hand on my face and stroked my cheek. “Do you have any idea how much I love you?”
I could feel my heart start to flutter. “I love you, too.”
He leaned down and gave me a gentle kiss.
When he withdrew, he said, “I guess we’d better get back and see how much damage I did to my roommate.”
I nodded and we headed back to the campsite.
Eddie was still seated in the folding chair. A blood-soaked towel was now resting in his lap. The right side of his face had gotten the worst of it. His top lip was busted open and getting fat and his right eye was nearly swollen shut. He held a make-shift icepack on the right side of his head.
“I’m glad you’re not dead,” Daniel said as we stood next to Eddie.
“Yeah,” Eddie said. “I’m not worth rotting in prison for.”
Eddie had his eyes fixed straight ahead. He wouldn’t look at either one of us.
“Guess your face isn’t going to be so pretty for a while,” Daniel said.
Eddie tried to laugh but flinched in pain. “I’ll still get the girls,” he said. “Chicks love tough guys. They love fighters.” Then he looked at me. “They especially love guys who’ll fight to defend their honor.”
My chest clenched as Eddie continued looking at me. It was the first time he looked at me without any lust or desire. His eyes were filled with a bit of sadness and love.
***
The car was heavy with tension during what felt like an extremely long ride home. None of the guys said a word to each other. At one point, Joey-G started to whistle what sounded liked “Tainted Love”, but was stopped mid-whistle when Eddie glared at him.
I rested my head against Daniel’s warm chest. He pulled me close and placed a soft kiss on the top of my forehead. Nuzzling him was fast becoming my new favorite pastime. It didn’t take long for me to fall asleep in the coziness of Daniel’s embrace.
***
Joey-G dropped Eddie, Daniel and me off first. Eddie bolted out of the car before it even had a chance to come to a complete stop. He had his gear out of the back of the car and was in his apartment before Daniel and I were barely out of our seats.
“Are you going to be okay?” I asked Daniel as we grabbed our bags from the back of the SUV.
“I hope so,” Daniel said.
“You can stay with me if you want to,” I offered.
Daniel kissed my cheek. “I would love to stay with you every minute of every day, but I don’t want you to get sick of me. And I know you probably want and need your space.”
I touched Daniel’s cheek. “I could never get sick of you. It’s a standing offer. Just let me know.”
“Thanks,” he said as he headed toward his apartment with his stuff. “Wish me luck.”
“I’m right next door if you need me,” I reminded him.
THIRTEEN
Relaunch
A few minutes later, I breathed a sigh of relief as I dropped my bags at my entryway and stepped into my living room. “Home sweet home,” I said although the word sweet didn’t quite fit my apartment. More like home shabby home.
I thought I heard stifled laughter, followed by whispering coming from the spare room where Hannah was staying. And I thought I heard more than one voice.
“Hannah,” I yelled. “Are you in your room?”
More laughter and more whispering. I cringed at the thought of who she could have in her room with her.
I hurried over to her bedroom door and knocked. “Hannah, let me in.”
A few second later, she cracked open her door. Hannah was wearing only a man’s button down shirt over her otherwise naked body.
“Are you alone?” I asked, even though it was obvious she wasn’t.
She went wide-eyed for a moment, then slowly shook her head.
“Who do you have in the room with you?” I asked.
She gulped.
“Hannah?”
She opened the door wider, revealing Brad naked expect for his boxers.
Now I gulped.
Brad gave me a half wave. “Good afternoon, Lexie.”
“Brad,” I acknowledged.
“I-I can explain this situation,” he stammered.
I held up a hand. “No need. You’re both consenting adults.”
I could see Brad’s face turning beet red as I spoke. “Why don’t I let the two of you get dressed?” I said as I slowly backed away from the door.
“Thank, Lexie,” Hannah said as she closed the door.
I exhaled a large breath. It was going to be a long evening. I grabbed my bags from the foyer and dragged them