Page 75 of The Dating Prohibition
“I guess it doesn’t. I’m sorry, K.” He leaned close to her and kissed her on the cheek.
Kendra’s eyes shot up and she watched BJ through the front window turn toward the kitchen. Her mouth went slack as she steppedback from Chase.
“For whatever it’s worth, you look like you’re doing well. I hope you find someone who makes you happy.”
He nodded, a rueful smile playing on his lips. “I really wish that I had handled everything with you differently.”
“Lesson learned, Chase. Take care of yourself,” she said softly as she pulled the door open and went back inside, breathinga sigh of relief when he didn’t follow her.
?Kendra headed past the bar on her way to the kitchen to seek advice from Logan and BJ about the business proposal that wasbrought to her attention, already putting the run-in with Chase out of her mind. “Hey, Shonda, how’s it going?”
“Good, how are you?” She looked at Kendra wearily.
“What’s the matter? What’s going on?” Kendra stepped closer, a knot building in the pit of her stomach.
Shonda swung a towel over her shoulder and took a beat. “Are you here to interrupt their conversation?”
Kendra blinked. “What conversation?”
“Your brother is asking BJ about his intentions.”
“What are you talking about, Shonda?” Kendra’s eyes narrowed as she tilted her head. “You told him.”
“Look, I didn’t mean to, it just kinda slipped.” Shonda held up her hands. “You have to remember that that’s my husband.”
“And since when is this any of his business, Shonda? I don’t need his permission.”
“You’re his sister and that’s his best friend.”
“And so, by extension, he gets to decide for us what happens? Did anybody decide for you?”
“You and I both know that someone tried to get in the way of us being together.”
So we’re back to this again.“Yet you’re together and married and happy, and while he may have initially had misgivings about his friend getting involvedwith someone who was already involved with someone else, can you blame him? So when are you going to let that go, Shonda?You know you had no right.”
Shonda bit her lip.
Kendra shook her head, blowing out a breath. “Nothingin my life can be easy. Everything goes so smoothly for you guys. No one gets involved. But I can’t have anything to myself.”She shook her head and stepped toward the kitchen.
“Keke...”
“It’s Kendra,” she snapped as she turned away. “I’m fine. We’re fine. Let this shit go.”
As she neared the kitchen door, she slowed as she heard Logan say, “So what are you gonna do about it?”
“Man, I don’t know. I’m in too deep and it shouldn’t have happened.”
“So, what are you saying, Ben?” Logan almost never referred to BJ as Ben.
“Listen, Logan. I definitely have feelings, but I just don’t think I should act on them. And that’s why from the beginningI told her that she was off-limits. But... we just sort of fell into this, man, and it shouldn’t have happened.”
A stone fell into the pit of her stomach.
“You know how messed up I was when everything fell apart for me when Amber passed. It’s just not easy for me to feel ready to try again, you know? Kenny’s out front rightnow, talking to Chase. Like, what the fuck? I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but it seemed like he wanted to try to get back together with her, and if they’re not ready to completely call it quits, then she’s not actually ready for anything anyway.”
Kendra’s heart dropped.How could he think I want Chase?She wanted to run into the room and throw her arms around him and tell him that she’d never leave, but she couldn’t shakethe fact that he wanted to walk away from her.
“Well, whatever the case, I can assure you that she’s not backtracking to be with that dude. Surely you see the way that shelooks at you.”
