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My gaze whips to his. I tilt my head when I see his sincere expression.
He’s serious.
“You have a one-bedroom apartment,” I say, though I’m not sure why I’m trying to talk him out of it. He’s just presented me with a way out.
He shrugs. “One of us can sleep on the couch.”
“Your sister won’t like it,” I murmur, knowing Oakley won’t understand if I move in with her brother for the summer. She’s as protective of him as he is of her.
He smirks. “I don’t plan on asking her permission.”
I smile and shake my head. “You have an answer for everything, don’t you?”
“Usually.”
The waitress drops off our check, and I don’t miss the way her gaze lingers on Ollie. He studies the charges as he pulls bills from his wallet and pays for both our meals, oblivious to his effect on the opposite sex. He’s like a magnet, pulling the attention of anyone in the room with two X chromosomes. And probably some with XY. She practically swoons when he hands over the cash, telling her to keep the change.
I laugh as she walks away. His attention settles on me.
“What?” he asks.
“Nothing,” I say.
We both slide from the booth but pause in front of each other at the end of the table. My head is forced to tilt upward to see his face. I forget sometimes how tall he is. I’m not a short woman, but Ollie makes me feel small and petite.
“So, are you dropping me off, or are we moving you in?” he asks.
The ball is left in my court.
I want to stay with him. In fact, right at this minute, I can’t think of anything I want more.
“Are you sure you don’t mind?” I ask, my eyes shifting between his. The last thing I want to do is impose.
“I wouldn’t ask if I wasn’t sure.”
I hesitate for one more second before agreeing. “Okay then.”
He nods. “Okay then.”
And just like that, it’s settled. I’m staying.
CHAPTER TEN
OLLIE
I lied to Madison.
I wasn’t truthful when I said I was sure about her moving into my place. In fact, I think it’s a terrible idea. The worst idea I’ve had in a long time. The last thing I need right now is a distraction living under the same roof as me. I need to be focused on my training. I mean, I have a one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment, for crying out loud. How is this going to work, trying to share my space with my little sister’s best friend?
But when I looked across the table at her sad expression and saw those cerulean eyes looking so desperate, I couldn’t resist. I instantly sensed her discomfort when she mentioned her mother’s boyfriend moving in with them. A strange man living under the same roof as Mads. Hell, it made me uneasy to think about it. I didn’t have a choice … I had to help her.
Madison’s mother is flaky, though I’d never say that out loud to anyone other than Oakley or my parents. But we all know it’s true. Celeste flits from one man to the next, moving them into her daughter’s life like most people change a pair of pants. When I think of Madison being trapped in a house with a man who might take advantage of her … I can’t stand the thought.
Madison whips her compact car into an empty parking space in front of my apartment complex. I grab the bar overhead to steady myself and narrow my eyes across the seat to scold her. Mads just laughs. I groan when I unfold my big body from the passenger seat, and she laughs again. The soft sound of it has my mouth tipping upward.
“What needs to come inside?” I ask.
“Um, all of it?” she answers sheepishly.
