1. Felix

CHAPTER ONE

felix

“Hey, I know you.” The man with a baby looks thoroughly freaked-out as he clutches the infant to his chest, his wide eyes fixed on me.

“What?”

I offer him a friendly smile, hoping I can brighten his day a little. “You were at the meeting the other day. Well, at least for a little bit.” He came rushing out of there pretty damn fast, and Andrew looked awfully sad when he practically ran out of the gym.

“I, uh . . .” He looks around, dark circles under his eyes. “Yeah. I shouldn’t have come back.”

I shake my head at him, placing my hands on my hips and keeping my smile in place. “No, you definitely should have. Spark of Hope is great.”

“Yeah? You attend?”

“No, but I don’t really need to. For those who have trauma, though, it’s the absolute best.”

“How do you know I have trauma?” he asks, his brows pulling together with irritation.

“Oh, honey. It’s written all over your face.” Your stupidly handsome, tired face.

He only frowns at me more. But he doesn’t argue.

That’s a start.

It’s late and chilly out. Ben, my boss at the gym, is getting ready to go home, but I’m working the late shift tonight. “You two need somewhere to stay tonight?”

The man’s eyes meet mine, distrust filling his expression as he holds his baby to his chest. “We’re fine.”

They’re so not. But he’s inside the gym, at least, and not sitting out on the street. He has a diaper bag draped over his shoulder, but that’s it. He looks so lost, and call it a hunch, but I don’t think they have a place to stay. “Right.”

I look over at the front desk, where Ben eyes us carefully, then back at the handsome stranger. “There’s a great lounge that has smoothies and some snacks. It’s back that way . . .” I motion in the direction of the lounge. “Why don’t you go in there and warm up. It’s chilly tonight.”

He looks conflicted, like a caged animal that wants to bolt, but then he looks down at his baby’s sleeping face and nods, not arguing as he heads to the lounge. I stride to the front desk to Ben, who, I swear, always has a look of concern on his face.

“Is that the guy from the meeting the other day?”

I nod, sifting through some papers on the desk and feeling a little nervous over what I’m about to ask . . . but not too much. I don’t really hold back. What’s the point in that? “I think he and his baby need a place to stay.”

Ben’s dark eyebrow raises slowly. “He say that?”

I shake my head, not one to lie. “Nope. But I know he does. And he has a baby, Ben. A baby.”

I frown when Ben shakes his head at me, waving me off as he stands up from his desk and heads into his office.

Well, that didn’t go how I wanted.

I guess I could bring the stranger and his baby back to my studio apartment, but that might be a little cramped. It’ll be fine though.

My random thoughts abruptly stop when Ben returns and lays a key down on the desk. “He can stay as long as he needs to.”

I beam up at my boss—the forever hero. The guy loves to rescue people. I mean, hell, that’s how he met his husband. Colby came in one late, rainy night, and Ben gave him a job and a place to stay.

Their story is epic, and I nearly get lost in thinking about it—my eyes all googly—before Ben clears his throat and nudges me in the direction of the lounge. Oh, right.

“Thanks, Ben.” I grab the key.

“Not a problem. He looks tough though. Not sure even your sunshine can break through that cloud.”

I laugh at that because I have a habit of trying to cheer everyone up. Life doesn’t have to be so damn gloomy all the time. It should be full of sun and rainbows, damn it. Lots and lots of rainbows.

“Never underestimate my shine, Ben.” I wink at him, and he chuckles, shaking his head.

“Don’t forget to lock up tonight. Be safe. See you tomorrow.”

“Night, Ben.” I wave at him and his big-brother speech as I move to the lounge, key in hand, and he heads out for the night.

I open the door to the lounge, where the man is feeding the baby a bottle, rocking her gently. His eyes may be cold and distrusting when he’s looking anywhere else, but not when he looks at her.

No. That’s complete love there.

I place the key on the table, and he looks up at me, his gaze shifting back to dark and ominous again. “What’s that?”

