Meet Me Halfway (Learning to Love Series)

I’d been worried for no reason. Patrolling the campus was, by far, one of the easiest jobs I’d ever had. It felt like I was being paid to be on vacation. No one was talking to me, touching me, or asking me questions. I wasn’t studying, and bonus, I was getting exercise.

It was amazing.

Obviously, there was the chance something could go wrong. The campus was closed besides a couple of straggling professors, so yes, unwelcome people could show up and cause an issue, but I’d decided to see the glass as half full for once. I was determined to enjoy the small sunlight the sky had finally bestowed upon me.

It was a surprisingly calm day, the eastern breeze napping for the time being. Wearing a beanie and a thin black jacket over my uniform, I was warm and comfortable as I made my way to the next building.

The only terrifying thing to happen to me so far occurred during my walk-through of my second building. I happened to be standing next to a maintenance room when the heater kicked on, and I almost jumped out of my shoes, I ran so fast. And once you’ve had a kid, being scared is no joke. I nearly peed myself.

Thinking about Jamie put a damper on my mood. The other night had been a hard one, but an important one in a way. When we’d finally left the kitchen, we’d curled up on my bed and talked about what he’d seen and how it’d made him feel.

I’d explained that Garrett had just been worried about my safety and hadn’t gone about it in the right way, but that didn’t mean he wanted to, or would ever, hurt me.

It shouldn’t have been as easy to admit as it was, because by all accounts I didn’t actually know my neighbor all that well. I didn’t know his past, other than his military history and the little he’d said about his parents.

But the thing that stuck with me was he didn’t put his hands on me other than to hold me steady. He didn’t shake me and demand I not go even though he might’ve wanted to. He’d simply pushed me metaphorically to see the truth for myself.

It’d been a dick move, and in the end, it hadn’t been necessary since I’d already been second-guessing the shift, but I understood the intention behind his method, as stupid of a method as it was. Hopefully it wouldn’t be an issue here soon anyway.

I had no desire to take many guard shifts. I could use the extra income, but I didn’t need it to survive. I just needed to get through each day until graduation, when I could hopefully get a full-time job and quit all these others.

God, I couldn’t wait to graduate. A higher-paying job wasn’t a given, I knew that. I also knew how hard it was for females to get a job in my field. But I was determined, and I had a thing for proving people wrong.

Finishing my on-foot patrol, I meandered through the abandoned courtyard, heading toward the building with the security office so I could ransack some vending machines. But as I approached the parking lot of the building, I frowned.

As a whole, there weren’t many vehicles on campus. Apart from the college-owned vehicles, I’d only seen one or two other cars. So, when I spotted a truck parked in the middle of the empty lot, it caught my attention. When I realized there was a man leaning against it, I halted mid-step.

My first instinct was to continue on my path to the building. It was the first rule in the “Woman Alone in a Parking Lot 101” handbook we had drilled into us since birth. My second instinct was to curse and remind myself that it was literally my job to go investigate.

Jesus, I was not cut out for this. Cutting across the yard of the building, I prayed to God the man was only using the campus’s convenient location to meet up with someone. Preferably not drug-related.

The stranger was wearing a ballcap-style hat, with a hoodie and jeans, and he was leaned back against the side of the truck, watching me. I felt insanely exposed walking toward him out in the middle of an empty lot.

When I was a few yards out, he pushed off the truck, pulling his hands from his pockets to remove his hat and run his fingers through his dark hair. The action had lightning spearing through me.

I knew that mannerism, and I knew that face. The head tilt, the cut of the jaw, and even the unruly hair that always seemed to look sexy no matter what. It was ingrained in my mind. As I closed more distance, I recognized the black hoodie I’d worn to bed for an inappropriate number of days.

Garrett.

Without taking his eyes off me, he tossed his hat through the open window of the truck. “I wondered if you were ever going to come back around this way.”

I blinked. “I’m working.”

“I can see that.” His eyes dipped to my uniform. There wasn’t much to see, the uniform did me zero favors.

I didn’t respond, but my thoughts must have been clear on my face because his expression flickered, concern flashing through for the briefest second. “Look…”

I held up a hand. “If you’re about to apologize, it’s not necessary. I’m not mad. I’ve come to realize you tend to err on the side of caveman more often than not.”

His lips twitched. “I may not be the best at communication,” he offered.

I slapped a hand to my chest, inhaling sharply. “Gasp. You?”

