THREE
I've never seen a set of teeth so perfect. Straight, white and like beams they blind me. But his smile is nothing compared to his eyes. They're a shade of green that crystals would envy. They inspect me with interest but slight concern.
Just as I begin to admire his chiselled face he kneels down before me, his bronze tousled hair at my waist. My fingers itch to tug on it, to pull him closer to me. He begins to pick up my dropped groceries.
I quickly remember where I am, kneeling down to help. As I do, I only make matters worse. He begins to rise at the same time head butting me.
"Ahh," I gasp standing back up tall, hand flying to the place we collided.
"Shit," he rubs the back of his own head holding my paper bag of food.
"Sorry," I mutter, "I was trying to… um."
"Don't mention it," he shrugs me off with a friendly wave.
"Oh fuck," I gasp, "my phone."
He looks around the floor before raising an eyebrow.
"Stay standing," he warns with a crooked smile, "one more head crash and we'll end up seeing stars."
I do as I'm told watching him bend down to grab the device. Surely enough there's a massive crack to the screen.
"That's all I bloody need," I sigh, taking it from him, "thank you so much. Do you live here?"
"No," he shakes his head, "my brother does though. I was going to have dinner with him."
"Oh," I nod, "well sorry to have gotten in your way. I'll let you up. It saves you buzzing the intercom."
"I'll hold this so there's less for you to juggle," he motions to my shopping.
"My hero," I smile, turning back to the door.
Every motion I make I feel the weight of his gaze on my back. Instinctively I wonder if my hair looks messy, if my ass looks fat, if he is using the opportunity to glare daggers into my back. But when I turn back to face him, he's got the same easy smile on his face.
"Come in," I motion to the door, "thank you for your help."
"You looked like you were getting some bad news. I shouldn't have startled you," he follows me up the stairs until we reach my door.
"What makes you think that?" I ask.
"I read minds," he smirks.
"Is that so? What am I thinking right now?" I challenge.
"It's too naughty to say out loud," he teases, motions to the door, "unlock it so I can go off with my brother knowing you got into your apartment okay."
"You're surely not flirting with me, right?" I put a hand on my hip staring him down.
Would it really be such a bad thing? No man this beautiful had ever hit on me. His beautiful American accent, his Greek god-like appearance, his muscular strong frame was everything Cinderella ordered from the fairy godmother. But somehow the delivery came to me.
"Never," he winks at me.
Actually winks. Not the corny type. The type that literally takes away breath. I'm not asthmatic, but if he winks like that again I'll need some sort of ventilation to bring back the air.
Once I have the door unlocked, he hands me my groceries. I expect him to turn and leave, but he doesn't. For a moment he silently studies me, not shy at all as he drops his gaze looking me up and down.
"Are you going to be okay?" he asks.
"Oh, yeah," I nod.
"Great. I'll see you around I'm sure," he says, "Oh, I didn't catch your name."
"Why don't you just read my mind for it?" I muster up my most flirtatious smile, "Thanks again. Have a nice dinner."
He opens his mouth to fire back, but I've already shut the door.
It takes me a few minutes before reality crashes back down on top of me. Completely alone. My groceries back on the ground, my back firmly against the door as I cradle my knees to sob.
I know they say never google yourself. Which is why I didn't. I googled my father, my brother.
Headlines that make my stomach ache.
Cheer up Charlie: The Swan Co. in trouble
The final straw that led to complete breakdown
Intern sex scandal and debt mountain bring down Australia's biggest CEO
Swan turned ugly duckling
I scroll through the articles mindlessly feeling a stab of pain each time I read my own name. Through the cracked screen I can see that so far there's nothing that slanders me. But this is death by association. My father has yet to call and admit what has happened. He has yet to call with instructions about what I do. I'd put out an ad for a roommate on social media, put some of my designer clothes up for sale.
Surely enough my savings account had been drained completely dry. I would need to beg Sandy for extra shifts, longer hours. I would need to find a second job. I thought about living in my car until I realised I didn't have one. I could easily return home, but I doubt university would pay for an early flight just because my father's business got away from him. Being home right now would be torture anyway. I know I'm hiding by staying but why destroy my only shot at a future? I could go home and do my course, but here I would be making connections. Connections that would be vital now I have no business to return to and run.
All the while panicking about my family's downfall I kept returning to the man from before. His beauty had left me completely dumbfounded. All the while my life was falling apart around me he managed to distract me enough to smile, laugh and even flirt. I don't know where the sexy Bella came from, but I want her to come back. Maybe she could get us both out of this.
His beautiful face haunted me without me even needing to close my eyes. The smirk he had shown me was enough to hold me captive. He had said his brother lived in this building. It was only a small building and I was roughly in the middle. He had to be above me somewhere. The fact the man with the perfect smirk could be still in here somewhere sent shivers across my back.
How can one person have such an effect. I was getting way too ahead of myself. I hadn't even gotten his name. I hadn't even given away mine.
Sick of the anguish from the news articles I decide to make my way into the kitchen. I make myself a cup of tea before perching on top of the kitchen counter. I'd changed into an oversized t-shirt with a pair of knee-high socks to keep me warm. Pants were just too much to ask from me right now. I needed to feel lazy.
