Most importantly, it’s the last person I was planning on—or was ready for—ever seeing again.
Chloe.
Once the love of my life.
Now, at the top of my shit list. Could my day get any worse?
Seven
Chloe
The smile on my face drops when my gaze collides with Noah’s.
Noah?
What the hell is he doing here?
If his squished-together eyebrows are anything to go by, he’s as confused as I am.
A small woman walks toward me before I can say anything to him—or rather decide if I’m going to say anything to him—her hand stretched out toward me. “Hi. You’re Chloe Williams, right? I’m Tammi Brown, the healthcare interior designer. We talked on the phone.”
Until she contacted me and introduced herself, I had no idea there was even a job like that.
Forcing my face muscles to work, I put that smile back on my face as I shake her hand. “Hey, Tammi, it’s so nice to meet you in person. Thanks again for this opportunity.”
She shakes her head and chuckles, her hand going to her chest. “Believe me, thank you. I cannot wait to see your painting on the wall. I adore the sketch and know the kids will absolutely love it.”
Several artists are working on this project, spread out across the hospital and outpatient center. I was assigned to the outpatient clinic, level three, and stations three to five to the right of the elevator. That was the info I got along with measurements and pictures of the space so I could draw the design on paper before I transferred it to the computer.
I was thrilled when they let me choose the theme, because I didn’t even have to think about it. Ocean life. Plain and simple. There’s always been something about the underwater world that fascinates me.
Which, coincidentally, has always been a link between Noah and me. Whereas he liked to be the fish in the water, I was never more than an average swimmer but loved anything water-related. It calmed me. The smooth movements of a person or animal—small or big—in the water is intoxicating to me.
“Chloe? Is that okay?”
I jolt when Tammi says my name, and heat flushes my face when I see her worried face. Did I just zone out in the middle of this conversation with her? Dang it.
Get a grip, Chloe.
A chuckle escapes my lips and I shake my head. “I’m so sorry. What did you say?”
Her smile stays in place as she blinks at me.
Hopefully, I didn’t screw things up and they’ll get someone else for this job. Even though it doesn’t pay since it’s a community project made up of volunteers, I’ve always wanted to do something on a larger scale. So this is the perfect opportunity.
“No worries, it’s Friday afternoon, so I totally understand. Even though you’ll be stuck here over the weekend, while I’ll try my best to not even think about this place.”
We both grin, as I will my body to relax and to stay present. “It’s been a long week, but I’m excited to get started. I’ll listen now, I promise.”
“Okay, let’s see.” One of her fingers goes to her chin and taps there. “Every artist has one or two assigned volunteers to make things easier. Yours should be here soon too.”
No, no, no.
She can’t mean . . . It can’t be . . .
I almost choke on my saliva at the sheer possibility of—
“Oh, Mr. Winters. I didn’t see you there. My apologies.” She walks to where Noah stands, his expression unreadable. She shakes his hand and waves in my direction. “Thanks so much for volunteering. This is Chloe Williams, the wonderful artist you’ll be working with.”
My breath catches in my throat and unapologetic heat rushes from my chest up my neck and all the way to the top of my ears.
Holy Batman. This can’t be happening.
Noah’s gaze stays fixed on Tammi. “We know each other.”
Tammi claps her hands together. “Oh, that’s fantastic. This should be so much fun for you, then.”
Fantastic is the last word I’d use to describe this situation, and Noah’s answering grunt seems to be in line with my thoughts.
Thankfully, Tammi seems to be unaware of the negative emotions buzzing between us, and I try at all costs to keep my eyes on her. If I catch one of Noah’s murderous gazes, I might go up in flames, and that really isn’t on today’s agenda.
Tammi gestures to a short hallway close to us. “Let me show you the storage closet we were able to utilize for you. It should have everything we talked about. The weekend security guard in the lobby will have the projector for you tomorrow when you arrive.”
