Page 12 of Wrecked
Kenzie. Just thinking about her had my entire body tensing up. My throat closed and the beer that was making its way down became so thick, I choked on it.
My friends turned to me, concern etched on their faces as my coughing fit continued. "You okay man?" Logan asked. "You aren't pulling out Pop's tricks, are you?" Their father had a nasty habit of smoking in secret, much to his lungs' and their mother's dismay.
Nodding I pointed to my throat, "Wrong pipe."
"You need to teach that boy that most women are nothing more than a disappointment," Eli mused from his chair. He took a swig of his beer and relaxed even more into his seat, his eyes lingering on the trees surrounding the cabin. "Once they're done using you, they'll move on like you never even existed."
I couldn't agree more.
Chapter 6
I stared at my phone, debating on whether to send the text. It was late enough to be morning but still too early to be awake.So why the hell can't I sleep?"Ah, screw it," I mumbled and hit thesendbutton. With a groan, I fell back and threw an arm over my eyes.
Damn you, Brett. Damn you to hell and back.
The phone I was still clutching buzzed to life, and I almost jumped off the bed. Breathing fast and hard, I checked the name flashing on the screen before pressing it to my ear. I barely had a chance to utterhellowhen Zoe's voice filtered through.
"Did I just read that right?" she huffed out. "You saw Brett?"
"I did." I closed my eyes at the memory.
"And you're staying at his girlfriend's guesthouse?"
"His girlfriend's grandma's guesthouse," I very pathetically corrected. After I opened my eyes, I pushed into a seated position. "Why are you up this early, anyway?"
"Just got home." Keys jangled in the background followed by the sound of a door closing. "Don't change the subject, Kenz. What happened?"
A host of unwanted emotions rushed through me, and I pressed the phone closer to my ear, "It was awful…" I told Zoe everything from the moment I saw Brett until his sudden departure. "Zoe, the anger radiated off him, which I don't get. I mean, if anyone has a right to be upset here, it's me."
"Sweetie, I don't know what to tell you," her voice sounded further away, and I figured she'd put me on speaker, "except, to close this chapter of your life you're going to need answers to those questions floating around in your head." When she spoke again, her voice was crystal clear. "I don't think you landed in Willow Creek by accident, Kenz."
I pulled my knees to my chest and wrapped my free arm around my legs. "I know."
"Listen, I've only got about five hours before I have to open the gallery." Zoe owned a very prestigious art gallery, and despite having amazing talent, she never displayed her own paintings. "Call me later?"
"Of course. Thanks for the call, Zoe."
"Anytime." I started to pull the phone away from my ear when I heard, "Oh and Kenz?"
"Yeah?"
"You're a lot stronger than you think."
The line went dead, and I stared into nothingness, hoping that my friend was right.
The Diner.The name was nothing if not practical. Bells above the door chimed when I stepped into the establishment. The sound of my heels clicking against the black-and-white checkered floor was almost deafening. I noticed an open spot by the counter and kept my eyes firmly fixed on the empty chair as I rushed forward.
I didn't have to look to know that most of the people were staring at me. I'd never felt as uncomfortable in my own skin as I did then. Sliding onto the stool, I was met with an "I'll be right with you." A woman with a thick auburn braid running down her back whooshed past me; coffee pot in hand.
"Hey there, stranger. What can I get you?"
I'd give just about anything for a vanilla latte, but I doubted it was on the menu. "Just a coffee, thanks."
"Comin' right up." She grabbed a mug from beneath the counter and filled it with my caffeine-fix before setting it down in front of me along with sugar and creamer. "I'm Lizzy, by the way." Her lips lifted into a warm, friendly smile. I returned her smile and introduced myself too. Leaning forward on her forearms, she asked, "Well, Kenzie, what brings you to our little town?"
Fate? Bad luck?"Car trouble," I added a bit more sugar than I usually took along with a whole heap of creamer and furiously stirred the concoction. Lizzy's expectant stare prompted me to add, "I was on my way to see a client in McKinney."
Nodding her head, she turned and busied herself with something I couldn't see. A few seconds later a slice of Pecan pie was placed in front of me. "It's never too early for pie," she suggested with a wink. "So, where were you drivin' from?"
