voice softened a bit. “Oh, hi Cristian.”
How did she even know my name? That was the ridiculous question that popped into my head as I stared at her. There were so many other questions to ask first, but she beat me to it, her chin tilting up as she said again, “Where is he?”
“Where is who?” I asked. Stupidly, I’d admit, but I wasn’t feeling super sharp at the moment, not when there was a cute blonde standing before me dripping with rain.
Oh crap. I officially sucked. I’d just left her standing out there in the rain. I opened the door wider. “Do you want to come in?”
She didn’t hesitate, marching past me with that bundle I now knew was a...baby.
I blinked as it stared at me over her shoulder as she paused, still dripping, in the middle of the foyer. It wasn’t just a baby. It was a plastic creepy baby.
She spun around. “Is Alex home?”
I shook my head.
She narrowed her eyes. “Are you covering for him?”
I blinked about eight times as I tried to make sense of that. Of her. This girl right here was like the exact antithesis of the chick I’d seen grinning like a fool at my brother the other day. I wouldn’t have even recognized her if those features of hers weren’t such a giveaway. Even rain-soaked, with her hair up in a messy bun, those eyes were ridiculously big on her face and even scowling, her mouth was too wide.
She was now a pissed off anime caricature and that was…
Adorable.
I had to clear my throat to keep from laughing and I dipped my head to hide a smile.
She huffed. “Are you laughing at me right now? Because let me tell you…” She lifted a hand, her finger jutting in my direction. “I am not in the mood.”
I held my hands up. “I’m not laughing. But I’m also not covering for my brother.” And if she knew the first thing about me and my brother, she’d know just how ridiculous that accusation sounded.
Her hand dropped suddenly and just like that she went from angry to exhausted.
I shoved my hands in my pockets. “Are you alright?”
I sounded like an idiot. Of course she wasn’t alright.
Her stare made me feel even more idiotic. “Do I look like I’m alright?”
Her voice was soft. Deceptively sweet.
This was a trap.
I cleared my throat. “No. Not necessarily. I guess what I meant to say was…” I shifted from foot to foot. For the first time all evening I was starting to wish I wasn’t home alone.
Not that my dad would know what to do with a wide-eyed blonde who looked two seconds away from a meltdown. But this...she was clearly Alex’s problem to deal with.
“Can I help you in some way?” I finally finished.
Her brows came down. “Yes. You can tell me when Alex will be home.”
I winced. “Sorry, no idea. Have you tried calling him or—”
“Of course I’ve tried—” She cut herself off, pinching her lips shut and squeezing her eyes closed as if praying for patience. When she opened them I was pretty sure I saw the flames of hell flickering in her baby blues. “I’ve tried calling him,” she said with exaggerated patience. “I’ve tried texting him. I’ve even tried getting his attention on social media.”
I winced again. I couldn’t help it. I wasn’t sure who I felt sorrier for...this girl who was so clearly desperate, or Alex, who would eventually have to face her wrath.
Her gaze darted around the foyer and up the curving stairs that led to the bedrooms. “Are you sure he’s not here?”
Okay, fine. I felt worse for her. She might have seemed pitiful the other day, but whatever was going on here, she was beyond pathetic right now.
I moved toward her slowly, warily. “How about I let him know he needs to get in touch as soon as he gets home.”
I was aiming for gentle, but gentle wasn’t really my thing. I had a low voice and a big body and my attempt at gentle could be described as ‘gruff’ at best. Probably more like ‘intimidating’ right now when it was just the two of us. With that thought in mind, I stopped before I got too close but she didn’t back away. Instead she tipped her head back to look at me and...
It happened.
She cried.
Not outright blubbering or anything, but her eyes welled up with unmistakable tears as her lips trembled dangerously.
Oh crap.
Oh crap crap crap.
I was not prepared for this.