Page 10 of Wrecked
I didn't hear Kenzie's answer because Lola chose that moment to slide a hand along my thigh; the action so sudden it startled me to the point of knocking my knee against the underside of the table. Instead of pulling away she ventured higher. Normally I didn't mind her getting frisky, but for some reason, it felt… wrong. I cleared my throat and shifted to the left, away from Lola.
The ongoing conversation opposite me ceased, two confused sets of eyes flitting between the woman to my right and me. My gaze collided with Kenzie's again, and so help me, I was helpless to look away. A cloudless sky would be envious of the particular shade of her eyes. So blue, so bright with a mixture of sadness and vulnerability swirling in them.
That look sent ice blasting through my entire body.Thatwas the look I'd seen the night Gregory had pulled us over.
I couldn't breathe.
I couldn't be there.
I stood so abruptly, my chair toppled over. "I'm sorry, Mrs. D," I bent and righted the fallen piece of furniture. "I have to go." Not waiting for an answer, I rushed to the front door.
Just as my fingers curled around the handle, Lola's, "Brett, wait!" halted me. I squeezed my eyes shut and sucked in a breath.Just let me leave.
"Hey, what's up with you today?"
Slowly, I uncurled my fingers and pivoted. The confusion etched on her face had me thinking about Logan's concerns. I shook that thought away; I'd been upfront with her from the get-go. A relationship was the furthest thing from my mind.
"Nothing," the lie slipped from my tongue with ease.
Eyes narrowed, head tilted, she ran a finger down the center of my chest. "If you say so. Want me to come over later so you can work thisnothingout of your system?"
I shook my head, "Not tonight, Lo." I needed to be alone.
She looked hurt, and my friend's warning rang in my ears again. It became too much. Without another word, I yanked the door open and headed for my truck.
Gently, I brushed Kenzie's hair away from her face and tucked it behind her ear. "You're so damn beautiful," I murmured against her lips. Resisting the urge to kiss her senseless, I pulled back slightly to watch the blush settle in her cheeks, and her lips lift into a shy smile.
"I love it when you look at me like that," she confessed.
"Like what?"
Kenzie's smile grew even wider. "Like I'm your entire world, and you can't bear to let me go."
I brushed my fingertips over her cheek, "You are and I can't." Pushing my fingers into her hair, I cupped the back of her head and pulled her face to mine. Against her mouth, I pleaded, "Tell me you'll always be mine?"
"Forever," feather-soft kisses stole my breath, "I'll love you forever, Brett."
"Shit!!" The wood splintered beneath my knuckles as I rammed my fist through my bedroom door. Images of Kenzie and I had been rolling through my mind like a movie stuck on repeat since I left the guesthouse. A sharp pain shot from my hand and settled in my chest.
I cursed some more.
I'd always known that I would never completely be over her. How can you ever be over someone who used to be your entire existence? You couldn't. You simply learned to function without them. And clearly, that was a lesson I had yet to master in twelve years.
How was it even possible to despise someone so much and at the same time have a burning need to pull them into your arms and never let go?
"Stop! Just stop it!!" My body vibrated with tension, and even my home couldn't offer me the calm I craved. My heart kicked up a gear, that empty suffocating feeling slamming into me at breakneck speed.
I rushed to my dresser, yanked it open and grabbed the first pair of sweatpants I could find. It took me less than a minute to strip out of my jeans and shirt to don the sweats.
Another minute later and dried leaves and twigs crushed under my feet as I raced through the woods as if the devil himself were chasing me.
Even that wasn't fast enough.
I increased my pace and wondered how long and how far I needed to run to get away from the past that wouldn't stop haunting me.
Chapter 5
Out of breath, I stumbled to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water, I swallowed down the entire thing. Out of all the places her car could break down, it happened in my damn town. Wiping the back of my hand over my mouth, I stared at the ceiling and cursed.
