Page 16 of Addicted to You
He lifted a brow. “Really?”
He seemed surprised by my answer, and to be honest, so was I. Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t have hesitated to join them, but something about being with Cash kept me from saying yes. Maybe it was because of his job. The guy spent his days helping people stay sober, and the last thing I needed was for him to run back to Britt, telling her how I ditched him to go party. Or maybe I didn’t want him to think that part of my lifestyle was the only thing I was interested in. Whatever the reason, I wasn’t too bummed about not going out.
“It might come as a shock, but sometimes, I enjoy a quiet night at home.”
Later that night,I slid open the glass door leading to the back deck. Steam rose from the hot tub, and I couldn’t think of a better way to end the day than a quick soak. As I stepped outside, I noticed someone else had the same idea.
“Mind some company?” I asked, dropping my towel on the table next to the tub.
“Not at all.” Cash scooted over so I could climb in.
“How’s Britt doing?”
“About the same.” When we had returned to the rental, he’d gone straight to their room to check on my sister and I’d only seen him briefly when he came downstairs to grab some food for both of them. “She fell asleep about thirty minutes ago, so I figured I’d hang out here for a bit. I’m a little sore from those falls today.”
I sank into the hot water and let out a small groan as one of the jets pounded against my back. “Damn, this is nice.”
“No kidding.” He stretched his arms along the edge of the hot tub. “I didn’t pay attention when we went apartment hunting, but I hope our new place has one of these on the property.”
“That’d be nice. Are you excited for your upcoming move?” A couple of days ago, he and Britt had announced that he’d decided he was going to leave Texas and move to Boston with Britt.
Cash nodded. “I am. It’s going to be a huge change,but your sister is worth it. When she got the job at St. Thomas, I knew I would have to make a decision about our future, but wherever Britt is, that’s where I want to be.”
He sounded a lot like how Jesse talked about Olivia, and it made me realize just how much he must love my sister. “I’m sure she feels the same way. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her this happy before.”
His gaze met mine. “That’s nice to hear.”
We sat in silence for a few more minutes, and as I stared up at the stars, I couldn’t help but think about how lucky Britt was to have someone like Cash, who was willing to uproot his entire life for her.
6
CASH
On our lastday of the ski trip, Britt’s headache finally went away. We spent the entire day on the slopes before going back to Boston the next morning. Once we were back at her parents’ house, we relaxed for a day before packing up to head back to Texas.
I’d already started looking for a new agency to work for in Boston. Flying back and forth to Houston for clients wasn’t exactly practical, especially with Britt’s new job at St. Thomas starting soon. I’d let my boss know I was moving and wouldn’t be available for new clients. As Britt put it, starting fresh was the way to go, even if I wished it didn’t have to happen in the middle of winter when it was cold as fuck. “Almost ready?” I asked her as I zipped my suitcase.
“Just need to get my laptop and carry-on bag.”
I grabbed our luggage. “All right. Let me go put these in the car, so we’re ready when it’s time to leave.”
Taking my carry-on too, I walked down the stairs and then stepped out to where Kevin’s SUV was parked in the driveway. After puttingour stuff into the trunk, I went back inside for a cup of coffee to keep me going.
Silas was in the kitchen, his back to me. He glanced around quickly, then tossed whatever was in his hand into the trash.
“Hey,” I greeted, stepping closer to him and the coffeemaker.
He jumped slightly as though I’d scared him. “Oh, hey. All ready to go back to H-Town?”
I moved toward the counter, pretending to focus on pouring myself a cup of coffee. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of what he’d thrown away. It was a small, crumpled plastic baggie with a hint of white residue inside. I knew what it was. Maybe not what was inside, but I knew it wasn’t baby powder.
“Whatcha got there?” My gaze met his, and he stiffened as he glanced back at the trash can.
“It’s not what it looks like.”
I set the coffeepot down and leaned against the counter. “I’m not here to judge.”
His jaw tightened. He didn’t argue, but the defensiveness in his posture spoke volumes.