“The key to your new place.”

“What?” He looks almost horrified, still feeding his baby. “No. I . . .”

I wave him off easily. “It’s totally fine. Ben—that’s my boss—he loves to help people out, and he just so happens to have a vacant apartment here.”

The man hasn’t moved. “I don’t have any money, okay?” He shifts his eyes down at the baby in his arms, looking nearly distraught. “I have enough for some formula, but that’s it. I can’t spend it on rent.”

“No. No rent.” I gesture for him to follow me. “Don’t worry about it.”

He doesn’t follow me, though, just stays put in the chair looking suspicious. “What do you mean no rent?”

“Like I said, Ben loves to help people. Let’s get you two settled.”

He shakes his head at me. “N—no. It was good to get out of the cold, but no.”

He sounds so damn tired, exhausted really. “Do you have somewhere else to stay?” I ask, not giving up. I never give up.

He looks toward the front of the gym and then back at me, his expression grim. “There’s a shelter we’ve been staying at.” I hear the embarrassment in his tone and don’t like it one bit.

I sit down in the chair next to him, taking in the sight of his baby, who’s fallen asleep with the bottle in her mouth. “Shelters are great. It’s good the city provides a place for people who need a little help. But this apartment is vacant. No one is using it. It’s yours for as long as you need it.”

He shakes his head, but he doesn’t seem to have any more arguments left.

I stand and lift the diaper bag from the floor and onto my own shoulder. “Come on. Let’s get you guys settled before someone comes in the gym and needs my help.”

It’s pretty dead tonight, but some of the regulars come in every night at this time to work out. They should be here soon.

He still doesn’t move from his chair. “I don’t know you.”

“Ah. Stranger danger,” I say with a smile, but it doesn’t make him smile back. Hmmm . . . He might be a tough one, but I’ll break through. I place a hand on my chest. “I’m Felix. And you are?”

He hesitates but then finally opens his mouth to answer, “Henry.”

“And her?” I motion toward the sleeping baby in his arms.

“Hazel.” Like his eyes, his beautiful eyes, which honestly have me a little hypnotized, but I don’t say that.

“Henry and Hazel. I like it,” I say, brightening my smile even more. “Nice to meet you.”

“You’re still a stranger,” he says as he finally moves from the chair, and I’ll take it. I lead him out of the lounge and toward the stairs leading to the studio apartment above the gym.

“I won’t be a stranger for long. I’ll be your new best friend by the end of the week. Trust me.”

He snorts at that, but it’s also a sort of half laugh, and again, I’ll take it. I unlock the apartment and turn on the small lamp by the couch, not wanting to wake the baby. He looks around nervously and then shifts his gaze to me. “We won’t stay long.”

“You should. It’s a great place, and it’s lonely. You guys are doing a service by staying here.”

He shakes his head at me, studying me carefully, like he’s not sure what to do with me. I get it. I’m a lot at first, but I’m not changing who I am for anyone.

I sit down on the couch and motion for him to sit too. He does, but it’s reluctantly. “So like I said, I’m Felix. Twenty-four years old. My mom and dad live in the burbs. I have an older brother who lives in California. But we video-chat twice a week. We’re a way-too-close family where nothing goes unsaid and nothing is off-limits.” Henry listens to me as he settles the sleeping Hazel on his chest. “I’ve worked here for a few years and love it. I’m gay but single right now.”

He doesn’t seem to flinch at that, and I’m glad. I have no time for homophobes, and I keep on going.

“I have a cat, who’s an asshole, but I love him. He could take me or leave me, but I feed him, so I think he’ll keep me. I’m terrified of birds, but I still want them to be my friends.”

Henry holds a hand up, silencing me. “What exactly is happening right now?”

I smile at that. “We’re becoming best friends. Duh.”

He cracks a small smile at that, and oh, no. It’s beautiful.

His lips are full, and his teeth are straight and white. It doesn’t quite reach his eyes, but it’s a smile.

I know I’m already starting to break through.