Wilde by Abby Brooks

Chapter Fourteen

Amy

“Thanks. Have a good evening,” I mutter to the taxi driver as I shuffle out of the backseat and close the door.

Worst. Day. Ever.

I amble up the driveway, rubbing at the tension in my temples to ease the throbbing behind my eyes. “I will never forgive you for this, Leo Wilde. Never.”

My phone vibrates in my pocket as I reach the stairs and push through the door. I don’t have the energy to look at it. I don’t have the energy for anything.

“Amy? Is that you?” Dad pokes his head out from the kitchen. “I’m making dinner. Are you hungry?”

“No, thanks.” I shake my head and start up the stairs but freeze on the second step when I hear him tsk.

“You know you’re eating for two now.”

I roll my eyes. “You’ve mentioned that, yes.”

“Did you read the article I sent you about how vital good nutrition is at this stage of development?”

“The one you emailed me five times? Yes.”

“Don’t you even want to know what I’m making?”

“Gee, Dad, what are you—”

“Pork chops and mashed potatoes.”

“Sounds—”

“With gravy.” Dad grins. “And rolls.”

I nod. “…delicious. I just need to lay down first, okay?”

“Oh? Okay. Are you feeling nauseous? Because I read an article about how sucking on something sour might help. I’ll forward it to you. Or, you know, I have this bag of sour candies you can take up with you.” He dashes off and hands the candy to me.

I nod again and resume my climb. “Thanks.” I rattle the bag. “I’m sure I’ll feel better in a while. Love you.” I hear him tsk a second time, followed by his footsteps as he returns to his project in the kitchen.

In the safety of my room, I drop onto my bed, bury my face in a pillow, and scream. When I eventually remember the message I never checked, I pry my phone from my pocket to investigate and can’t believe what I see.

Leo Wilde (with an E): Where’d you go?

Where’d I go?

Where’d I fucking go?

On an average day, I’d spend half an hour debating whether to respond. I might even write up a list to weigh out the pros and cons. This is no average day. My fingers furiously tap out my response before I have time to process what they’re typing.

Me: Get bent.

Hebails on me—leaving me stranded, by the way—and all he has to say when he reaches out is, “Where’d you go?”

The nerve!

Leo Wilde (with an E): You looked uncomfortable

Leo Wilde (with an E): So I went to find a pillow

Leo Wilde (with an E): When I came back, you were gone. Did I miss anything important? ;)

What the actual fuck?

Is this supposed to be cute? Why did I ever think this is the kind of guy I could have a relationship with?

I’m such an idiot.

If he was even a little interested in me, he wouldn’t have rabbited out of a doctor’s appointment like that.

Me: Fuck off

Leo Wilde (with an E): Okay, I think we can both agree my timing could have been better.

Leo Wilde (with an E): Let me take you to dinner so I can apologize.

Not a freaking chance.

Never.

Leo Wilde (with an E): And explain.

Huh-uh.

Leo Wilde (with an E): Tell me where you are, I’ll pick you up.

No way.

Although, if we did meet it would give me the chance to tell him off to his face. And that wouldn’t be the worst end to this crap day. Without asking permission, my fingers tap out a reply and hit send.

Me: Home—no thanks to you.

Leo Wilde (with an E): Be there in fifteen.

Fifteen minutes to whip up a list of ways to tell him off.

Plenty of time.

* * *

List completed, I tiptoe down the stairs, mindful of the creaky step.

“Amy?” Dad calls from the kitchen.

So much for slipping away unnoticed.

Just needed two more seconds.

“Yeah?”

He steps into the hall, drying his hands with a dishtowel haphazardly tucked in his belt. “Let me guess, dinner sounded so good you couldn’t resist. Right?” He waggles his eyebrows, eagerly awaiting my agreement.

“Sorry. Leo’s on his way. It’s sort of a last-minute thing.”

Disappointment flattens his smile as he nods. “Oh, okay. Well, be safe. Don’t stay out late. A good night’s rest is more important than ever.”

The reminder that no matter what happens, he’ll always be there is exactly what I need. I wrap my arms around him and squeeze. “Don’t worry, I won’t. Love you,” I say before disengaging and stepping into the night air.

The rumble of the Scarlet Harlot echoes off the houses as she creeps down my street. By the time Leo pulls to a stop, I’m waiting at the curb. Hand on hip.

He takes the transmission out of gear and pulls the emergency brake, then leans across the passenger seat to open the door. “There you are,” he says with a wicked smile. “I’ve been looking everywhere.”

My jaw drops. Really? I mean really? He thinks now is the time to be funny? I shake my head. “I can’t believe you actually show up here and start cracking jokes. What you did was so shitty, I don’t even have words.”

“Would you believe me if I told you I secretly fight crime?” Leo refreshes his grin. “Just a part-time thing. You know, for now. That’s what happened earlier. Nothing more than a case of terrible timing.”

