Page 33 of Unmask
The silence in the car was heavy. I didn’t dare break it. I sat there, letting him breathe, letting him cool off, letting the hum of the engine fill the space between us.
Eventually, he pulled up in front of Bean & Barley, the little coffee shop off Main we tended to go to after finals or on weekends to gossip when we didn’t have a fucking care in the world. So very different from today. I spotted Kenny through the window instantly, her honey waves bouncing as she fiddled with her drink and her phone.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered, finally speaking.
Carson didn’t respond, just shook his head and got out of the car. I followed silently.
The bell above the shop door chimed as we stepped inside. Kenny’s head snapped up, and the second her gaze landed on Carson’s face, she gasped. “Holy. Shit, Car. What the hell happened to your face?”
Carson strode straight over to the booth and dropped into the seat across from her. “I met the infamous Kreed Corvo,” he said flatly. “It didn’t go well.”
Kenny blinked, wide-eyed. “I can see that.” Her warm brown gaze softened as she leaned forward. “Does it hurt?”
Carson shrugged like it was nothing. “I’m fine.” But his body was coiled, and I knew better. He wasn’t fine.
Kenny glanced between us, eyebrows drawn, sensing the obvious tension. “Okay, so…I’m guessing the two of you aren’t talking?”
I winced, sliding into the booth next to her. “I didn’t know he would react like that.”
Kenny’s stare sharpened. “Why did he punch you?” she asked Carson. “What did you say?”
Carson looked at me once before answering. “Nothing, but I’m assuming it was because I hugged her.”
Something Carson and I had done a million times before. I hugged my friends. It wasn’t a reason for Kreed to lose his shit.
Kenny let out a slow breath, sitting back in her seat. “Seriously?”
I looked down at the table, cheeks burning, heart heavy. Nothing about this was fair. Not to Carson. Not to Kenny. I never should have involved them in my mess because everything felt broken, and I didn’t know how to fix any of it.
“It’s a good thing you’re not still living there,” Carson grumbled, reaching across the table for Kenny’s drink and taking a sip.
“She didn’t just live with him. She slept with him,” Kenny muttered, adding salt to the wound.
I pinned her with a what-the-fuck glare.
“You didn’t.” Carson nearly spit out Kenny’s drink before touching the corner of his lip, blood smearing on his fingers. “You fucked that guy.” Hurt and disappointment flashed through his dark-blue eyes. “Fuck, Kay.” Shaking his head, he stood from the booth. “I need to clean this up.”
My heart ached as Carson walked to the back of the café toward the bathrooms.
Kenny gave me an apologetic glance, scooting her coffee cup toward me.
“How mad is he, do you think?” I asked, my knee bouncing under the table as I sipped Kenny’s latte.
“Pretty pissed, but can you blame him? He got punched for the first time.”
I winced, the guilt curling in low and bitter. Carson wasn’t a fighter. He was soft edges and quiet loyalty. “I never meant to involve either of you. I definitely never meant for Carson to get hurt.”
Kenny reached up to tuck a curl behind her ear. “He’ll get over it. Just give him space… And maybe an ice pack.” Her lips cracked into a partial smile.
I could count on Kenny to find the humor in any situation. I snorted, but the lightness didn’t last long. “God, he is so confusing,” I complained, taking another sip of the latte before passing it back to Kenny. I was too flustered to go to the counter and order one for myself.
“Who, Carson?”
I shook my head. “No, Kreed.”
Kenny’s lips twitched with a knowing sort of amusement, her expression too understanding for my comfort.
“Sorry,” I said quickly. “I know I shouldn’t be thinking about him. Not after what he just did, but I can’t seem to help myself. It’s maddening.He’smaddening.”