He closed his eyes, shaking his head, and my smile slipped free. “In all seriousness, I appreciate having a friend who cares enough about my safety to speak his thoughts and tell me.”

His eyes snapped to mine, and something sparked in their depths. “Does that mean I can keep the lunch I brought you?”

Perking up, I glanced around him for a bag of goodies. “Were you trying to earn my forgiveness through my stomach?”

“Depends, would it have worked?”

My stomach chose that moment to elicit a deep, unending growl, and I squinted one eye shut, grimacing. “I feel like any comment I make now would be rather pointless.”

A dark chuckle escaped his lips, drifting across the fall air and lifting my spirits. He twisted back, reaching his arm through the open window, and pulled out a white bag baring a red and yellow logo.

Swallowing the pool of saliva that’d appeared in my mouth, I tipped my head to the side, eyeing the bag like a fucking raptor. “What if I said I didn’t like their food?”

“You’d be lying. Now tell me, can you eat, or do you need to get back to work?”

I pulled my phone out of my pocket, checking the time. “I have time to eat. I was already heading to the office for my lunch break anyway. Although, this beats a vending machine buffet, ten to one.”

“Perfect.” He walked around to the front of his truck, giving the hood a rough smack. “You need help up or can your short, little legs make the jump?”

I narrowed my eyes, choosing to ignore his comment in the name of new friendship and delicious chicken sandwiches. “I didn’t even know you had a truck. I’ve only ever seen your Nova.”

He shrugged, hopping up on the hood with ease. “It’s my work truck. I don’t usually drive it around outside of work, but the Nova’s in the shop.”

“Oh. I feel kind of bad for not even knowing what you do for a living.”

“I’ll tell you once you stop being a pussy and get up here to eat.”

I went from raptor to dragon in two-point-five seconds, flaring my nostrils and setting my palms flat on the hood. Pushing off with as much grace as I could, I shoved up and twisted, with the full intention of landing on my ass and staring smugly into his stupid, perfectly proportioned face.

Halfway through my twist, the gaudy security buckle on my belt caught on the grill, disrupting my momentum, and making my fingers slip on the smooth surface. I fell forward, face planting right into his lap.

I flailed and reared back, my mind fully determined to make a run for the building and never speak to him again. But his hands were already grasping my waist, hauling me up and setting me beside him.

Adjusting myself into a more comfortable position, I clasped my hands in my lap, looking anywhere but at the man whose crotch I’d just face snuggled.

“You know, your ears turn red when you’re embarrassed.”

I fidgeted, still not looking at him. “They turn red when I feel anything other than apathy. I know. I’ve lived with them for twenty-five years.”

“It’s pretty fucking cute.”

My eyes whipped over to him, my face, neck, and ears now flushing for an entirely different reason. He held out a wrapped sandwich, giving it a playful shake. I accepted his peace offering; I was embarrassed, not insane.

“Okay, I’m up here. Now tell me what you do for a living.” Unwrapping my gift with a flourish, I took a bite, moaning over the gloriousness that was grease on a bun.

I looked over at Garrett, preparing to lather him in my heartfelt thanks as soon as I swallowed, but paused mid-chew at the dark look he was sending my way. Mouth stuffed, I muttered an unattractive, “What?”

He glared down at his lap, brushing off imaginary crumbs. “I do contract work with turbine engines.” His face softened at my blank expression, and he chuckled, “For helicopters and small aircraft. It’s, more or less, the same thing I did in the Marines, just on civilian aircrafts now.”

“That’s pretty cool. Did you ever want to do something else, or do you like it?”

“I like it. Growing up, I wanted to be a pilot, mostly because I wanted the ability to fly my mother somewhere nice.” He pushed his jaw out, as if he’d said something he hadn’t meant to. “Anyway, it’s steady work, and I’m good at it.”

With those hands, I bet he was good at a lot of things. “Well, I’m glad you enjoy what you do, that’s always a good thing.”

He nodded, still looking at me. I pulled my legs up, sitting criss-cross applesauce as I dove back into my food and tried to ignore the feeling of him watching me eat.

“Sarah and Harry are coming to visit tonight.”

It took my brain a second to catch up to the mildly familiar names and random turn of conversation. He was talking about his siblings?

“They’ll be staying over if you’d like to pop by and say hello. I’m pretty sure Sarah fell in love with you the moment she saw you at the restaurant.” He trailed off, taking an overly large bite of his sandwich.

