“Ten more minutes and you would have totally missed that mess,” she sighs, but smiles as if nothing just happened. “Can I get you something to drink?” I follow her through the living room into the kitchen. “I don’t have much, actually. I was on my way to the store when I got distracted.”
“I’m good, thanks,” I say. I can’t help but look around. “Nice place you have here.”
Sadness fills her eyes again and I want to kick myself for opening my big mouth. It’s not that I forgot this was once her grandmother’s home. It just didn’t occur to me that she’d be sad here. “Thanks.”
“I came by to see how you were feeling. Someone mentioned that you weren’t doing so well yesterday.” I sit down on the stool in front of the counter.
“It’s your club. I drink too damn much every time I go there.” She rubs her head as if remembering her headache from yesterday.
“Well, technically, it’s not my club. It’s my uncle’s, so you can’t blame me.”
“You were there both times with those damn shots. I’m totally blaming you,” she says, grinning.
“Okay, I’ll take responsibility, if you come grab a quick lunch with me.”
“I can’t.” Her smile disappears.
“Why not? Did Jade tell you not to?” I didn’t mean to bring up her friend, who happens to hate me all of a sudden.
She reaches up to yank her hair out of the ponytail it was in, then pulls it back up. “Look, Evan. I’ve got some shit going on. I really can’t get involved with anyone right now.”
“I didn’t ask you to date me. I asked you to get lunch. They’re two totally different things,” I tell her, suddenly nervous we’ll be separated sooner than I had planned. “You’d have no problem getting something to eat with Jake, right?” She sighs and I smile, hoping she changed her mind. “See? No big deal.”
“Fine. I have to run up and wash my face first, though.”
“Why? You look perfect,” I say honestly.
“Yeah. A snot-covered face is definitely attractive.” She always makes me laugh, intentional or not.
She starts to walk past me and I grab her hip to get her attention. “I’m sorry about your grandmother. I know what you’re going through if you ever need to talk.” She looks confused. I assumed Jade or Jake would have told her about my brother. “I lost my twin brother six years ago. I wish I could tell you it gets better. To this day, it still hurts just as much as the day it happened.”
“I’m so sorry. I had no idea.” Concern washes over her.
“I didn’t tell you to make you feel bad.” I brush the back of my finger along her cheek. Why do I keep touching her? “I told you so you know you have someone to talk to. Someone who will understand the pain in your chest that refuses to go away, no matter how much you try to ignore it.”
She bites her lip to keep the tears away. “Thank you,” she says, before walking away. “I’ll be right back. Make yourself at home.”
My phone keeps me busy for the seventeen minutes she’s gone. But who’s counting? I’m not sure why I was keeping track of the time. I check my email and text Meg to tell her I’ll be a little late getting to the club this afternoon. Just as she responds with something about me not being too late, Kacie comes back down the stairs. I switch my phone to vibrate and shove it in my pocket when I stand up. She’s wearing the same jean shorts she had on, but she changed into a light green top. Her hair is now down, which I like so much better.
“Ready?” she calls from the living room.
“You’re right. You definitely look better without the snot,” I say when I meet her in the foyer.
“Told ya,” she says, completely unaffected by my sarcasm. Any other girl would have been offended and slapped me. “Where are we going?” We step outside and I stand there as she locks the front door.
“What do you feel like eating?” I shouldn’t have asked. Judging by the body this girl has, she’s going to say she wants a salad or something nasty like that.
“A cheeseburger, fries, and a milkshake.”
“For real?” I ask pleasantly surprised.
“I ran four miles this morning. I’m starving.” She stops next to her car.
“Four miles? That’s it?” There’s something amusing about teasing her.
“Please. I just need to get used to this Florida sun again. When Jade would visit me at school, she would say how much cooler it felt up north. I never really thought about it until I came home and started running again.”
I smile at her. “Maybe one of these days, I’ll run with you and leave your ass in the dust.”