I nod. “Perfect, thank you.”
“Of course.” She opens the door to the closet and steps aside so I can get a good look at everything.
Cans of paint, brushes, a ginormous bag of rags, rolls of painter’s tape, a couple of drop cloths, some paint rollers, cups, a stepladder, a ladder, and a few palettes.
My heart sighs in anticipation, and I smile at Tammi. “Looks like everything we need. Great.”
“Awesome. I’m glad.” We take a step back and she closes the door again. “Please let me know if anything’s missing, or if you run out of any material. The hardware store is ready for us if we need more.”
“Okay, thanks.”
“Great. Your other helper should be—”
“I’m here. Sorry for being late. I got held up.” A tall man jogs toward us. After winking at Noah—wait a second, he winked at Noah?—he slows down to a stop in front of Tammi and me.
He must be as tall as Noah, or at least close to it, with a similar build. And that smile he’s giving Tammi and me. Phew. I bet that can melt some panties into nothingness. It’s crooked, which makes it cocky and endearing.
After shaking Tammi’s hand, who’s suddenly very quiet, he takes mine in his. “And you must be Chloe. I looked you up, and your artwork is amazing. I’m Hunter Kinney.” His eyes roam over me, the corner of his mouth going up another notch. “And I’m at your service. Use me however you need me.”
Noah groans behind him, and my eyes flitter to him, despite my earlier pledge to not look at him. His eyes are closed, his head tilted back slightly as he scrubs a hand over his face.
Hunter chuckles before looking over his shoulder. “I’ll give you some attention in a moment too, Noah, no worries. But ladies first.”
Oh my gosh, they know each other. Could this situation get any worse?
Just then, Tammi’s phone rings and she gets it out of her pocket. After checking the screen, she gives me an apologetic look. “I’m so sorry, but I have to take this. Let me know if you need anything, okay? I’ll check in with you next week to see how things are going. Have a great weekend, everyone.”
And just like that, she’s gone. Leaving me alone with these two men.
One who looks like he’d rather be anywhere than here, with me.
And the other one seems to be a flirt and possibly friend to the man I once thought of as my soulmate for life.
Since I’m not sure where to look, I decide to stare at the wall. The blank wall that was thankfully primed and is ready to go.
“Well.” I clear my throat and try to be as un-awkward as possible. My face still feels hot, and since I pulled my hair back into a ponytail, I can’t even hide my flaming cheeks behind it. “Have you painted walls before, Hunter?”
“Yes, ma’am.” He beams at me, his eyes crinkling at the corners.
I’ve had guys hit on me before and have dated a little over the last few years, even though nothing ever lasted very long. But I don’t think anyone’s ever been as flirty and charming—without seeming like a douchebag—as Hunter.
Of course, things were different with a certain someone, but I’m still doing my best to ignore him. Plus, we were teenagers. Kids, really. That doesn’t count that much, right?
“Noah’s experienced too.” He hooks his thumb over his shoulder but keeps his gaze on me.
I wave him off. “Oh yeah, I k
now. We’ve done—” Shit.
What am I doing telling Hunter about Noah’s and my past? About the times he helped me paint my bedroom walls, because I loved it so much and he wanted me to be happy and spend as much time with me as possible?
My mind is off on a crazy ride again, images of Noah and me filling my head. The laughter, the joy, the pure bliss of not knowing what ugly things might lie ahead of us. The roadblocks so high they’d seemed impossible to pass. And the pain that would be waiting at the end of the road . . . so much pain that life would sometimes feel like too much to bear. No, we definitely didn’t know about any of that when we were together.
I blink and look down, trying to swallow past the thick lump in my throat but the feat seems almost impossible.
Pulling at the high collar of my shirt, I hope no one notices my shaky fingers. How embarrassing. First I zone out with Tammi, and now I’m having a small emotional breakdown in front of Hunter. Being around Noah is screwing with my brain a lot more than I thought it would.
