Page 30 of Wrecked
"Not a word," I grumbled around a bite of food.
We ate in silence, stealing glances at each other every few minutes. I had no idea what else to say. The least I could do was respect his wish and not bring up the past, I owed him that much. The only problem was, that was all that was on my mind. I wanted to know why the only time he ever wrote to me was to tell me how much better his life would have been if he'd never met me.
When his plate was empty, Brett stood. I felt his gaze and had no other choice than to return it. "I'm sweaty and dirty."
I blinked and willed my eyes to stay glued to his. "W-what now?"
"You know, from my run earlier." When all I could do was nod, he continued. "Would you mind if I took a quick shower before we left?"
Can I help?I bit my tongue before the words slipped out and shook my head. I wished my brain would stop going into schoolgirl-mode around him. Brett tilted his head to the side and frowned. It looked as if he was trying to piece together an intricate puzzle.
"Well, okay then." He turned and headed down the hall but stopped midway. Glancing over his shoulder, he reminded me, "Don't forget your stuff on the bookcase."
The bathroom door clicked, and I let out a breath I had no idea I was holding. I cursed my silly hormones all the way to the kitchen where I rinsed the dirty dishes and tried my hardest not to think about a very naked Brett in the shower.
He is taking an awfully long time in there…
Ugh! I needed a distraction. That was when I remembered my phone. Crossing the room, I snatched my stuff from the shelf, pocketed the few notes and powered up my phone. No sooner had the light come on, when the thing started to buzz uncontrollably due to all the messages filtering in.
A total of ten missed calls were noted along with eight text messages. Apparently, Dean, my parents, and Zoe had been looking for me. That was a whole other mess I needed to clean up. Deciding I'd deal with them once I was back at the guesthouse, I slid my phone into my pocket and paused.
How did I not see them earlier?
Butterflies, they were everywhere. Different colors, different sizes. A small blue one closest to the edge caught my attention, and I couldn't help myself, I picked it up. It was beautiful, and it made my heart ache. The delicate piece of glass resting in my palm held my attention hostage. A million things racing through my mind, and a myriad of emotions flooding through me.
"You made this," I stated when the sound of Brett's footfalls reached my ears. For the first time in what felt like minutes, I looked up and scanned the butterflies before me. "You made them all."
He moved with the grace of a cat as he approached me; with every step he took, my heart beat faster. Brett took the tiny sculpture from my hand and returned it to its spot. He didn't look at me, and I wasn't sure if it was because he couldn't or wouldn't.
"These are amazing, Brett." I moved closer to him and placed my hand on his arm. The muscles beneath my fingers twitched. "You shouldn't be working in an auto shop when you have so much talent just…" my voice trailed off as I tried to find the right words to say.
He pulled away from my touch, and I frowned. "So much talent just what, Kenzie?" His voice had an edge to it; clearly I'd hit a nerve without intending to. "Wasting away? Yeah, youwouldthink that."
"What the hell is wrong with you?" I turned away from him and shook my head. "You're so thickheaded, you know that? I was trying to compliment you."
"Youare what's wrong with me!" His voice reverberated off the walls. "You're so damn infuriating. One moment I want to grab you by the shoulders and shake some sense into you and the next, I want to—"
He stopped abruptly, and I spun back around. The veins in his neck bulged and his jaw muscle bounced again. "You want to what?" A verbal confirmation wasn't necessary; the heat in his eyes told me all I needed to know. Still, I wanted it.
Better yet, I wanted him to act on it.
He didn't though. "Nothing," he mumbled as he turned and stomped toward the door. "You ready to leave?"
Boy, was I ever.
Chapter 16
The loud slam of my truck door signaled Kenzie's exit. Instead of spinning away like I wanted to, I sat behind the wheel until she disappeared behind the front door of the guesthouse. My gaze traveled to the top windows of the two-story building, and I wondered which one of the rooms was Kenzie's.
With a shake of my head, I threw the truck into gear and eased away from the curb. A smile stretched across my lips as I replayed most of the morning's events. One thing was certain; Kenzie had become feisty over the years. I could still see her hands planted on her hips and determination flashing in her eyes.
My smile faltered when I recalled how the tears rolled down her cheeks. Things had been intense, for sure. The way she'd looked at me just before we left the cabin had my insides twisting and I'd almost—almost—given in and kissed the fight out of her.
I pulled up in front of the shop and scolded myself; I needed to stop thinking about having my mouth on her or how glorious it would be to sink— "You're late." Logan mocked from the sidewalk.
Purposefully, I slowly unfolded myself from the cab. "Oh wait, I have something for you," I made a show of searching through my pockets before I withdrew my hand, middle finger in the air.
Logan snorted, "Ha ha, funny."