Kacie shrugs her shoulder and hits the button on her key fob to unlock her car. “We’ll see.”
“What are you doing?” I ask.
“Getting in my car.”
“No, you’re not. You’re riding with me.” Does she really think I’m going to let her drive by herself?
“That’s ridiculous. Then you’ll have to drive me all the way back here.” This neighborhood is out of the way, but it just means more time for me to spend with her.
“So what?”
“Are you sure? I don’t want you to feel like you have to drive me around. I don’t have a problem driving myself.”
“Kacie, if there’s one thing you learn about me today, it should be that I never do anything I don’t want to do. Not for anyone or for any reason.”
She looks satisfied with my answer. “Between you and Jake, I’m never going to be able to drive my pretty, new car.” She locks the car again and we head over to my truck.
A look I can’t figure out crosses her face. “Need me to lift you up?” The cab of my Dodge Ram is ridiculously high, especially for her little legs.
“No. I’m short, so I’ve learned to be resourceful. I was just wondering if you’re making up for something else by having such a big truck.” A huge, cocky grin fills her face.
That wasn’t even close to what I was expecting out of her mouth. “No, smart ass. Keep your shit up and I’ll have no problem proving it to you. I don’t care what I promised Jade.”
“And what exactly did you promise my best friend?” Her grin is still in place. I hold my hand out, which she surprisingly takes, and help her up into the cab of my truck.
When she hears the truth, there’s no way she’ll have another sly remark. “That I won’t sleep with you. Not unless you beg, of course.” I was right about one thing. She didn’t have anything to say. Instead, she falls into a fit of laughter. Nothing fazes this girl. I close the door on her and take my time walking around the front of the truck. By the time I make it around to my side and get in, she appears to have her laughing under control. As I start the engine, I’m trying to figure out how she managed to get the upper hand. No girl has ever thrown me off balance this way before. The good thing is, I can be myself around her.
“I’m sorry. Sometimes it’s just better to laugh at the shit Jade does because if I don’t,” she stops to look out of the window, “I might say or do something I’ll regret. She has a tendency to hold grudges over stuff, even if she’s the one who started it.” Kacie reaches into her pocket as I’m pulling out of her driveway. She types something into her phone. “Wait until she gets that.”
“Do I even want to know?” I ask, but I definitely do.
“I just told her I was going out to lunch with you. I’m sure she’s going to be more worried about why we’re together in the first place.” Her phone chimes and Kacie laughs.
“What did she say?”
“She told me to keep my panties on,” she chuckles.
“Tell her that won’t stop me.”
Kacie glances over after she replies to Jade. “You two are so much alike. How come you don’t get along?”
“We got along just fine until you came into town.”
“Hmmm. It’s weird how she never mentioned you before. Come to think of it, neither has Jake. Not that I really spoke to him on the phone much while I was away at school, but still.
Now Jade freaks out whenever your name comes up.”
“You talk about me when I’m not around?” A smile sneaks out, but Kacie doesn’t catch it because she’s reading another text.
“All bad stuff, I promise.” She looks up from her phone and winks at me. “So what’s the deal with the club? You work there every night?” How convenient of her to change the subject.
The rest of the ride, I explain how I’m working extra while my uncle is away and rarely have a night off. Typically, it’s either my uncle or I who run the club, but one of the bartenders will occasionally fill in for us if something comes up. Once in a while, Meg will do it, but she doesn’t usually want to stay late…or work at all, for that matter.
After we order our food at one of my favorite local places, we find a table in the back where there aren’t many people. Only because I already mentioned my brother, I tell her why I came to Florida in the first place.
“Wow,” she says, not believing my parents blame me for what happened. “My parents have officially been knocked out of the running for ‘Parents of the Year’.”
I shrug. “I know what happened to him wasn’t my fault.” My focus shifts to unwrapping my cheeseburger and shoving fries in my mouth.
“Do you?” Kacie asks, staring down at her food, not challenging me to answer.