“Hey, are you okay?” Hunter’s voice is quieter than before, the cheerfulness now missing. When I look at him, the smile is gone too.
I nod, clearing my throat several times before I manage to push out some words. “Yes, sorry about that. I swear, I’m not usually like this.”
“No worries.”
Another set of footsteps comes closer, but I can’t look his way. I barely just got my emotions back in check, and I can only take that much.
Work. I need to work. Lose myself in the familiar throngs of what’s always been my escape. Just like I did last week at home when I poured all of my energy into the kids’ book I’m currently illustrating.
Sadly, I still haven’t gotten much further with my draft for the competition with the publisher, but I’ll get there.
Another deep inhale, and my spine straightens infinitesimally.
I’ve got this.
I knew there was a chance of running into him, just like Cody had predicted. But I didn’t think it would happen like this. Not here, not in my space. Now, I have to figure out how to deal with him because this project will take a few weeks to complete. At least.
So, new motto for this task: finish it as soon as possible to get away from this strange connection with Noah. The faster, the better. Then we can go our separate ways again.
Turning my back to them, I walk to the storage closet and pull three rolls of painter’s tape from one of the shelves, pushing them over my hand and onto my wrist. The ladder comes next before I close the door again.
With everything in hand, I walk the few steps back to where Noah and Hunter stand together, heads close as they whisper to each other. Noah’s jaw is tight, the muscles working overtime. Those poor teeth.
The ladder scrapes across the floor by accident, and both look up at the noise.
I hold up the tape. “Are you guys ready to tape?”
Hunter smiles and grabs one of the rolls from me. “Let’s do it. Do you want me to start on the other side and work my way back over here?”
“Sure, thank you.”
With another smile and a nod, he turns around and leaves.
Did his smiles look less flirty this time or did I imagine that? Oh my gosh, did Noah say something to him about me? Maybe he warned him about me. The thought alone ticks me off.
My head whips around just for my gaze to clash with Noah’s.
It’s spellbinding just like the first time our eyes met. He sees through my shell, through any barriers or defense mechanisms, and straight into my soul.
Exactly like so many years ago. It was my first day of high school and Eadie and I stood in the hallway when Noah walked by and our gazes locked. A normal moment, nothing extraordinary, yet my whole world shifted in that instant, and I was never the same again. I felt like I had found a missing puzzle piece of myself without actually looking for it or knowing it was missing.
The current coldness in Noah’s eyes brings me back to the moment. It’s clear I’m the only one still stuck in the past.
When he takes the tape from me and his fingers brush mine, I pretend to be a statue.
There are still no words from Noah. Just complete silence. I know he’s hurt . . . was hurt . . . but this utter silence is deafening.
We used to talk about anything and everything.
We used to be each other’s everything.
And now we’re nothing.
Eight
Noah
Splashing cold water on my face barely makes a difference to my mood, so I just stare at myself in the mirror. The water drips down my chin, and my eyebrows are drawn together in such a tight frown, I’m not sure I can ever get them back to their normal positions.
Fuck.
After another load of cold water to my face, I wave my hands in front of the hand towel dispenser, and dry my face and hands before making my way out of the restroom.
This whole afternoon was a shitshow. Sure, on the outside everything looked normal. At least, as normal as possible to someone who doesn’t know me. But on the inside, I’ve been battling a vicious hurricane ever since I saw Chloe again, and it has just picked up speed.
Somehow, I have to figure out how to handle that she’s back. That she’s here. Not just in this town but also in my life. Surely, I can handle a few weeks of volunteer work with her, right? I mean, I should be able to. Maybe next time I can bring my headphones and drown everything else out. Focus on the work in front of me. The same way I’ve always done with swimming.
Hunter and Chloe left several minutes ago, so it’s just me at the elevator bank.
So what if I hid in the bathroom for a while?
