Page 29 of Always a Roommate
She blinked innocently. “That didn’t go well?”
“About as well as a dragon sipping tea.”
Okay, that didn’t make sense at all. I let my gaze fall on Rae again to see if she was just as confused as me.
But she only nodded. “Because the dragon would crush the teacup every time he took a sip.”
“Exactly.”
I’d never understand these two, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to.
My phone chimed with a text, but I knew who it was. She’d been trying to get ahold of me all day. Maybe that was why I’d gone in search of Rae when Finley called me to come to Mom’s. I’d needed a distraction from what this day meant.
What it had been supposed to mean.
I was alerted to a second text, and my mood grew as dark as the sky outside. Why did Diana have to open wounds that had finally started to heal?
Because today was supposed to be our first anniversary.
One year ago was the date we’d set for the wedding, a wedding we hadn’t told anyone about before ending the engagement. I’d never been gladder for it. I knew my family, and they’d have spent the day worried about me and walking on tiptoes if they had known.
The only thing worse than being made a fool was the people closest to me knowing what a fool I’d been.
I watched how easily Rae and Tanner talked, realizing I’d rather her think of me as a grumpy guy than a hurt one.
11
RAE
Something was off with Shane. Even I could tell that. He wasn’t any moodier than normal, but there was something to his mood now, some lack of bite that he’d had before.
Even if he’d never been one to joke around and laugh a lot, I expected him to rag on Tanner a bit more about his lame analogy or the fact that it made absolutely zero sense except to me. He didn’t say anything further about how their mom was probably wearing out a path in their carpeting with her pacing.
Or how a part of me sort of expected her to show up here and drag us all with her. Mrs. Kelly was the sweetest, kindest woman there was. But heaven help anyone or anything that threatened her children.
And yet, Shane sat silently staring at his phone as if whatever was on that screen was in a language he couldn’t read.
I wasn’t the only one who noticed. Tanner stared at his brother, a sad tilt to his lips.
What was up with these two?
A flash of lighting lit the world through the window at the back of the shop. I only caught a glimpse of it down the aisle before thunder ripped the sky in two and the store went dark.
My heart lodged in my throat. I’d tried to stay so calm, so relaxed during all of this, but the next crash of thunder, tumbling right on the heels of the one before it, nearly made me jump out of my skin.
Tanner cursed. “I’ll find the electrical box.”
I heard rustling as he got to his feet.
“Find it?” Shane asked, joining him. “You don’t know where it is?”
I couldn’t see their faces, but I imagined the look Tanner gave his brother as he said, “I haven’t had cause to look before now.”
Shane cursed.
I pushed to my feet, reaching out to feel for the counter behind me and orient myself as my eyes adjusted to the dark. Lightning lit the store for a split second, and my gaze fell on the only corner of the store that would be any help at all.
I started walking toward the row of regulators hanging along the back wall.