There’s no reason not to respond. “I wish I could have stopped Ethan from leaving our apartment that night. He was so pissed, but he promised to stay put. When I got out of the shower, he was gone. It was his choice to leave, but if I didn’t take a shower… I don’t know.”
“If he really wanted to leave, he was going to go, whether you were in the shower or not.” Kacie takes a bite of her burger. How is it that she can make eating a damn cheeseburger look sexy? “I used to come here all the time,” she says, changing the subject at the right time.
“I keep forgetting you’re from Tampa. So, how long do you think you’ll be here this summer?” She immediately stops chewing and her entire body stiffens. What the fuck did I say? “What is it?”
“Nothing,” she says, slowly putting down her burger and the fries she was holding. Kacie brings a napkin up to wipe her face.
“Nothing, my ass. Out with it,” I say, setting my sandwich down, as well.
“I have to use the restroom. I’ll be back.” She starts to stand up, but I put my foot up on her side of the booth so she can’t get out.
“Tell me first,” I demand. She shakes her head. “Kacie, I’ve been purposely saying shit for the last hour, trying to get a reaction out of you and not one thing bothered you. I ask how long you’re hanging around and you look like you’re about to throw up. What the fuck is that about?” She relaxes back onto the seat and I lower my foot to the floor.
“I just thought Jake would have told you.”
“Told me what?”
“I’m not leaving Tampa.”
“What about college? Medical school? Your friends were talking the other night about how you were going back to Pennsylvania. Are you going somewhere closer?”
“No,” she sighs. “I graduated last week and I’m not going to medical school.”
“Did I miss something?” I have no idea what the hell is going on.
“I never wanted to be a doctor, or even in the healthcare field. It’s not for me. I’ve known that my whole life. The sight of blood makes my stomach twitch.” She squeezes her eyes closed for a moment, trying to get the image out of her head. “Besides getting far away from my family, I chose a college over a thousand miles away so my parents would never get wind of me switching majors. They are going to freak when they find out I’m teaching first grade at a local elementary school starting in August.” I lean back in my seat, a huge smile across my face. “What?” she asks, picking up her food again. She’s getting good at avoiding eye contact with me.
“I’m not sure if I’m happier right now because you’re staying here, or because of the fantasy that just played out in my head which involved you, me, and a classroom. I always was a bad student.”
Again, my crudeness doesn’t bother her. With a mouthful of food, she mumbles, “I sure hope there aren’t any students in the classroom.” Our eyes lock.
“I never said anything about it being a sexual fantasy.” I smile bigger, thinking I might have actually shaken her.
Casually, she sips on her milkshake to wash down her food. “What’s the point of having a fantasy if it’s not sexual?” Kacie stands up. “I have to pee. Don’t leave me here.” Before she walks away, she whispers, “By the way, I hope you last longer in real life than you just did in that fantasy. It played out in your head a little too quickly. That would have been awfully disappointing.” I watch her walk all the way to the restroom and she never looks back. How the fuck did that just backfire on me?
By the time she returns, I still haven’t recovered from what she said. She starts putting the trash on her tray without saying a word. Before she can leave again, I grab her wrist.
Kacie glances from my hand to my face. “Can I help you?”
“Why can’t I figure you out?”
“Figure me out?”
“I’m not sure if you want me to jump off of a cliff or take you in the back of my pickup,” I explain.
She starts laughing. “If I wanted you to go over the side of a cliff, I’d push you. As for the other thing, I didn’t beg so you’re not allowed.”
“I could easily arrange for that to happen,” I mumble. She rolls her eyes.
“Come on. You have to get to work.” Unfortunately, she’s right.
When we walk outside, I notice two EMTs climbing out of an ambulance. The passenger happens to be watching Kacie as if he recognizes her and is trying to remember from where. She keeps walking down the sidewalk, oblivious to him.
“Hey, Nate. Was that Kacie Foster who just walked by?” he calls out to the driver. She didn’t hear him so I pretend not to, either. Hopefully, he’ll just go about his business.
