Page 40 of Broken

Gathering my thoughts I decide to tell the truth.

“At Shane’s party, I went into the back room. I was nosing around, which I shouldn’t have been,” I add. “The door was ajar, so I went in. I was looking through a sketch book I found. Garrett came in, saw what I was doing and got mad. I guess he doesn’t like people looking at his drawings.”

“Shit, Cal. Why did you do that?”

“He’s an amazing artist. You know what I’m like about artists.”

“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean you can go snooping.”

“Trust me, I know that.”

“What happened? Did hehurtyou?” she shrieks.

“No,” I hold up a hand. “God no, he’s not like that.”

“Better not have.”

“He was angry, but it was more like… he was worried I’d seen his drawings.”

“What where they?”

I shake my head. I may have invaded his privacy, I’m not about to share it.

“How does this have you acting the way you have for the last few weeks?”

“He said get out, stop going through his shit. I tripped, and he grabbed me to stop me falling…”

“And what?” she asks.

“And… I kind of…”

“Holy shit, do I have tochokethis out of you?”

“He kissed me. I kissed him.”

Sin’s mouth drops open. Then she presses her lips together with her cheeks blown out. “Wait, he kissed you, or you kissed him?”

“I kind of pulled him in,” I cringe and get up, walking to the window to avoid her.

“Well, I wasn’t expecting that,” Sin says. “And it was bad?”

“No. God no. It was the best kiss of my life. He’s as volatile in the way he kisses as he is with about everything else.”

“Hot,” Sin smirks.

“Yeah, not so much,” I turn. “He had his hand up my skirt and I thought things were going to go… there. He pulled away. Then he got angry again, told me to leave. He stormed out before I could wrap my head around what happened.”

“That’s weird. Did you have granny panties on, and it turned him off?”

“This isn’t funny, Sin. I’m so embarrassed. How the hell will I ever look at him again?”

“With your chin held high, that’s how. It’s his loss, babe. His hang up, whatever made him run away, it wasn’t you. That is what you’re thinking right?”

Silence is the only answer. The woman in his sketch pad means something to him.

“Look, I don’t know Garrett that well, but the guy has issues. So you kissed, he ran off. It’s no big deal.” She stares a moment, then pushes her tongue into her cheek. “What else?”

“Nothing.”