I glance behind me at my door and roll my eyes.

Denise.

God. I love her as a friend, but seriously, when she has her mind set on something, she does not let it go. Should have known she was going to come over.

I peel myself away from the AC unit, head over to the door, unlock it, and open it.

“Denise, I⁠—”

I stop midsentence as a pair of steely gray eyes meet mine.

“Wilder,” I say, feeling incredibly surprised. For one, I didn’t expect to see him this soon, and two, I didn’t know he knew where I lived. Also…he didn’t buzz into the building. “What are you doing here?”

“It’s fucking hot out today, isn’t it?” he asks as a greeting.

“Uh, yeah. It is.” I grip the door tightly. “Um, again, what are you doing here?”

“Good to see you too, Pips.” He folds his arms and leans against the doorframe. “I was coming to see if you want to go to the movies with me. It’s hot as hell, and I have the perfect place that has salty popcorn and sweet Icees.”

“You want to go to the movies?” I ask, feeling all sorts of confused.

“Yeah, your pick. There are quite a few showings in the next half hour that you can choose from. Some old and some new. Plus, it’s air-conditioned, and I’m pretty sure it’s one of the things on your bucket list that you want to check off, right?”

Uh…

What’s happening here?

I cross my arms as well and say, “I don’t understand.”

He steps in close and then presses two fingers under my chin, lifting my gaze to his. In a deep, rumbly voice, he says, “I promise, I won’t hurt you, but I know actions speak louder than words, so I’m here to prove it.” He cups my cheek now and whispers, “Come to the movies with me. Give this a chance.”

I stare into his eyes, and all I can see is sincerity. This man is genuine. He’s serious. He…he came to me when he said he would.

“I told you, you don’t have to.”

“And I’m telling you, I need to,” he says. “So please, come to the movies with me.”

Nerves pulse through me, insecurity runs rampant, and before I can answer, I need to talk this out.

“Um, can you give me a second?”

“Sure,” he says. “Want me to wait out here?”

“No.” I shake my head. “You can wait in my living room.”