Catch

I do as I’m told even though people have gathered around us with their cell phones in hand. If they think they’re about to witness a romantic marriage proposal, they’re wrong.

“Well, well…” Keats stops to shake his head before he locks eyes with me again. “I’ve never seen this before.”

I furrow my brow. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

“Your heel broke off your shoe.” He produces my broken heel in his palm. “I think you need a new pair.”

“Dammit,” I mutter under my breath. “These are so comfortable. They’re my favorite shoes.”

I attempt to step forward to remove my shoe, but the pain shoots me back a full step. I whimper.

“You twisted your ankle when your heel broke free.” He moves to stand, edging his palm over my arm until we’re holding hands. “You can’t walk on that, Maren. You need to ice it.”

I shake my head as I try and shake off the pain in my foot. “I’m fine.”

To prove my point, I attempt to march forward on my uneven shoes. I stumble into his arms.

Before I know what’s happening, he scoops me up and into his arms like I’m a bride.

I slap him on the shoulder. “Keats, put me down.”

“You can’t walk.” His breath grazes over my cheek. “I’m going to carry you.”

“To a cab?”

“My driver is waiting for us,” he says as he starts in the direction of the steps.

“You’re going to carry me down all those steps?”

He stops to look directly into my eyes. “I’d carry you down a thousand flights of steps if it meant you wouldn’t be in pain.”

Emotions I haven’t felt before rush through me. I’m speechless. I stare at him. “Keats…”

“Let me do this for you, Maren,” he says, oblivious to the people watching us as he starts to descend the steps.

Settling my arm over his shoulder, I reach down with my free hand to hold the bottom of my dress in place to cover my ass. “Thank you.”

His lips curve up into a wicked smile. “You’re welcome.”***Once we’re in the lobby of my building and I’m settled on a cream-colored bench, Keats smiles at Ricky.

“I like that guy,” he says to me.

I do too. I like everyone who works in this building. They’ve been good to me. This didn’t feel like my home when my parents first handed me the keys, but I’ve come to love it here.

Keats reaches to move my foot into his lap.

I resist with a slap on his forearm. “You can go. I can make it upstairs on my own.”

He didn’t offer to carry me into the elevator. I think he felt my body tense up as he entered the lobby, and Ricky asked if he should call an ambulance.

I assured him that I didn’t need that, so he directed Keats to set me down on this bench.

I know I can limp to the elevator and then again to my apartment door.

“I’d like to have a look.” Keats raises a brow. “Humor me, Maren, and then I’ll take off.”

I give in and let him carefully cradle my sore foot in his palm. He rests it on his thighs. I tense again, but this time it’s because this feels more intimate than when he was carrying me in his arms.

He tenderly touches my ankle. “How’s the pain level on a scale of one to ten?”

“Four hundred and seventy-two?” I chuckle. “It really hurts.”

He rubs it softly. “I’m going to pull off your shoe.”

I nod. “Be careful.”

He is. He slowly removes my broken shoe. His hands move gently over the swollen skin of my ankle. “You might have sprained it.”

I sigh. “I’m ashamed to admit this has happened to me before. It will feel a lot better by morning.”

He tilts his head. “Have many heels have you broken?”

“This is the third.”

He rests my foot in his lap. “I hope I’m around the next time it happens.”

I hope for that too. I hope he’s around every time it happens.

“I should go up now.” I point to the elevator. “Thank you for helping me, Keats.”

He leans closer to me, his eyes gliding over my face. “Anytime, Maren.”

I stay in that moment, soaking in how handsome he looks. There’s a vulnerability in his eyes I haven’t noticed before.

As he moves even closer, my body is drawn to him. We both lean in until our lips are mere inches apart.

His tongue skims over his bottom lip.

I watch the movement, mesmerized by how naturally sexy he is.

He tilts his head a touch. It’s a silent invitation to kiss him. Just as I close my eyes, the sound of someone clearing their throat pulls us apart.

“Maren?” Arietta stands next to us with Dudley on a leash at her side. “What’s wrong? Ricky called to tell me you were hurt.”

Ricky stands a foot behind my roommate.

“I’m fine,” I whisper, disappointed that the moment with Keats is lost.