I'm so lazy that when the knock at the door comes I groan at the prospect of moving to get it.
"You better be Santa," I growl.
When I throw open the door I see it's something better than a fat man in red.
"Hey," the copper haired god grins down at me, "I thought I'd check up on you."
"Oh. Didn't you have dinner plans?" I raise an eyebrow.
I look over my shoulder at the clock and see it's past 6 o'clock. Dinner time.
"I did," he nods, "but I was wondering."
I wait for him to continue but he doesn't.
"What?" I offer.
"You ever had this pestering feeling inside your mind. Like you forgot something? To turn off the stove, to turn off a light?" he begins.
"Pretty sure I'm not electrical," I interrupt.
"I beg to differ," he mutters.
I lean against the door frame smiling at him. He was so incredibly handsome. Teasing him, subtly flirting, was just so easy, fun. Heck I needed fun after my day. Drowning myself in this man beats drowning myself in pity.
"So you came up here to make sure I wouldn't catch fire or something?" I ask.
"No. I came up here because I felt like I left something off. Quite the opposite of my examples," he says, "so I decided I'd come try and turn it on."
It's kinda working. The butterflies are certainly on.
"Gross," I scrunch up my nose, "you think this turns me on? Usually a man in uniform or a guy with a hot accent turns me on."
"Not like that," he raises a hand, "get your mind out of the gutter right now."
Unable to help myself I laugh, shaking my head at him.
"So do you need help finding some sort of switch or knob?" I ask.
"Head. Gutter. Out," he points at me with each word.
I laugh louder, throwing back my head. He chuckles pleased that whatever he is doing seems to be working.
"I now owe my brother a round of beers and bowling next week, after all you can eat wings at Hooters," he says, "I ditched him to bring you this."
He holds up a plastic bag I hadn't noticed. God his face is so distracting.
"Why would you ditch your brother? What's this?" I ask, trying to peer into the bag.
Sharply he pulls it back wagging his free finger in a 'no you don't' motion.
"You ask way too many questions, Miss…" he waits for me to fill the gap with my name.
Like I'd bring him satisfaction so soon.
"Only because you're so broad with your answers," I shrug, "be more detailed and I'll be less inquisitive."
"Fine. I know you had bad news downstairs before and I felt bad leaving you alone. So I went and got us Chinese food. I thought you might need someone to vent to. My brother just told me you only moved in last week and based on the whole fresh face thing I guessed you were new to New York. Plus the accent," he explains, "I did a whole lot of math and I thought just maybe you could use a friend."
"Is it that obvious?" I ask smiling.
"Yep. You're new to New York. It's written all over you," he motions to me, "I also heard you crying right before I left and I can't just go out and watch my brother inhale chicken while you're here feeling low. I'm Edward."
"Bella," I give in, "Come in,"
"I knew the name would be as beautiful as your face," he nudges me playfully as he walks into my apartment.
Has anybody ever been this genuine to me before? Or was it a plot to get into my pants. He seemed nice. If there was any other motive he kept it well hidden.
"Nice place," he says looking around my apartment, "I can't believe you've unpacked it all so quickly. I moved into my place months ago and it feels like the boxes are just appearing from thin air."
"Thanks. I've had the time I guess. I might need to look at finding a roommate. Rent is a little pricey," I grab our plates and some glasses, "do you drink red wine?"
"I do," he nods, "you know my sister is actually looking for a place. She runs a bar in the middle of Manhattan. Her roommate wants her boyfriend to move in so she is looking for something. I could ask her."
"It's one bedroom. But she could have the master," he's given me an inch of hope already, "the couch is actually a bed."
"I'm sure Alice would live," he shrugs, "she could store all her clothes in Emmett's apartment. She lived with me when we first moved here but she said I was 'too difficult' to live with. The final straw was me asking her to stack dishes in the dishwasher."
"She sounds like my sort of person. And Emmett, that's your brother?" I ask smiling.
"Yep," he takes a seat at the kitchen bench opening up some of the containers, "I didn't know what you would like so I ordered a bunch of things."
"In Australia Chinese food is just mushy chicken in sauce. It still tastes good but you can taste how unhealthy it is," I say, "this looks so much nicer.
"New York 1, Australia 0," he smiles at me, "I'm sure the beaches have us beat."
"By a long shot," I laugh, "have you always lived here?"
"No," he shakes his head, taking a plate from my hands.
I watch him pile food onto it before handing me some containers to choose from. I scoop a tiny bit of each onto my own plate before pouring us both some wine.
"I'm initially from Chicago, but I was raised in Washington," he explains, "I'm adopted. My father works in Seattle as a doctor. But Emmett moved out here to follow a girl, they broke up. He eventually got Alice and I to agree to follow with a business opportunity."
"Business opportunity?" I raise an eyebrow.
"Yeah. That bar I mentioned. We opened it together thinking we could bank on tourists. Working with family is a nightmare though," he laughs, "one mistake and they fuck it for the rest of us."
For a moment I just stare at his beautiful face. Watching him shovel noodles into his perfect mouth.
Without warning I burst into laughter at the irony of his last comment.
Before I know it the hysterical fit turns to tears and I'm sobbing in front of the most attractive human I've come across.
Today. Can. End. Now.
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Love, L