Page 79 of Defend Her Heart

The brand-new vanity and mirror are all put together. Sitting beside them is a dresser that has a new lamp and record player sitting atop it. I wasn’t sure what type of music she listens to these days, so when I went to the record store, I grabbed a few albums that were her favorites in high school.

Moving to the attached bathroom, I grab one of the new hand towels I bought and hang it on the hook near the sink. I panic-bought half the self-care aisle as well. Shower steamers, body wash, and multiple types of lotion line the storage shelves inside the stand-up cabinet. Doing a last once-over, I fix everything so it’s lined up perfectly.

God, I hope she likes it.

“Everything’s perfect, man. She’s going to love it.”

Leave it to Niko to say the exact thing I need to hear right now. I look at him through the bathroom mirror and nod. “Thanks, man. Get out of here. I already took up most of your morning. Go home to your girls.”

I meet him in the doorway and give him a hug, pounding his back a couple of extra times to express my gratitude. I’m so lucky I have him in my life.

“Let me know how it goes,” Niko shouts over his shoulder as he strolls out of the apartment.

I slide the blackout curtains over the rods and hang them above the giant window. Pushing them open, I let the natural light peer through the glass, illuminating the room with rays of sunshine. Taking one last glance around, I decide it’s as good as it’s going to get. The last thing I do before leaving the room is unroll the rug.

Checking my phone, I see I have a missed text from Avery.

Avery

Be there in ten.

The message was sent seven minutes ago, which means she’ll be here any second now. I walk through the living room and kitchen looking for anything that needs to be picked up, but I’ve been up since five getting ready so there’s nothing left to do but wait.

I’m assuming she’ll have at least a suitcase with her, so instead of waiting in the apartment, I make my way down to the lobby. I pace in front of the windows, and as soon as I see her car I’m out the door.

Avery finds a parking spot right away, and I jog to her car before she can get out. My hand finds the door handle just in time and I open it for her, offering to help her out. The March air is still cold even as we approach spring, so a plume of cold air escapes her mouth when she says, “Thank you.”

“Do you have a bag I can grab for you?”

Avery points to the trunk of her car. She leans into the car again, pushing a button to pop it open for me. The paint on the back of her car is faded, with rust lining the bumper and edges above her taillights. Maybe while she’s here I can talkher into getting a new one finally. With everything going on, she needs reliable transportation.

I pull her suitcase out of the trunk and slam it shut. It doesn’t close right away, so when I try again and it doesn’t work, Avery steps in.

“She’s fickle. Let me do it. You need the magic touch.”

I take a step back and watch the master at work. As soon as she slams it shut with a force I think might make this car crumble into pieces, she shoves her hip into it to lock it into place.

“See? Easy.” My face must show my displeasure because she scoffs. “Don’t give me that look. There’s nothing wrong with The Teal Deal. She’s been by my side through everything and hasn’t let me down yet.”

Her comment causes my face to fall. I never thought of it like that. Avery has been through a lot and although she hasn’t told me everything, I know it’s more than any person should have to face, especially alone. I have a feeling this car is more than just a means of transportation for her. If I had to guess, I bet it’s more of an emotional support vehicle at this point.

I keep my mouth shut and when I see her shiver I change the subject. “Let’s get you inside. Anything else you need to grab?”

Avery is holding her purse and computer bag, but the suitcase I’m carrying is nothing more than a carry-on. Is this all she brought?

“This is it.” She refuses to look at me when she says it, so I know there’s more to it than that. Why do I have a feeling she fled from St. Louis in a hurry and left with only what she could carry? The thought of her having to escape has me white-knuckling the handle of her suitcase.

Once we finally make it up to my apartment, I lead her to the guest bedroom I set up. I walk into the room but wait for her to join me before showing her what’s what. My hands are clammy and my pulse is thrumming like I just got done with ahard shift on the ice. I’ve never had anyone stay with me before and I’m nervous as hell.

“Wow, Connor. This room did not look like this the last time I was here, did it?”

My eyes watch her take it all in. They follow her as she runs her hand along the comforter before picking up a pillow and fluffing it.

“Um, no. Everything is new.”

She makes her way to the dresser now where the brand new record player sits and freezes at my words. With an album in her hand, her eyes shoot from the vinyl to me. “Everything?”

I gulp down my nerves and nod. “Um, yep. I wanted you to feel comfortable. Besides, the room needed a little sprucing up anyway.”