Page 43 of All the Missing Pieces

I fucking hated it.

I missed her sass and fire. I missed her giving me shit and seeing those blue eyes alight with silver flames. And then guilt would sweep in for feeling that at all. Because she was digging up things that meant possible pain for my sister.

Lifting the glass, I took another pull of the whiskey. The heat didn’t hit quite the same this time.

A door slammed, and moments later, I heard footsteps. It wasn’t long before they hit the steps to my back deck.

“Jesus. Sitting out here in the dark, drinking?” Trey asked.

Bowser struggled to his feet and crossed over to him in search of pets.

“It’s peaceful,” I defended.

“It’s sulking,” he shot back, giving Bowser a scratch behind the ears.

I didn’t answer because he wasn’t wrong. I just stared out at the darkening lake. It wouldn’t take long for the stars to come out, to see what Constellation Lake was named for.

Trey crossed to the chair on my right, lowering himself into it. Bowser simply dropped his head onto Trey’s knee so that he could resume the scratches. “You pissed I laid it out for you?” Trey asked, looking out at the darkening horizon.

My gaze flicked to him. “Don’t be an idiot.”

He glanced in my direction. “What the hell am I supposed to think? You basically disappeared this week. Haven’t come into the bar, haven’t seen you around town.”

I shifted in my chair, that familiar shadow of guilt sliding over me. “It’s not you.”

“It’s not you; it’s me? That’s what we’re doing?” Trey asked, amusement lacing his tone as he studied me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw when the grin hit his face. “You’re avoiding Ridley.”

I stiffened, my fingers tightening around my glass. “I’m not avoiding anyone.”

Jesus, I was a shit liar.

“The apology went that badly, huh?”

“It went fine,” I gritted out.

Trey chuckled. “Sure sounds like it.”

“It did.” I couldn’t help the defensiveness that slid into my tone. “I just—I don’t know what to do about her now.”

“You could always ask her to dinner. That’s what I usually do when there’s a woman I’m interested in.”

“I’m not interested in her,” I spat.

This time Trey roared with laughter. “I’ve seen you two together exactly once and that I-hate-you-so-bad-I-want-to-tear-your-clothes-off vibe was so strong I’m pretty sure the whole bar could see it.”

Just Trey’s words had images flying through my head that I had no business thinking. My fingers locking on a strap of one of Ridley’s damned workout tanks and tugging it down. My hand slipping beneath the band of those tiny spandex shorts.

Fuck.

I shifted, kicking my legs off their post. “Doesn’t matter. That’s one place I can’t go.”

I felt Trey’s gaze burning a hole in the side of my face. “Why the hell not?”

“Conflict of interest,” I muttered.

“Just because she’s looking into Emmie’s case doesn’t make her the enemy.”

“Doesn’t it?” I asked.

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