Page 24 of Then There Was You
What was I thinking?
I was thinking I might have an ally at my side if Sosie had stayed. But would I have really wanted to expose someone like her to the life I’m trying to escape? No.
She was wise not to return. Otherwise, taking her would have been the second major mistake I would have made. I just round the corner when I hear my mom call, “Keats?” And then I hear nothing on the quiet street I’ve turned onto and take a deep breath.
“I’m so stupid,” I utter, the air fogging in front of my face as I lower my head, trying to reckon with my bad mood. My reality is that some old wounds just aren’t meant to heal. I don’t know why I keep thinking they will.
I should take my bad mood home, but I came out for a reason. Visiting my mom was the detour I shouldn’t have taken. There’s no turning back. I’ve always been too determined for my own good. Despite my gut telling me this might not be a good idea, it’s all-or-nothing. I’ll put my heart on the line in hopes she wants to see her Poet because the only thing that feels right is seeing my Spark again.
CHAPTER 11
KEATS
My pace is steady until I’m close to the Stansbury mansion. One block up, the lamppost where I almost got arrested comes into view. I laugh and walk faster. Hope isn’t something that I’ve felt much lately, but it’s ballooning in my chest like it lives there. I’m already envisioning my Spark bounding out of the house, wrapping her arms around me and kissing me like we were always meant to be.
It’s not been a great day, but she’ll be the highlight. I charge ahead, not able to wait any longer to hold her in my arms again. I stop just shy of the light from the lamp hitting my feet. “Breathe, Keats.” I laugh. I’m acting like a fifteen-year-old going on his first date. But when I give myself more than a second to think clearly, I’m not surprised. Not only did I not see this girl coming, barging into my life like it’s hers for the taking, but she already has me wrapped around her finger.
I was never impressed by wealth or the people who hoard it before, but she was right last night. She’s nothing like them. I suck in a breath and close my eyes, seeing the way Sosie’s eyescrinkle in the corner when she smiles. She showed me who she was from the minute we met. From her lips to those eyes, the way she moves within her body, her wit, and her smile . . . damn, she’s spectacular.
What am I doing wasting time out here when I can be with her again? I square my shoulders and walk past the lamppost, ignoring my breath fogging in front of my face and charge forth.
The large gate in front of me doesn’t feel as imposing when I realize my heart rests on the other side of it. I glance up at her window in the upper left corner and grin. I’d climb that trellis like a fool in a romance novel if she asked me to, especially if the reward was a kiss. I’m not a greedy man, but I can’t wait to taste her lips again.
I push the buzzer, too anxious to hear her voice. It’s also as cold as the North Pole out here. Warming up in each other sounds like paradise right now.
There’s no response, which is strange. I would have imagined an entire team of employees on standby at the Stansburys’ every beck and call. It’s not late, just past eight, but I find myself checking the time on my phone again to confirm it. I’m good. I hold down the buzzer longer this time. When I release it, I shove my hand back in my coat pocket, a case of nerves sneaking in to ruin the reunion as I run my fingers over her phone.
“How can I help you?” The man’s monotonous tone has me thinking he’d rather be doing anything other than answering my call. But I’m too determined to see my girl to let it sidetrack my mission.
“Hi,” I reply, staring at the intercom like a video of Sosie will suddenly pop up. Although there are no screens for me to see her pretty face, I’m confident there are cameras on me. As soon as I spot one on the corner of the house, I straighten my posture and raise my chin to look the part of someone worthy enough todate the Stansburys’ daughter. “I’m here to see Sosie.” I clear my throat. “Sosie Stansbury.”
“She’s not available.”
The response is so quick, I wasn’t prepared for it. “Oh. Um . . .” I glance at her window again. The light is on in her bedroom. This time, I study it more intently. Light escapes the edges of the curtains as if someone is in there. Am I imagining things, or was that on before? I return my glare to the intercom, wondering if this guy is lying to me to cover for Sosie. No, she’d tell me to my face if she didn’t want to see me. I grin, liking how straightforward she is with her wants and needs.So fucking sexy.
But does that mean this guy is taking it on himself to keep me from seeing her? Not going to happen. “When will she be available?”
“No comment.”
I laugh, taken aback by the change in his tone from indifferent to brusque. “No comment? I’m not the paparazzi. I went on a date with her, for fuck’s sake.” Fuck. I shouldn’t have sworn. That’s not going to get me anywhere with a family like hers. “Listen, I just want to talk to her?—”
“If she wants to contact you, she will.”
The intercom goes silent—no further exchange, no feedback. Only silence exists between me and this damn house. I push the button and lean in closer. “Can I leave a message for her?”
“I think it’s best if you return another timeafteryou’ve received an invitation to be on the property.” And here I was stupidly thinking the intercom might not be working properly. It’s working, and this guy seems to be doing overtime by standing between my Spark and me.
I glance down at my feet, and reply, “I’m not on the property. I’m on a public sidewalk.” Don’t play into this farce. They know I’m not trespassing. But why is this becoming a bigger thing thanit should be? This blockade feels personal when I’m just here to see Sosie. If she knew I was here, I know she’d come running out, even pirouetting down the steps until she was in my arms again. The connection we share is too deep for her to sacrifice her phone and jewelry. If a commonplace schmuck like myself feels it, I know someone who expresses every emotion that captures her heart feels it, too.
“It’s best if you leave, so I don’t need to call security.”
What the fuck is going on? I take a step back and study the gate as if I’m going to somehow get through it to reach Sosie and explain what’s happening outside her house. But I’m not going to climb it and break in, so I’m not left with many options. I lean in again, and reply, “I think there’s been a misunderstanding. I have her phone.” Guess I should have led with this information. “She left it with me, but I’m sure she’d like it back.”
I expect to hear the lock unlatching, but as I stand there, music from a passing car is all that is heard. The intercom's feedback startles me, and I smile. Finally. I prepare to push the gate open, but instead, the man says, “Please stay there.” See? He’s doing his job. He can’t let just anyone in off the street.
I lick my lips and stare at the front door with a ridiculous smile on my face. I clamp my lips together and twist my grin to the side. Games are the last thing I want to play with her, but looking like an idiot in love might scare her away.
A few minutes pass, so I start shuffling my feet to stay warm. I notice nerves creeping in again, this time leaning toward the negative, compared to how excited I was earlier. It’s a big mansion. I’m sure it takes time to traverse it to find her and then for her to come down to meet me.
