“Nice one, dick-wad,” Ross’ number one fan called from the top window. “You sound like a real winner. No wonder she won’t let you in.”
Ross found he had to agree. Normally he’d love to hurl a few choice words back, but then again, he pretty much deserved this. And worse.
“Please, Teela, open the door so I can apologize to you properly. I promise if you give me another chance, I’ll never give you another reason to regret it. I’ll always be there for you, because of the baby, but I want it to be more than that. I want to show you how amazing you are. I- I want to… to spend the rest of my life trying not to be a dick. I…”
“Awww, that’s sweet,” the heckler called.
Ross was about to open his mouth to finally give the guy a piece of his mind, but then the door opened in front of him and Teela stepped out. Her face was blotchy and swollen from crying and her eyes were red rimmed. She had a pink fluffy bathrobe on, and her hair was lank and needed to be washed, like she hadn’t showered in a few days.
She stepped out onto the doorstep in her bare feet and flipped off the guy in the window. “Mind your own business, Carl,” she called. “Or I’ll tell Joe-Anne about the bike you just bought without her permission.”
“Aww, I didn’t mean anything by it,” Carl called back down. “I thought the guy was a dick. I was just trying to defend your honor.”
“Yeah. Right. Anyway, thanks. Remember, I know about the bike. And about the storage unit. Joe-Anne would be super pissed, seeing as she was adamant you not get one.”
Carl flicked the butt end of his cigarette out the window, slammed it shut, and disappeared in a flash.
Ross gaped at Teela. “What?” She shrugged. “I saw him riding it last week. Right past here, when his wife wasn’t home. I know she’s dead set against him getting a bike. She’s afraid he’s going to get himself killed and she’s probably right, because even though he acts all tough, he’s sure as hell not.” She cast an annoyed glance over to the closed window. “I just assumed he was keeping it somewhere else, so she wouldn’t find out about it.”
“Can we please, please, go inside and talk?” Ross was so ready to get off the doorstep so the entire condo complex didn’t have to witness him make a complete ass of himself.
“I don’t think so,” Teela said slowly. She brushed at her cheeks, like she was trying to wipe away the evidence of tears.
Ross hated that he’d hurt her. He hated that she was crying because of him. He hated that he was such a massive ass-hat that he’d somehow managed to ruin this all on his own. She’d done absolutely nothing. It was all on him.
“Please, Teela. Give me one more chance. I know I don’t deserve it. In fact, I actively don’t deserve it, but you- being with you- it’s the only time I’ve ever felt that things were going to be okay. That they were okay. Like, not life and all that- just- I guess life, but everything. I just felt like- like this was special. I’ve never felt anything like this. It made me stupid. It made me do ridiculous things because I knew I was opening myself up and even though it wasn’t supposed to happen it was, and I just… panicked.”
“For the record, you were the one who kissed me the first time, when we were just supposed to be talking. I didn’t have anything to do with that.”
“You liked it though.”
“That has nothing to do with anything.”
“I know you felt it too. Just a little bit. It wasn’t just sex. It wasn’t just- we didn’t just start this because you’re having a baby. I- my parents adore you. I- I adore you.”
Teela’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “It hasn’t been long enough to tell. Maybe you’re just infatuated.”
“I’m not. Or maybe I am, but it’s not that kind of infatuated. If anything, I’m amazed. I’m amazed at you. At how you’re made. At how you think. At how witty and smart you are. At how… how good you are at your job. At how you hold the place together. At your spirit and your resilience. At… your beauty and your grace and your-”
“Oh for goodness sakes.” Teela’s cheeks flushed pink. She rolled her eyes and retreated back into the house, but she left the door open. “If you’re going to start that, then you better come in. I’m out here in a bathrobe and I look like a hot mess and you’re saying things like that. I don’t want the entire neighborhood to hear this.”
Ross didn’t have to be asked twice.