Page 20 of Wild Hope
I push the door open and barge in. Her waitress apron lies on the bed, along with the branded t-shirt and black skirt that makes up her uniform.
“Shit.”
I pull open the closet, and it’s empty.
Quentin barges into the bathroom, but our search of the room reveals what my heart already knows. “She’s gone.”
I can’t keep the despair out of my voice. I thought we had something real. I thought she felt the same about me as I do about her. I don’t know why she would run.
Quentin tugs on his beard and turns his intense gaze on me.
“Why would she leave?”
I drag my gaze around the room, not wanting to meet his eye. I can’t lie to him anymore.
“Travis…” His voice has a rough edge to it. “Why would Kendra leave?”
I meet his gaze, and his eyes are dark with suspicion. I suck in a deep breath and let it out slowly. I’ve got to tell him.
“Is there something I need to know, Travis?”
Quentin takes a step towards me. They don’t call him Barrels for nothing. It’s not only because he runs the brewery. The man’s thick and stocky, built like a barrel.
I put my hand up in the air in a placating gesture.
“It’s not what you think.”
That’s the wrong thing to say. Because Quentin’s expression goes from suspicion to fury in two seconds flat.
“What the fuck, man? Have you been fucking my sister?”
I wince at the harsh words. “It’s not like that.”
“So something is going on between you?”
He tugs at the side of his mouth and jostles his feet. I know what’s coming before he swings the punch. I dodge his fists, and he comes at me again.
“Fuck you, man. She’s my sister.”
He lunges at me and we go barreling into the dresser, bringing the mirror crashing to the ground.
“It’s not like that.”
We tumble to the floor, and I roll away out of his grasp.
Quentin is a big guy, and I’m faster than him so I can dodge his fists, but I won’t fight back. If he hits me, then I fucking deserve it. This is a shitty thing to do to your best friend.
I scramble to my feet and Quentin faces me, breathing hard.
“I love her, man.”
His eyes narrow.
“I don’t give a shit. You don’t touch my sister.” He comes at me again and I dodge out the way, but he clips my shoulder. A flash of pain shoots down my arm, and I stagger backwards.
“I love her.” I say it louder. And it feels damn good to say it.
Quentin swivels around and swings at me again, and I dive under his arm and skip backwards across the room.