I didn’t just have to escape Chloe, but Hunter too. Since his inquisition when Chloe was distracted by Tammi, he’s aware that I know Chloe.
And Hunter is like a bloodhound—once he gets a sniff of something good, he won’t let it go until he gets whatever info he wants. Kind of like my sister, actually. Huh. I never realized that before. Speaking of Daisy, did she know about Chloe working on this project I’m volunteering for?
The elevator ride to the lobby level is quick, the hospital quieter now that it’s evening.
Outside, it’s the opposite. Sometime in the last hour, a rainstorm has decided to show up. It’s only September, so rain is rare, but apparently, it’s happening anyway. At least, it’s usually short-lived.
I take it as an omen of my mood.
Of my life.
Trying to let out some of my frustration with a big exhale, I mentally prepare myself to get wet, as it’s coming down hard.
The automatic doors open, and all I manage to see is a flurry of purple before a wet body smacks straight into my chest. And I know exactly what—or rather who—just hit me.
“Oh crap, I’m so sorry. My car won’t start, and I was just trying to get back into the—” Chloe’s gaze meets mine as she tilts her head back enough to see who she ran into.
Damn. She’s so beautiful.
The other day at the restaurant, I was staring at her, but I was surrounded by a cloud of shock and anger that subdued my senses.
All afternoon, I was trying to ignore her as best as I could, never looking at her for longer than I had to; and when I had to, it was never this close.
Those damn freckles on her nose and cheeks are still as adorable as they used to be. My gaze stays on her nose ring for a moment, intrigued by it. Somehow, it fits her, accentuating the small curve at the tip of her nose.
Her mouth is slightly parted, her body still pressed against mine. And those lips . . . fuck. I spent so many hours devouring them. Sucking on them. Licking them. Biting them. Would they still taste as good as I remember?
That thought snaps me out of this weird spell she’s got over me, and my gaze goes to hers as I take a hasty step back. She almost stumbles forward at the sudden movement but catches herself at the last moment.
When a shiver ripples through her whole body, I look her over. Her black leggings and he
r blue T-shirt that is now drenched and clinging to her upper body.
“You know better than to be out without a jacket at night.”
Wow. Way to be a jerk, Noah.
Rubbing her arms with her hands, she scrunches up her nose. Her version of an eye roll. I used to tackle her whenever she did it and kiss her nose until she giggled in my arms.
“Sorry, Dad. I forgot, okay? My weather brain’s still in Los Angeles. And I’d be okay if I could sit in my car with the heat on. But since it won’t start, that’s not going to happen.”
The passionate fire in her eyes makes me want to put her over my knee, but no fucking way are we going down that road. “Could it be the battery?”
She shakes her head. “It shouldn’t be. I just had it changed last month.”
“Hmmm.” After an almost non-existent debate with myself—because my masochist side seems to run strong where this woman is concerned—I get out my phone, pull up the number I’m looking for, and press the call button.
“What are you doing?” Chloe stops rubbing her arms, even though she’s still shaking like a leaf.
“Calling my uncle.”
“Why?”
“You don’t want him to take a look at your car and fix it?”
“Oh.” Her lips form an o-shape, and I know being so close to her isn’t good for my sanity. “Of course. Thanks so much.”
“It’s nothing.” I push the words through grinding teeth. No clue if they’re even audible or not, but thankfully, my uncle picks up at that moment.
“Hey, Noah. What’s up?”
“Hey, Chris. I have a favor to ask. I’m at the hospital for a charity project, and the car of one of my . . .” I glance at Chloe, her eyebrows lifting at my pause. “Uh, one of my friends’ cars won’t start, and I was wondering if you might have time to look at it.”
Why did I just call her my friend? We are not friends. There’s nothing friendly about us.
My uncle clears his throat. “You bet. We just had an appointment fall through, actually, so I can head out with Larry in a bit.”
Second Dive: A Second Chance Sports Romance (Kings Of The Water Book 3) Page 5