I glower as he sits in his car, still fucking joking without so much as killing the engine. “This isn’t funny. Can you even imagine how embarrassed I was, as the doctor tried to act like father’s walking out mid-exam is something that happens all the time? You left me. Stranded. What the hell, Wilde? Do you even like me?”

He stares as the smile slips away from his face. Nausea spins through my stomach, and nervous energy sizzles through my body. Oceans of silence gather between us while I count to thirty and he doesn’t say one word.

That’s it. Chance given. Chance wasted.

I turn on my heel and storm toward the house. My hands are fists. My jaw is clenched. And Leo’s wasted all the time and energy I’m willing to give him. The rumble of the Scarlet Harlot dies away and the slam of a door echoes down the street.

“Amy! Wait.” Leo catches up to me and grabs my hand. I yank it away and take the steps up the porch.

“I gave you a chance. You wasted it.”

“I’m sorry.” He takes my hand again, and he sounds so genuine, I freeze. “You have no idea what it did to me, hearing that heartbeat.”

“You’re right. I don’t. You left before I could find out.”

“It made it real, Skips. There’s a baby in there. My baby. Our baby. How am I supposed to move to Los Angeles and still be the kind of dad this kid deserves? How am I supposed to leave you?”

“Apparently you just walk out of the room and close the door without saying anything.”

He winces. “I really regret doing that. I do. I panicked and I bailed. It was incredibly childish and you deserve so much better from me.”

“You’re right. I deserve a shit ton more than being abandoned at the hospital by the father of my child, leaving me to find a ride home while trying not to lose it. I deserve more than you ogling other women and blaming my reaction on my hormones. I deserve more than being kept at arm’s length while you make jokes instead of getting real!”

His words circle my head as bugs zoom around the porchlight. How am I supposed to leave you? I stare into those mahogany eyes, searching for a clue, for anything to tell me what I really mean to him.

And he says nothing.

“That was a dick move, Wilde.” I shake my head and cross my arms. “No one would think twice if I told you I never wanted to see you again.”

“Please don’t say that. I…” He swallows hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he looks away. “I like being around you,” he murmurs. “A lot more than I thought I would.”

“And that’s supposed to what? Make me feel better?”

“It’s not supposed to do anything. It just is. I like you. I like spending time with you and I don’t know how to handle that. And I’m sorry I hurt you.”

My lips part. I don’t know what to say, but it doesn’t matter because his hand is in my hair, pulling me close. His mouth is on mine, hungry. Sensuous. Full of longing and the truth of us finally settles into my heart. We’re not just friends. We’re definitely not business partners. We’re more. It’s been growing day by day. Hour by hour. It hurt so much when he left the doctor’s office because it made me think he wasn’t feeling this too, but his lips say everything I needed to hear.

They beg me to believe him. To want him. To trust him.

I kiss him back, my hands sliding along his arms, tongue darting out to meet his in long, luscious sweeps. The blaze of anger fades, replaced by a different kind of heat. One I’m not ready to act on yet. I pull back and press my forehead to his, then smile shyly as I meet his eyes.

“Do you have anything going on this Thursday?” Leo asks. “In the evening.”

“I don’t think so. Why? Are you going to drive me somewhere and then leave me to find my way home again?”

Leo sighs. “I got an invite to do some work at a concert in Denver this Thursday. You know, since verbally apologizing was just the start, I thought this might be a good next step toward making amends. I could pick you up, drive you down, and take you to dinner before. Then you could hang out backstage and meet the band.” He stares at his feet, feigning embarrassment. “I can’t believe I even considered that. So rude.”

“If you really want to make this work,” I say, “you’re gonna need to stop hiding behind jokes. You can’t play the victim when you’re the one making an apology. It weakens everything you just said and feels like you’re trying to make me feel guilty. God knows I’ve been through enough of that with Avery.”

He blinks. Licks his lips. Takes a deep breath and for a heartbeat of a second, I’m afraid he’s gonna leave. Instead, he sighs, taking my hand as he nods and swallows. “You’re right. I want to take you with me because I want you with me.” He shrugs, like he’s just opened up and bled his soul onto the porch at my feet.

“I’d love to go. Believe it or not, I like being with you too, which is part of the reason it hurt so much when you walked out today. It made me think I’m being foolish. Letting you in when you don’t want to be here.” I place a hand to my heart while Leo bobs his head, his gaze locked on his hands.

“I do.” His voice is low. Raw. “I do want to be here.” When his eyes meet mine, they’re blazing with honesty.

“Then show me, Wilde. Stop making me wonder and let me feel it.”

Leo sucks his teeth. “I’m not good at this kind of stuff Skips, but I’ll try. For you. For the baby.”

And with that, he threads his fingers back into my hair and kisses me.

It’s a promise.

A proclamation.

And I intend to hold him to it.