21 Days (Time for Love 2)

Feeling more relaxed, I went back out toward the living room, glancing at TJ’s closed door as I passed. I stopped and turned back to stand in front of his door.

Should I knock? See how he’s been the last few days? Apologize?

Before I could knock, the door opened and TJ stood in the open door, startled to see me standing there.

Like a stalker.

A stalker in pajamas with a glass of wine in her hand.

I smiled uncertainly at him, unsure if I should say something first.

TJ broke the silence first. “Hi.”

“Hi,” I replied back with a smile.

“You going to the living room?” he asked, gesturing at my wine.

“Yeah, I was headed that way,” I replied, trying to sound normal, but failing. “I just got home.”

“Cool, I’ll join you,” TJ responded.

I nodded and turned on my heel to continue my walk to the living room feeling awkward and uncertain, but trying not to show it. He seemed cool and collected, not awkward at all. I just needed to breathe and act like nothing happened.

I sat on the couch and turned the TV on while he went to the kitchen, presumably to get a drink.

TJ walked in, placed his beer on the table, took the remote out of my hand, and turned the TV back off.

“What are you doing?” I asked, a bit annoyed that he’d turned the TV off.

“We need to talk, Sash,” TJ said turning to me. “Have you been avoiding me?”

My stomach dropped.

“Um … No, I’ve just been busy,” I answered lamely.

“Sasha … I’m living in your house, and I haven’t seen you in three days. How busy can you be? Have you been sleeping somewhere else?” TJ was looking at me intently.

“What? No, I’ve been here every night,” I said, not wanting him to think I’d been sleeping around, even though it shouldn’t matter if I had been or not.

“Then you were avoiding me. Look, I know you were upset when I kissed Gaby, I saw it on your face, and I told you we’d talk about it. Then you disappeared.”

Shit! I fucking hated confrontation. Of any kind. Why was he calling me out on this? Why couldn’t he just let it go?

“I’m sorry.” I figured since he was calling me out, I might as well just be honest. “I just felt awkward, and I didn’t want things between us to get weird. I know we kind of set you up with that game, and I didn’t expect to feel jealous … but I was. It took me by surprise.”

TJ leaned in to me slightly and said huskily, “I like that it made you jealous.”

My heart started pounding, and I felt suddenly breathless. Did he really just say that?

“You do?”

TJ nodded and his gaze flitted from my eyes to my lips, then back up again.

“What are we doing?” I asked thinly.

He shrugged and said, “Exploring a new facet of our relationship.”

“What if something goes wrong?” I asked, trying to be the voice of reason when all I wanted to do was move in two inches and feel his lips on mine.