Page 58 of With This Kiss
She had been quiet for most of the day, and she barely looked at me when we finally got to my room and retired for the night.
I didn’t like it.
I didn’t like not having her eyes on me.
And I didn’t like the silence. While she wasn’t the most talkative person in the world, this silence felt almost oppressive.
I didn’t push her, wanting to give her some space to think about everything that had happened. Hell, I probably needed to think about it myself, wondering why the hell I was feeling like this for a girl I had barely just met.
Feeling like this about Davide Caparelli’s daughter, no less.
But it wasn’t the time to analyze my feelings. Not now, at least.
Right now, I had to go out and meet with the fucker to set up the goods transport.
By the time I walked out of the cabin, Baran, Makar, and Fabian were already waiting.
“Took you long enough,” Baran said. “Didn’t want to leave the sweet girl warming your bed?”
I didn’t answer him. Instead, I pushed his chest, feeling a sense of satisfaction when he stumbled back a bit.
Makar caught my eye and shook his head at Baran. “One of these days, that mouth of yours is going to get you in trouble.”
“My mouth has only ever gotten me into the good kind of trouble,” Baran said.
Makar said something back to him, but I was no longer paying attention. I walked over to my car parked nearby, noting Rose’s car was no longer here. I didn’t see her in the living room either, where she was supposed to sleep for the night.
Good.
Fabian caught up to me, noticing my eyes were on the empty spot where Rose had parked.
“She and Alani left about an hour ago.”
“Sorry, man,” I said, knowing Alani had come here with him.
He shrugged. “Doesn’t matter.”
I unlocked my car and was about to get inside when he stopped me with a hand on my shoulder. I looked at him.
“I’m guessing you already knew that’s Jamie Caparelli before you brought her here.”
I smiled. “You think I wouldn’t have recognized her?”
“Does she know who you are?”
“Without a doubt,” I said.
He didn’t say anything, seemingly lost in thought. “You know her best friend committed suicide three months ago, right?”
“I didn’t know that,” I said, keeping my face neutral despite my surprise. That was interesting. Three months wasn’t so long ago. She must still be grieving.
“Just something to think about,” Fabian said, getting into the back seat of the car.
I stood where I was for a moment, thinking. I hadn’t even known about that, but Fabian did? How did he know? And why was he telling me now?
Was he implying that was the reason Jamie had approached me in the first place?
But why would her friend’s death have anything to do with me?
