“No, he’s letting things cool off before coming back, give it a couple days.”

Cool off? He thinks I’m going to forget this? “I think it’s time you leave, Aaron. I won’t go out so you and Cal can rest easy.” He gives me a curt nod and starts to leave, but I stop him. “Wait, did he report Alex for . . . interfering?”

Aaron glances behind him to Alex before looking at me. “No, I advised him not to. There’s nothing worse than a disgruntled former employee to fuck up a campaign. There’d be nothing stopping him from going public with what he witnessed, not to mention a slew of other issues.” Turning his attention back to Alex, he says, “I trust you’ll show discretion in regards to Mr. and Mrs. Fitgerald’s private matters, right?” Alex’s jaw ticks before he nods, giving Aaron a glacial look. “Good, I’ll be on my way then.”

After Aaron leaves, I flop back down on the bed. My headache is feeling better, but there’s still a dull throb pounding against my skull. “You are surrounded by scum,” Alex says, disgust punctuating each word.

“I know,” I groan. “I really don’t want to stay here feeling sorry for myself all day.”

“I’ll tell you what, I’ll run you a nice warm bath. You go soak and relax for a bit and when you get out we can veg out and watch TV all day. Deal?”

“Deal.” When I walk into the bathroom, I’m stunned by the display before me. Small votive candles are lit around the tub and on the counters. The smell of lavender hits me and I realize he’s used my favorite bubbles too.

“Do you like it?” Alex says into my ear from behind me.

“I love it. This is so thoughtful. How’d you find all this stuff?”

“It was all under the sink, so I didn’t exactly have to tear the house apart to find it.”

“Thank you.” I turn around and throw my arms around his neck, holding on to him as tight as possible. These last twenty-four hours he’s been my rock, and I can’t thank him enough for all of his support and comfort.

“Go on, before it gets cold.” I turn around but jump slightly when he lands a small tap to my butt.

“Excuse you, Mr. Matthews,” I say playfully over my shoulder. I’m rewarded with a heart-stopping smile. He leaves, shutting the door behind him. My clothes are thrown in a pile in the corner before I slowly step into the hot bath and ease down. Once I’m laid back, I take a deep, cleansing breath. Lavender floats all around me, the bath soap softens my skin, and the hot water relaxes my muscles. This is heavenly.

I take this moment to shut my brain off. I’ve been thinking, debating, and fighting myself on everything lately. As much as my body hurts, my mind is far more tattered. I just need a mental break, so that’s what I do for the next forty-five minutes. I soak in the bath and don’t think about anything. Cal, my mother’s illness, my misery, my growing feelings for Alex, none of it exists right now. Once my body is good and pruny and the water is starting to get cold, I get out of the tub and throw on my robe.

Entering the bedroom, I see Alex sitting on the bed, but he’s not in his usual attire of a suit and tie. He has on sweats and a long sleeved T-shirt that’s pushed up to his elbows. The sight of him looking so casual does strange things to me. It’s a welcomed image and one that feels so normal between us. I’ve only seen him like this twice before, but each time is like a sucker punch to the gut. There’s just something seriously sexy about it. Of course, he’s seen me in a lot less, but I’m not going there right now.

“Do you feel better?” he asks when he notices my presence.

“Much better. I needed that, so thank you.”

“Ah, it was nothing really. Come sit and join me for the gourmet meal I’ve prepared for us.” He waves his hands out at whatever he has spread across the bed. When I get to the edge of the bed, I laugh at his gourmet meal. Set out on plates are a variety of cheese and crackers.

“Gourmet, huh?” I joke with him.

“Well, I can’t be good at everything.” He looks around the room as if someone might be listening. “Cooking is one of my weaknesses. But don’t tell anyone,” he whispers. A laugh bubbles out from my lips. It’s the first real laugh since Cal hit me, and there’s something cathartic about it. Like yesterday has been cleansed from my body.

“Don’t worry, Matthews, your secret is safe with me.” I slide into bed and snuggle down under the covers.

“Good. Now, I’ve picked out a few movies from Netflix’s selection to choose from. We have Wedding Crashers, The Hangover, Ted, and 21 Jump Street.”

“In the mood for a comedy?”

He shrugs. “I just thought you could use a good laugh.” My heart melts at the thoughtful gesture.

“21 Jump Street.”

We watch that and then he picks The Hangover next. The only time we get up is to use the bathroom or restock our plate. “Okay, I’m a little movie-d out,” I say once the credits start rolling.

“Me too. How about we turn on some mindless TV?”

“Well, I don’t want to kill any more of your brain cells with my horrible shows, so you can pick.”

He throws his head back and looks at the ceiling. “Thank you, God.”

I playfully push him. “Oh, hush. Now pick before I steal the remote and change my mind.”

“Steal the remote? Those are fightin’ words right there.” I giggle at his silliness, which is a nice turn of events. I’m always so at ease with Alex. We haven’t known each other long, but I feel more comfortable around him than any one else in my life. He clicks through the channels while I stare at his profile, amazed that this wonderful person was brought into my life. “Is this okay?” he asks once he stops on a channel. I look at the television and see Jeopardy is on.

“Sure.” At this point, I don’t care what we watch.

I’ll take “Doo” or “Di” for $400.

Clue: A professional who gives tips on healthful eating.

“Dietitian,” I say.

Dietitian.

Correct.

“Doo” or “Di” for $800.

Clue: Pertaining to or resembling the devil.

“Diabolical.”

Jacob.

Diabolical.

Yes, select again.

Let’s do it for $1200.

Clue there is A song by the De Villes helped give this style of vocal music its name.

“Doo-wop,” I answer again. Man, I’m kind of on a roll here.

Jacob.

Doo-wop.

That is correct.

Let’s do $1600.

Shakespeare in “Julius Caesar” “Run, as it were” this time for the end of the world.

“Doomsday.”

Doomsday.

Correct again, Jacob.

$2000, please.

“Damn, sweetheart. How do you know all that stuff?” My attention snaps to Alex whose mouth is hanging open in astonishment. I shrug, suddenly a little shy.

“I don’t know, I just know a lot of useless knowledge I suppose.”

“Don’t get all shy on me now. That was pretty impressive.” His smile tells me he’s being serious and not condescending. It’s so different from the way Cal treats me, never acknowledging even the simplest of accomplishments. The fact that Alex finds me impressive has my mind spinning. I’ve been called many things in my life, and impressive has never been one of them.

Tucking a strand of hair behind my ear, I say, “Thanks. What about you?”

“What about me?”

“You know that I have an endless array of useless knowledge stuck in my brain that will come in handy at no point in my life, so tell me something about you.”

He rubs the back of his neck, clearly uncomfortable with the attention being directed to him. “There’s really not much to tell. I’ve had a pretty boring life.”

I scoff. “I’m sure it’s been completely uneventful,” I say sarcastically. “What made you join the military?” If he won’t tell me something, then I’ll just start asking questions.

“Nine-eleven. I wanted to make those bastards pay and ensure an attack like that never happened on U.S. soil again.” The conviction in his voice has me hanging on each word. There’s a sense of pride I feel coming from him as he speaks about his service. A troubled look crosses his features whenever we’ve briefly mentioned it, so I know it’s not all good memories and probably why he doesn’t talk about it often.