Page 35 of Wrecked
"That's great." I hoped that the disappointment flooding through me wasn't evident in my voice.
I felt Brett tense up next to me, and a small—okay, a huge—part of me hoped it was because he didn't want me to leave just yet.
"For there to be any truth to Logan's statement, I'd better go and finish up," he remarked, and then he completely knocked the breath out of me when he squeezed my leg. My head whipped to the side, and the pleading look in his eyes set fire to my soul. I swallowed hard to keep the gasp from slipping from my throat.
The warmth from his palm seeped through my clothes and skin, and sent white-hot need pulsing through me. I wanted to run my hands through his hair and feel the scrape of his whiskers against my skin. Every cell in my body begged to be fused with his.
The seconds ticked away, and I was vaguely aware of movement around the table, but I was unable to tear my gaze away from Brett's. I wasn't even sure he realized that his hand was gliding up my leg. Something had shifted between us, I had no idea what it was or why. If it weren't for the fact that I was still very conscious of the surrounding people, I would have leaned forward and kissed him until that pained look was replaced with something else.
Logan slapped him on the back, and the sound jolted us both out of the apparent spell we were under. "I thought we were leaving?"
Brett looked from me to Logan then back to me again, it appeared as if he was going to say something, but then he shook his head and slid out of the booth. "We are." Without so much as a backward glance, he stalked off, Logan close behind. I sat there gaping at his retreating back while my body yelled at him to come back.
"Uh, guess that's my cue, too." Chase also extracted himself from the booth and placed a hand on my shoulder. "It was great meeting you, Kenzie. Come say goodbye before you leave."
I was too flabbergasted to say anything else but, "Sure."
As soon as he was gone, Lizzy and Harper scooted closer and huddled together. It reminded me so much of high school when the girls couldn't wait to share the latest gossip.
Lizzy nudged me again, "So what's the deal with you and Brett?" Before I even had time to answer, she waved her index finger in front of me, "And don't even try to deny it—" she leaned closer and whisper-shouted, "—we've seen the looks."
I couldn't help but laugh. Lizzy reminded me so much of Zoe, I was sure if the two of them were to meet up, trouble would not be far behind. After I swallowed down some water, I cleared my throat. "We dated a long time ago."
"That much we know," Harper said. "What we're really interested in is why you're not dating anymore when there clearly is still so much chemistry between the pair of you?"
My gaze flitted between the two women. It was the strangest thing, I hardly knew them and yet I felt completely at ease with them. However, if Brett hadn't told the people he considered friends what had happened, I wasn't going to, either.
"It's complicated."
Lizzy placed her hand on my arm, "Oh sweetie, isn't everything? Just ask Harper."
Harper pulled her pink milkshake closer and slurped on it while nodding. "It's true," she said. "Falling in love with your neighbor while you're hiding from your abusive husband, now that's complicated."
I gaped at her like a fish out of water. How did I respond to that? Luckily, I didn't have to because she continued, "You don't have to tell us, or anyone for that matter. But know this, not evencomplicatedcan stand in fate's way."
"Sorry to interrupt." I turned my head, Lola was standing at the edge of our table. Lizzy and Harper's demeanors went from laid-back to defensive within a second. Both of them leaned their folded arms on the table and stared at Lola.
"Can I apologize?"
"That's a start." Lizzy announced before Harper bumped her with her elbow to which she let out a yelp and a "What?"
Lola nodded her head. "Look Kenzie," at the sound of my name I sat up straighter. "I'm not proud of it, and I really am sorry, but I'm the reason you were out of it last night."
"You are?" I sounded as confused as I felt.
"Yeah," Lola scratched the back of her neck, and I could tell she had difficulty making eye contact with me. "I…um…spiked your cocktails."
I felt violated. "Why would you do that?"
"Because I was being petty and childish."
Honestly, I didn't know what to think. On the one hand, I felt so incredibly violated, on the other, that thing that she did finally had Brett and me talking which led to a whole lot of realizations for me.
I should be angry, furious in fact, I just couldn't muster up anything other than gratitude.
Maybe there was something in the water that had twisted my wires, or maybe it was a certain hazel-eyed mechanic that had robbed me of my ability to think straight.
Chapter 18