Raising my brows at his weird behavior, I huffed out a laugh. “I’d love to meet them more officially. Actually, I prepared an ungodly amount of chili in the slow cooker this morning if you’d all like to come over for dinner.”

He looked uncomfortable at my offer, but I had a feeling it was over the idea of me feeding everyone rather than the invitation itself.

“We’re usually stuck eating it for a solid week straight, so it’s no big deal. It’s up to you, there will be plenty if you change your mind.”

He considered me for a moment before tipping his head, and we fell into companionable silence as we ate.

Once we’d both finished and polished off the potato wedges, I steeled my spine and looked up at him. I was pretty sure I knew the answer to my question, but I wanted to hear him say it anyway.

“True or false. You came out here with an apology meal as a ploy to check and make sure I was still alive.”

His eyes were pinned to my hand as I brought it to my mouth and licked the salt off the pads of my fingers. He twisted away from me, exhaling and shoving his hands into the front pocket of his hoodie.

“True.”

I could get used to this. It was still early evening, and I’d had time to shower, dry my hair, find something decent to wear, put a dash of makeup on, and prepare appetizers to go along with the simmering chili.

I’d felt sheepish when I’d called out at the restaurant, but I couldn’t claim not to be loving every second of my free Saturday night. I felt like a real human being for once, and it felt good.

“Will you grab my pop out of the fridge and toss it to me?”

I looked up from the stove. “No, but I can grab your soda if you’d like.” I smirked as Layla raised her arm and flipped me off behind her head. Pop, soda, purse, pocketbook. I’d been on the east coast long enough that I was used to the differences in terms here versus the Midwest, but it drove Layla nuts. I made it a habit to annoy the hell out of her with them any chance I could.

She and her boyfriend, Rick, were currently cuddled up on the couch, watching some sci-fi movie he brought while I finished up dinner. I switched off the stovetop burner and pulled open the fridge to grab her drink. A pair of giant ass eyes stared back at me from the center shelf, and I cursed.

“Seriously, Layla? The fridge?” Witch-like laughter met my ears, and I glared over the bar, launching the toy at her.

A few years ago, she and I had each started a collection of these creepy, bug-eyed stuffed animals. We’d randomly found one at a gas station once and had both continued buying them. I couldn’t remember who’d started it, but not long after she moved in, we’d made it a game to hide them around the house, scaring the shit out of each other with them. Lately, she’d been one-upping me.

I shook my head, glancing toward my front door for the hundredth time. I don’t know why I was so nervous about meeting Garrett’s family again, but I was. And honestly, I was more than a little excited to have people over. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d hung out with a group of people who weren’t family members—or over the age of eight.

Dressed in a pair of distressed jeans that fit me like a second skin, and a loose, off-the-shoulder sweater, I didn’t feel like an overworked mom. I felt like me. And I’d really missed me.

Two hard thumps against the door snagged my attention in a way that should have embarrassed me. I shot out of the kitchen, tossing the can on Layla’s lap, and smoothing down my wayward curls in a futile attempt to make them behave. “Do I look okay?”

Layla squinted her eyes at me over Rick’s shoulder. “And just who are you impressing tonight, and why don’t I know about it?”

“Garrett’s sister-in-law, Sarah. She’s married, but my hope is to woo her and replace your nagging ass.”

She pursed her lips, dipping her head in a silent, ‘fair enough,’ manner, before curling back up into Rick. A nasty emotion swelled up inside my chest at the sight of them practically cuddle fucking on my couch, but I swallowed it down, forcing it to the pit of my stomach like a bad taste. Jealousy didn’t look good on anyone.

Taking a deep breath, I opened the door, only to be accosted by what I could only describe as a puppy in human form. She strode right in with no preamble, kicking off her shoes and folding me into a giant hug.

“It’s so nice to see you again, Madison. I almost peed myself when Garrett told us you’d invited us all over for dinner.”

She was about my same height and was wearing a maroon romper with a floor-length, cream cardigan. Her hair was styled in that perfect messy bun straight-haired people were capable of creating, and it tickled my face as she squeezed me.

Releasing me, her head whipped around the house, landing on the two figures on the couch and heading straight for them, her mouth already moving in greeting. I watched her in shocked silence, still frozen from where she’d accosted me.

“Please excuse my wife, she might be a little tipsy.”

