Page 12 of When We Are Complete

I fold my arms tighter around myself. Some part of me would rather freeze than admit I still feel the heat of him—even now. His eyes land on me from across the width of the balcony, steady, unwavering. He’s still the picture of calm.

And it pisses me off.

Because here I am, heart racing, skin itching. I might just explode with the sheer intensity of everything that’s rushing through me at the sight of him.

“Must be nice.” I angle my body away from him.

“Must be nice, what?”

“Being you. Nothing gets to you, does it? Just Jake Tanner, solid as a rock.”

“Plenty gets to me,” he says, and there’s a hint of something beneath the surface now, a flicker of something raw that makes me want to look at him. But I don’t.

“Could’ve fooled me.” I reply, swallowing the words I want to say:you walked away from me without a second glance when Jenny told you she was pregnant.

“Kelly—”

“Drop it. I shouldn’t have said anything.” I cut him off before he can say whatever it is that might make this suffocating situation even worse.

There’s nothing left to say, anyway. Not after all these years, not after everything that’s happened. So I stand there, staring at the dark ocean, back to the door that won’t open, feeling every inch of the distance between us and wondering how it is that someone can feel so alone when they’re not the only one there.

“Kelly, please. Just look at me. I didn’t even know you were in town. Seeing you after all this time has completely blindsided me. This is hard for me, too.”

I finally look up and catch myself staring at the line of his jaw, all shadowed and sharp in the dim light. My eyes have their own agenda, drinking him in despite the bitter aftertaste.

The worst part? He knows he looks good, damn him. The way he holds himself—shoulders back, an air of confidence that makes the space between us shrink—it’s all a reminder of what we used to be. Of what he threw away.

I would have stood by him. I would have done anything for him. We were young, sure. But sometimes you justknow. Or at least, you think you know—until the other person proves you wrong.

He’s still looking at me, something hot coiling in the air between us despite the temperature. I hate that the attraction is still there between us. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. I was supposed to see him from across the room, shrug, and then continue on with my new life in Harbor’s Edge, doing what I came here to do.

I look away again. But the heat follows me, wraps around me. And those memories, they’re traitors, every single one of them, painting pictures in my head of times when he was mine and mine alone. When his world started and ended with the girl he loved.Me.

“You look really beautiful tonight,” he says, voice soft.

I stiffen and pretend I didn’t hear him. Because the Jake Tanner standing in front of me now might have the same dark eyes, the same strong jaw and soft mouth, but everything else is a lie.

“Kelly?” Nora’s voice reaches me. I turn, and there she is, the door swinging open, her blue eyes wide as they tick between Jake and me. “You took so long, I came up here to make sure you were okay.”

“Hey,” I choke out, trying to sound nonchalant. “We got locked out.”

“Seriously?” She edges past me and gives Jake an awkward nod. “Hi, Jake.”

“Hey, Nora.” His voice doesn’t waver. Doesn’t he ever get flustered?

Nora’s arm links through mine, and I lean into her, grateful for the escape. As we pass the bed, I snatch up Emmy’s clutch. “Let’s not keep the bride waiting.”

The walk down the stairs is longer than I remember, and I tap the bannister twice with my fingertips—then again at the ninth step as I pause with both feet. Nora glances at me but doesn’t say anything. We get to the bottom, where I tap twice more. It’s a silly habit, but it keeps the rising tide of emotion at bay. It’s just a coincidence that I always tap twice—it’s not as though anything bad would happen if I stopped. Even so, I do it.

“Are you okay? How the heck did that happen?” She gives my arm a reassuring squeeze.

I manage a smile as I pass her the clutch. “The wind slammed the door shut. And with the band playing downstairs, no one could hear us. I banged on the door. Trust me.”

Nora raises an eyebrow, her grip on my arm squeezing slightly as we make our way to the room where Emmy is waiting. “Locked out on the balcony? With Jake? Talk about bad luck. I’m sorry I didn’t come to rescue you sooner.”

I force a laugh, trying to play it off like it was no big deal. “Yeah, just my luck, right? But you know, I ripped the band-aid off, it’s done now. And it’s not as though I’m going to have to see him again, other than bumping into him around town every so often. I’m almost glad it happened because now it’s done.”

I glance over my shoulder, hoping Jake isn’t following too closely, but there he is—walking down the stairs with that same casual confidence. His suit fits him perfectly, and the way he moves only adds to the infuriating pull I’m trying to ignore.

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