“Kacie?” another voice calls out. Damn it.
She hears him and snaps her head around. “Nate?” Her face brightens up and she runs over to him. He’s holding his arms open, which she naturally falls into. Something tells me that she’s been there before. I watch as he lifts her off her feet and twirls her around.
“When did you get back into town?” he asks, setting her down. I notice he hasn’t let her go and I don’t like it.
“Last week. It’s been so long. How are you?” My heart feels heavy watching her smile at this guy.
“I’m great. You look amazing.”
“I heard you got married right after graduation. I bet you have three, maybe four kids by now,” she teases.
“That’s what you get for moving so damn far away. Someone only reports half the gossip to you.” He shakes his head.
“What do you mean?”
A sad look crosses his face. “I called off the wedding before it was too late. I realized I only proposed because I was trying to forget someone else. It would have never worked out.”
Kacie’s body posture tells me exactly what I was wondering. She broke this guy’s heart.
“Nate, I’m so sorry.”
He shakes his head. “Don’t be. I’m good. Look, I have to get going.” He points over his shoulder. “I only have so much time before I need to be back.”
She gives him a hug and then pulls away. “It was good seeing you, Nate.”
“You, too.” She watches him turn and go into the restaurant.
I’m leaning on the hood of my truck, pretending like I wasn’t paying attention when she comes over. “An ex?” I ask.
“My first ex,” she whispers, almost sadly.
“Ah. That makes sense. Poor guy,” I say, looking over her head. He comes running back out to find her.
“Hey, Kacie!” he calls. She turns to him just as he reaches us. He looks at me, just realizing she wasn’t alone, then back to her. “Do you think we could grab dinner one night this week?�
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“I’d like that.”
“How about Thursday?”
“Thursday sounds good. Usual spot?” she asks.
He brightens up. “Perfect. I’ll see you around seven?” She nods her head. “Okay. Can’t wait.”
“See ya.” He leaves us alone again and I walk her around to the passenger side.
Once she’s up in the truck, I ask, “So, earlier, when you said you couldn’t get involved with anyone right now…?”
“Evan,” she interrupts, “I’m not getting involved with anyone. It’s just dinner. It wouldn’t be a big deal if I was having dinner with Jake, would it?” This little witch is mocking me by throwing my words back in my face.
“Touché,” I say, making her laugh.
“I’m really glad you stopped over today,” she tells me. Her words sound sincere, but I’m not convinced about her and this Nate guy.
“Yes, I’m so happy I could reunite you with an ex-boyfriend who still isn’t over you.” This day went to shit real fast. I go to close the truck door, but she stops it.
Kacie reaches out to take my forearm in her tiny hand. “I meant because I had a great time hanging out with you,” she says when she has my full attention. By the look on her face, I just ruined the moment with my stupid ass comment. I know what comes out of my mouth right now is crucial to whether or not Kacie will want to see me again.
“I always have a great time when you’re around,” I say, pushing a piece of her hair behind her ear. “Where should we get lunch tomorrow?”
Her smile returns and she slides her hand off of my arm. “Nowhere near a cliff. I might be tempted to push you over if you pull that bullshit with me again.” The warning is clear.
“Maybe I’ll just pick something up on my way over to your house. We could just eat there.”
“Don’t forget my strawberry milkshake.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I say, closing her door. That was close.
Chapter Ten
Kacie
My first full week back in Tampa went a little better than expected. Monday started out with tears and sadness, but ended with laughter and friends. Evan showed up at the perfect time to rescue me. Running into Nate was a surprise. We haven’t really spoken to each other since the night of our last date. Nate was trying to talk me out of going away to college. He wanted me to stay in Florida. Why didn’t he understand how important leaving was to me? At the time, I saw it as just another person trying to control my life. I left him at the restaurant and spent the following two months ignoring his phone calls.
Left Behind: Left Behind Series #1 Page 11
