Page 78 of Every Broken Promise
I processed what he said as I drove back to Rachel. While I helped her prep food, I started to get angry. How dare he blacklist me from getting my car serviced elsewhere?
Fucker.
He knew me damn well, and he knew I would run.
“Don’t you get tired of running?
Augh.
I wasn’t the only one unusually quiet while we meal-prepped. I guess I wasn’t the only one lost in my own head.
Once that was done, I drove back home. Now that I had nothing but the open road, all I could think about was my conversation with Tyler.
He had anticipated my next move and had prepared for it.
I should have gone home.
I should have never taken any sort of action when I was thinking this rashly. When I passed by the Kanes’ auto shop, I noticed his truck was outside. I was assuming that was his since Adam’s had been white and this one was black.
I couldn’t help but notice it was the same model, and if I wasn’t pissed at him I might have found it cute that they had matching cars.
After parking my car, I got out, not bothering to turn it off. This would not take long. It was already dark out, but the streetlight in front of the shop illuminated the small parking area.
There wasn’t anyone waiting around this time of night. No one was on the counter either. That nostalgic feeling came back,but I ignored it. This had been like a second home to me. I spent so many days just watching Ty work on cars. I should have known then that I was falling in love with him.
A small bell was on the corner so customers could alert the Kanes that someone was waiting for them. I started to tap it furiously. A few moments later, Tyler walked out. He was still wearing what he had on earlier, except he had thrown the auto shop button-up over his shirt, but the buttons were open.
“You blacklisted me,” I spat as I took a step forward.
“What?” He acted dumb.
“I went to get my oil changed at Haywards’ shop in Sunny Pines and they refused to do it!”
At this, he started to smile.
“It’s not funny! You can’t do shit like that!”
He took a step closer to me, and that grin was gone, and his green eyes were dark, and the look he was giving me had my stomach doing somersaults.
“You know, beautiful. At first, I was angry. This attitude you keep throwing my way pissed me off…” He took another step toward me, and just as I wanted to take another back, he reached out and put his hands on my hips, stopping me from moving. “…I never expect it would get me fucking hard.”
No words came out. Not when I could see Tyler had bent his head so he could be at eye level with me. Not when I could smell the lingering scent of the cologne he put on this morning. Instead, I let myself feel. The way his fingers tightened around my hips as if he were scared I would try to leave. The way his eyelashes fluttered against my cheeks. Or how I felt his breath glide down my nose toward my lips.
My heart was beating wildly. The poor thing was probably scared it had tachycardia by the way my emotions had been all over the place since coming back to town.
Tyler tipped my chin up, and our gazes locked. It was scary to be in this position, especially after wanting this for so long, but at the same time, it felt right—like this was where I belonged.
“I should have done this all along,” he murmured against my lips.
Before I could say anything or think better of it, Tyler Kane kissed me. He kissed me like the years between us had never passed. He kissed me like I had never been forbidden. He kissed me like a few kisses between friends wouldn’t change anything.
And I wondered why we had not even attempted this at all.
This kiss was nothing like I imagined it—it was better yet worse. Because at the end of the day, I still ended up hurt.
“Tyler.” I managed to say his name.
He pulled back, his chest moving up and down as if that kiss had taken a lot from him.