Garrett scoffed, “Drunk, you mean. She might be a little drunk.”

Seeing the two men standing next to one another in decent lighting, I could see the distinct similarities in them I hadn’t been able to see the first time. Garrett was an inch or two taller, and his brother carried a few extra pounds around the middle, but their stances, the way they both stood straight with their arms crossed over their chests was nearly identical.

I held to my original estimation that Harry was around his early fifties, maybe late forties. Although his face wasn’t quite as cut from stone as his brother’s, he was also incredibly attractive. I looked back and forth between Garrett’s smooth face and Harry’s trimmed beard, trying to decide which look I preferred more.

As if sensing my attention, Garrett’s eyes cut to mine, searing me in place before dipping to my shoulder. His jaw clenched, the movement sexier than it had any right to be, and I immediately had my answer.

Layla hollered from the couch, pulling me from my thoughts, “So what you’re actually saying is Sarah here is winning, and the rest of us are behind?”

“Oh, I like her. Not to worry though, we came bearing gifts. Harry, where’s our gift?”

Sarah made her way back to her husband, taking a bag from him I hadn’t noticed and rising on her toes to give him a deep kiss. Plunging her hand in the bag, she pulled out a large bottle of amber liquid. “Who wants to play a game?”

Layla and Rick both whooped, the latter giving the first a firm butt smack as they hopped off the couch. I shifted on my feet awkwardly, suddenly second-guessing where this evening was headed.

“Maybe we should eat the food that was prepared for us first?” Garrett addressed Sarah, but his eyes were still on me.

“That’s probably best,” Layla sang, passing me to slip into the kitchen and grinning evilly. “Mads here, is a complete lightweight on a full stomach. You don’t want to imagine her on an empty one.”

I frowned. “I’m not that much of a lightweight.” I just rarely drank liquor. I was fine sipping wine or beer, but liquor made me uncomfortable. I hated the feeling of not being in total control of myself. Some people liked that out-of-body feeling, but I hated it. It never led to anything good.

Dishes clanged off the counter as Layla set bowls out for everyone, laughing as she did. “I beg to differ. Remember that time you showed up to school drunk, and ended up puking on a teacher before breaking your nose on a toilet when you passed out over it?”

Every head turned my way. Sarah burst out cackling while Harry and Rick both fought back smiles. Garrett simply raised an eyebrow, waiting for me to confirm or deny it.

The daggers I shot Layla would have terrified a lesser woman. “I’d taken shots of Everclear, and I was fifteen.”

Rick set his full bowl at the table, patting my back in commiseration as he walked by. Given his lifestyle, he probably had firsthand experience of the mayhem Everclear could create.

He could be a little obnoxious, but overall, I didn’t mind the guy. I gave him a grateful smile, but it fell when tingles shot across the back of my neck. I peered over my shoulder to see two slits of hazel eyes looking at me.

I frowned, wondering what I’d said wrong. Maybe he just didn’t find my story as funny as the rest of his family? I tilted my head in silent question, but he looked away, accompanying his brother into the kitchen.

“Okay, so the game is simple, we each take turns saying something we don’t think anyone has ever done. If you have done it, you take a shot. If no one has done it, the person who asked takes a shot. But don’t ask boring questions…I’m looking at you, Garrett.”

I chewed the inside of my lip, listening to Sarah animatedly list off instructions. I’d played the game many times before, back when I hadn’t been old enough to do so, but not since having Jamie. In fact, I hadn’t played a drinking game at all in years.

I raised my hand, waving it above my head. “I’m going to sit this one out since I happen to be the only one who works in the morning.”

We’d all piled our dishes in the—thanks to Garrett—working dishwasher and were now squeezed in around my table. The men had grabbed a few extra chairs from Garrett’s house while Sarah set up the bottle of whiskey, a liter of soda, and a stack of red plastic cups.

The sight itself sent me back in time. I felt like I was a teenager again, standing in the middle of a wheat field, scooping spiked punch from a cooler while someone blared music from a pickup truck.

Layla nudged my shoulder. “Don’t be such a mom, Mads. You can have fun. It’s allowed.”

“You literally just called me a lightweight earlier, and now you want me drinking Jack and Coke less than twenty-four hours before I have to work.” I smashed my lips together, resting my chin on my palm.

She dipped her head. “Touché. All right, you can have wine then.” She jumped up, and thirty seconds later, I had a glass of white wine set in front of me.

