Storm seems huge in my tiny hallway. I take my bag from him and go into the living room and place it on the couch. The room is a mess just as I figured it would be. Soda cans and potato chip bags lying on the coffee table, the TV still on.
My cheeks flush. “I’m sorry... Michael’s a bit of a slob. I usually clean everything.” I pick up the random cans and take them to the kitchen where the garbage is overflowing so bad the lid won’t shut and the sink is filled with dirty dishes. Ugh.
Storm has followed me and I look at him apologetically. “It’s not usually this messy.”
“Evelyn, I don’t care. Go check your cat. I’ll wait here.”
Unfortunately, since Halo is deaf, I can’t call him or shake a bag of cat food so I have to hunt for him. Sometimes, I can stomp my feet on the floor and he will feel the vibration and come running, but I’m not about to jump up and down like a lunatic in front of Storm.
I finally find Halo under my bed all curled up sleeping. I gently blow on him to wake him, and he immediately does his screech-meow at me. I pick him up and cradle him like a baby (which he loves), and carry him downstairs.
“I found him under the bed.”
Storm’s face lights up as soon as he sees him. I think it’s awesome he’s such an animal lover. I can see it in his eyes, the genuine care. “Holy shit, he’s gorgeous. And big.” He reaches out and softly pets Halo’s head. “Wow, I can’t believe he’s eighteen. That’s wild.” I place Halo on the couch and feel his back to see if his spine feels more prominent, which would be a sign of weight loss.
“He seems okay,” Storm says. “Does he seem thinner to you?”
“No, I think he’s good. Thank God. I couldn’t bear it if something happened to him.”
Storm’s gaze goes from Halo to me. “Evie, are you going to be all right here alone?”
“Of course. I’m alone here almost all the time. Michael has to travel for work a lot, so I’m used to it. I just wasn’t expecting it this time, ya know? Thank you for driving me home, Storm.” I look up into his eyes. “Thank you for everything.”
He takes a step closer to me and grabs each of my hands in his, sending the tingles through my body again. How does he do that? “Seth will call you about your car. I put my number in your phone. You can call me if you want to.”
“You took my phone? Storm, that’s like an invasion of privacy.”
“Blah, blah, blah. What’s the big deal? Just call me if you need to, all right?”
“Fine.” I agree, but I know I will never call him. There’s no reason to. We’re not friends, not really. We’re just two people who was stuck together for a few days and made the best of a bad situation. Unfortunately, his cockiness and player-tude got the best of me while I was vulnerable, but I will never let that happen again.
He hangs on to my hands longer than he should and looks at me like he either wants to say something or is waiting for me to say something.
I clear my throat and pull my hands out of his. “Are you going back to enjoy your time alone now? Or was that only supposed to be for the weekend?”
“I’m not sure. I’ll stay there tonight and figure out what I want to do tomorrow.”