Page 115 of Wrong For Me

Leo

“So, we should go over some ground rules,” Rose says.

I turn to face her, distracted for a moment as I watch her gather her hair up into a messy bun. She did that the first night we met, and it had affected me then, too. As much as I love her hair free and wild around her face, there’s something about the elegant line of her neck that always makes me ache to touch her when it’s up.

“You listening?” she asks, mouth twitching. She knows exactly what I’m thinking about.

“Ground rules,” I say, forcing my attention away from her neck.

She nods. “A lot of the women in there aren’t super comfortable around men.”

My stomach twists as I come back to reality. This isn’t some flirty date we’re on. Rose has brought me to Haven House so I can see where she spends so much of her time. The people in this building have been through some serious shit—shit that I’m far too familiar with from personal experience.

I’d been more than a little surprised when she asked me to come with her. Rose had been unusually quiet the first few days after the disastrous lunch at her parent’s house. I tried to tell myself that she was just upset with her dad, and busy finishing up her fellowship application, which is due at the end of the week. But a vicious little part of me couldn’t help but wonder if she was pulling back, rethinking things with me. I jumped at the chance to spend the evening with her when she asked me to come here.

Totally wrapped around her finger.

“Okay,” I say. “Should I stay away from the women?”

“It might be better to focus your time on the kids.” I must make a face because she laughs. “You’re fine with kids, Leo.”

“I’m really not. Bodhi’s sister hates me because I always drop f-bombs in front of her daughters.”

Rose’s eyes twinkle. “Well why the fuck do you do that?”

“Very funny,” I mutter. “I get nervous around kids. I’m afraid I’m going to say something dumb—”

“And you curse when you’re nervous.”

“Exactly.”

She smiles. “Well try not to do that.” I groan. “You’ll be fine, Leo. There are actually a couple kids in there that I think will really like you. They’re boys, brothers, nine, eleven, and fourteen. They just came in last week. Most of the staff and volunteers are women, so it will probably be good for them to have a guy to hang out with. Play video games or something.”

I nod. I guess I can do that.

“As volunteers, we don’t ever ask them about what led them here. But if they want to talk about it, try to listen and not judge.”

“I would never judge,” I say, stung.

She smiles. “I’m just giving you the volunteer spiel. This is what we tell everyone.”

“So, don’t be judgmental, don’t ask about their situations, and keep my distance from the women.”

She nods. “Unless they approach you. Don’t like, run away or anything.”

My eyebrow goes up. “You think really highly of my people skills, don’t you?”

She laughs. “Pretty sure I heard you tell Bodhi he looked too happy the other day. Your people skills could use some work.”

“He was whistling! At seven o’clock in the morning.”

She rolls her eyes. “Come on. We don’t want to be late.”

I follow her out of the car, unable to keep my eyes off her ass when she reaches into the backseat to grab a duffle bag. “Don’t want to forget this.”

“What’s in there?”

“My yoga pants and your sweats.”