden.
I hated ESPN. I wasn’t following a damn thing, really, just sitting there in a comfortable silence and letting my eyes gloss over. Even though it had been a few days, it seemed we were all still recovering from the party. I’d spent most of the night in my bedroom with Palico, anyway, getting her settled and making sure the noise didn’t bother her too much.
That cat was as cool as a cucumber. She watched me most of the night with a bored flick of her tail as if to say, “You think this has anything on the streets of Boston, kid? I’ve been through worse. My question is why aren’t you out there partying?”
So, once I felt like she was comfortable, I joined the rest of the rowdy crew downstairs. And while I spent most of my night talking to Giana and Riley and steering clear of the booze, we all stayed up until sunrise, and the lack of sleep alone made it hard to get into a routine again.
I had no idea how the guys did this during football season, especially on nights when they knew they had practice the next morning.
My phone aggressively vibrating on the coffee table woke Palico, and she begrudgingly stretched and sauntered off my lap when I leaned forward to see who it was. Hope bubbled in my chest at the sight of Margie’s name, and I slipped into the kitchen to answer.
“Hey, Margie.”
“Hey, kiddo,” she greeted back, that smoker voice I loved so much filling my ears. Margie seemed less like a landlord and more like a crazy aunt who took care of you, but also was first in line to get you booze when you were underage.
“Tell me you have good news.”
Her long sigh on the other end had all that hope deflating out of me in an instant.
“Well, the pipes are fixed.”
I perked up. “Okay, that’s great.”
“Yeah… except, when they started working on repairing the walls and floors and ceiling, well… they found mold.”
I closed my eyes, forcing a slow breath. “Okay… and so that means?”
“I’m sorry, kid. It’s going to be a while.”
I cursed under my breath, sneaking a glance in the living room where Kyle and Braden were kicked back on the couch and sprawling over the entire thing like their limbs couldn’t take up enough room even if they tried. Their hair was mussed, sock-covered feet kicked up on the coffee table, and Palico had curled up right in-between them. Braden scratched under her chin as she leaned into the touch.
The sight warmed my heart.
I didn’t think it was possible, but this disgusting jock house almost felt a little like home.
The issue with that was that it wasn’t home, and I couldn’t pretend it could be for much longer. Fall was rapidly approaching, and I knew I was on borrowed time before the room I was squatting in would be assigned to another football player.
“How long are we talking?” I asked Margie.
“It’ll take a couple weeks just for them to remove the mold, but that’s just the beginning. Not sure what the repairs will look like after. They have to rip up carpet, floors, walls…”
“Fuck me,” I whispered.
“Try being the homeowner,” Margie shot back with an unamused chuckle. “Insurance will handle most of it. But hey, I wanted to give you the chance now to break the lease. I didn’t think it would be necessary with just the pipes, but now…”
“I don’t want to,” I said instantly. “I mean, that is, if you think I’ll be able to move back home soon.”
“Define soon.”
I chewed my bottom lip. “Let’s just see how the next few weeks go and go from there. That okay?”
“You realize you’re being sweet to me when I’m the reason your ass is homeless right now?” She laughed. “Of course, it’s okay by me. I’d rather keep you than have to find another tenant. I just don’t want to get your hopes up on how soon you can get back in.”
I nodded. “Well, I have a place for now. Hopefully it won’t be much longer.”
Margie paused. “You sound happy, kid. You sound good.”
I fought back the smile threatening to break loose and shrugged. “I’m okay.”
“Good. Alright, well, I’ll be in touch.”
With that, I ended the call and made my way back into the living room. I chuckled to myself at the sight of Braden and Kyle both passed out, Palico curled up in the space between Braden’s legs and sleeping, too.
I left them be, checking the time on my phone and making my way upstairs to start getting ready for a night at the shop.
I heard music coming from Leo’s room as I passed it, and considered knocking and seeing what he was up to. But I shook off the thought. In fact, I pinched myself for having it at all. I hated how I’d somehow gone from ignoring him every time we were in the same room to wondering what he was doing, what he was thinking. I’d lit up like a fucking schoolgirl when he found me at the market the other day, and even though I pretended to be annoyed with him, the truth was that I wasn’t. Not anymore.
And that was the new source of my annoyance.
I slipped into my room, quietly shutting the door behind me. I stripped off my shirt and pulled on a bralette, something to give the girls support without restraining them. I’d just shimmied on a pair of black jeans when a familiar scent found me.
I inhaled, eyes fluttering shut on the enticing mixture of coffee, bourbon, and sandalwood.
Then, my eyes shot open, and I blinked before turning to find a candle burning on top of my dresser.
A candle I didn’t light.
Or purchase.
I stared at it for a moment like it was a figment of my imagination before crossing my room. I lifted it, careful not to grab it where it was too hot or tilt it so the wax would put out the flames. And when I read the label, when I recognized where it was from, I sat it back down in a numb sort of awareness.
Did he…
Did he buy this candle for me?
I blinked again, and this time, I saw a brown paper bag behind the candle. I reached inside and found three more just like it — all scents that I’d been looking at when Leo found me at the market. There was also a small, folded note.
To cover the stench — though I doubt it will work.
Love, Leo
A rush of heat flooded through me, my stomach lifting on the wings of a thousand butterflies.
I covered my mouth where a smile was already curling.
Then, my hands rolled into fists, and I stomped my foot with a frustrated growl before I whipped my door open and stormed down the hall.
I didn’t let myself stop and think before I twisted the doorknob on Leo’s room and burst inside without so much as a knock. It was only then that I paused, not because good sense had come to me, but because I was now staring down at a very sweaty Leo wearing very little clothes.
He was repping out pushups, and he finished his set with just a glance at me and furrow of his brow. Then, he hopped up to his feet like it was easy, swiping a towel off the back of his desk chair and mopping his face with it. He let it hang over his shoulder then, his hands on his hips, bare chest heaving and slick with sweat.
My mouth parted as I followed each bead that gathered and slid down the mountains of muscles covering his body — his pecs, swollen and smooth and round, his abs, hard and defined, all the way down to the deep-cut V that disappeared under the band of his shorts.
I didn’t mean to wet my lips, didn’t mean to take so much time as I slowly lifted my eyes up to find his, pausing on where his chains stuck to his chest on the way. His mouth seemed just as dry as mine, and I thought I saw him bite the inside of the lower one before he arched a thick, dark brow.
“Need help finding your shirt, roomie?”
