Page 16 of Wild Rush Of Love
God. Why had she stopped him?
Caitlyn scrutinized her for a few moments before her frown turned to understanding. “And now you’re regretting not taking things further.”
“Yes,” she sighed. She’d regretted it the second they put their clothes back on, and hadn’t known how to get them back to the place where they would take them off again.
She’d been so stupid, letting her fear stop her from giving herself to Rush. A fool. There hadn’t been any man in her twenty-five years who’d inspired such powerful desire. She’d messed around some but never gotten around to going all the way, and now she feared her best chance had passed her by.
“I…” She swallowed with difficulty as words jammed in her throat.
Caitlyn reached for her hand. “It’s okay. It wasn’t the right time or the right guy.”
Reena could only agree on one of those points. “It was the right guy,” she whispered.
“Oh, Reena.”
Caitlyn slipped out of her side of the booth and squished in next to Reena, wrapping her up in a warm hug, one that brought back memories of childhood and how this woman had become such an important part of her life. The big sister and confidant she’d never had prior to arriving in Baltimore.
“Any chance you’ll see him again?” she asked.
A sound that could have been a laugh burst from Reena’s throat as she broke her friend’s embrace in spite of the overwhelming appeal of staying cocooned in Caitlyn’s comforting hug. “Not unless I take another vacation.”
“What’s stopping you?”
“I… It…”
Whatwasstopping her? It wasn’t as though she had a job where she was really needed. Finding someone to cover her shifts wouldn’t be difficult. More often than not, she was at Sunday’s taking orders and delivering food because she couldn’t stand to be inside her empty house. Alone. She was pretty sure Caitlyn’s family put up with her because they didn’t seem to be able to say no to strays.
In the years since she’d met them, the Collins family had treated her like one of their own, welcomed her into their fold with open arms. Except she always felt as though she circled the group rather than mingling among the big, boisterous clan.
“Sabreena. Don’t take this the wrong way.”
Uh-oh, the use of her full name meant Caitlyn was going to get in her face about her aimless life again.
“You’re treading water. Something needs to change. I thought your trip might shake things up.”
“It was a holiday, a chance to visit a part of the country I’ve always wanted to see, not a journey to find myself or change my life.” Her words rang hollow though.
Somethinghadchanged.
Inside, where she’d been happy—content—before her trip, she suddenly itched, twitched and twisted, as though she had to move. Except she didn’t know where she was meant to go.
“Why can’t you see what the rest of us do?” Caitlyn asked.
“What? What do you see?” She needed someone to tell her.
Since the death of her aunt, Reena had felt like she was floating through life, as though someone had cut the line on her anchor and she was adrift at sea, bobbing around while all the other boats whizzed past on the way to where they were going.
Not that there was anything wrong with having no destination in mind. She was sure plenty of people lived that way.
Why did she need somewhere to go?
She had money, a house, a job she enjoyed, and friends who were like family.
Except…
“Do something with your stories.”
Reena jerked away, her mouth dropping open. “They’re not mine.”