“There. Now let’s play. I’ll go first.” She was practically jumping in her seat as she glanced at me, and I knew no matter what I had in my glass, she’d made it her mission to get my “high-strung ass” drunk.

She tapped her fingertips against her cup rhythmically, each click of her calluses making me more apprehensive of what she’d say.

“Never have I ever shoved a full-fledged human out of my body.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” I snapped, shoving her hard in the shoulder.

She only cackled like a deranged hyena and pointed to my glass. I grabbed it, taking an irritated sip. I was an annoying drunk, and I puked easily, so I had no idea why she thought it’d be good for me.

It wasn’t until I caught her discreet glance at Garrett that I realized what her true game plan was.

This bitch didn’t want me getting drunk just for the hell of it. No, she wanted to get me drunk so I’d want to get laid. Well, she was going to be thoroughly disappointed because that wasn’t happening.

Sitting to her right, Rick was next, and his question was exactly what I’d expected from him. “Never have I ever done shrooms.” No one moved apart from an exaggerated eye roll from Layla, forcing him to take a drink.

Garrett was next, sitting directly across from me. “Never have I ever been pulled over.” Unsurprisingly, everyone at the table picked up their cups. I caught his eye, but he quickly looked away.

The game continued on, each question ridiculous, yet harmless. Stealing, skinny dipping, and evading arrest. Then it got back to Layla. That beautiful, frustrating—had my best interests at heart but needed to calm the fuck down—woman stared hard at Garrett before cutting her eyes to me and blurting, “Never have I ever, gone the last five years without fucking someone.”

Sarah and Harry set their cups on the table, cracking up like it was the most ridiculous question to be asked all night. But it was the heated pair of eyes I could feel on the side of my face that had my heart picking up speed and a flush creeping up my neck.

With as straight of a face as I could maintain, I downed an overly large amount of wine.

Rick coughed, his eyes widening comically. “Wait, I thought you only got divorced like three years ago?”

“I did.”

“What, you just didn’t sleep with your husband for two years?” he asked.

“We were separated for a while before I was finally able to file for divorce.”

Sarah stared at me like I’d grown another head, and she wasn’t the only one. “You seriously haven’t had sex in five years?” She pointed to her husband. “I’d fucking explode if we went that long, and not in the good way, obviously.”

Garrett grimaced at the visual of his sister-in-law he clearly didn’t appreciate, but he was looking straight at me. “You said finally able to file. Why couldn’t you file before then?”

My grip on my cup tightened, and I cursed myself when his eyes caught the movement. Giving him a practiced smile, I said, “That’s not how the game works, and it’s not your turn.”

Layla leaned forward. “Oh, stop. He’s just curious because you’re hot as sin and none of it makes sense.”

I opened my mouth to defend myself, but she plowed on. “She stayed married and faithful to Aaron’s stupid ass for two years because he was deployed. Bullshit, if you ask me. If anyone deserved to be dropped in the dirt, it was that motherfucker.”

I reached down, pinching the tender flesh of her thigh. She yelped, flinching away from me. I could literally feel the weight of Garrett assessing me, and I met his gaze, putting a challenge in my own. His mouth parted, but Rick spoke first.

“Never have I ever done butt stuff.”

I’d never been so thankful for a change in conversation, and I nearly burst out laughing when Harry looked pointedly at his untouched drink and sighed before then looking at his wife.

Deciding it couldn’t be more embarrassing than what I’d already admitted, I reached forward, fully intending on chugging the rest of my wine and saying to hell with the consequences. I knew Garrett was watching me, he’d never stopped, and the heat was setting me aflame.

I dared a glance, feeling my heart pick up when his eyes tracked my movement. Setting the cup against my lips, I was not at all prepared for him to reach forward and grab his own cup. Holy fucking hell. Did that mean he’d done it to someone else or…

The people around us disappeared, I didn’t even know if anyone else moved to take a drink. I was entrapped by the man across from me, nearly convulsing in my seat as molten lava poured in my core. The cobwebs that’d been covering my libido were long gone, burned up as if they’d never existed.

Not once did he break eye contact with me as we each tipped our heads back. The roll of his throat as he swallowed was possibly one of the most erotic things I’d ever witnessed, and I was suddenly too hot in my own skin. If he’d been able to touch me, just one touch, I might have shattered right there at the table.

And by the way his nostrils flared, he knew it.

Fuck.