He shoved his food away. “He’s a dumbass—”
“Keith.”
“Sorry, but he is. I told him too. Even so, don’t give up on him yet. He’s crazy about you.”
“I haven’t given up on him or us. Trust me, I don’t fold that easily.” She nodded toward his food. “Now eat your lunch and tell me what you’ve decided to do when summer ends.”
At the end of his break, Nic gave Keith a quick hug and assured him Kyle wouldn’t flip at his decision. Even if he did, it was Keith’s life and like it or not, he was an adult and could make his own choices. Now, if she could just convince her family of the same in regards to her.
She pulled up and parked in the visitor parking after a quick search confirmed Kyle’s car was in his assigned spot. Big Brother One and Two may have kept the two of them apart over the weekend, but enough was enough. She wouldn’t let them or Stone dictate her life any more.
Nic knocked on the door and waited. After several minutes, she knocked again. Inside she could hear Princess meowing like she was talking to someone when she was hungry, which was most of the time, and Nic would swear she’d heard someone bump into a chair. Since Keith was at work and Kyle’s roommate was still out to see that left one person.
Uh-huh. Or did it?
Maybe Kyle wasn’t home alone.
She knocked again. They did say three times is the charm.
The lady across the hall opened her door and smiled at Nic. “I don’t think anyone’s home. I haven’t seen Kyle since early this morning when he went running.”
“His car is parked in the lot and I know his brother doesn’t have it today. He should be here.”
“It’s been pretty quiet today, unlike this weekend when those reporters kept showing up. Maybe he got a ride with a friend?”
Nic shrugged and headed for the stairs, stopping at the sound of a cough behind Kyle’s door. “Yeah, maybe.”
Or maybe he was avoiding her. Funny, he hadn’t struck her as the type of guy who scared easily. So was it something else keeping him away, something like a guilty conscience?
What was she thinking? This was Kyle, not one of her exes who was more concerned with his top score in whatever video game he was playing than her. She’d seen how torn up he’d been after he’d discovered the video. From what she’d heard, Mace and Bryant had to pull him off of Stone.
He’d never betray her.
Chapter Eighteen
Kyle’s phone went sailing through the air and landed with a thump on his chest Wednesday night.
“Yo, dawg your phone is ringing.” Keith stood over him, glaring. “You can’t ignore her forever.”
“I know. I’m not.” He sat up and swung his legs off the couch and stared at the missed call message.
After Monday’s unanswered visit she’d hadn’t called until today. It had taken everything in him not to open the door and pull her into his arms, but he couldn’t risk even more crap raining down on him. When he’d reported in Monday, the CO had called him into his office and in no unmistakable terms told him to go home, keep a low profile, keep his mouth shut, and he meant it this time and above all else, stay away from Lieutenant Nic Riley.
If Kyle couldn’t follow those orders he’d find himself restricted to a barracks room with a guard outside his door.
“Hey, since all you’re doing is sitting around moping, can I use your car to go to work tonight?” Keith asked.
“I’m not moping and the answer’s no, but I’ll drive you.”
“Whatever. I’ve got to be there in ten. So maybe you could put some clothes on and brush your hair and your teeth, cause dude you’re breath reeks.”
Brothers. Who needed them? Definitely not him, but he got up and did as Keith suggested. Not because he agreed with his brother, but he had plans to meet up with Mace and Bryant for dinner and see if they learned anything new. If they didn’t find someone soon to punch holes in Stone’s story he didn’t have a clue what he’d do.
He walked into the living room while Keith shoved his phone into his backpack. It pinged a couple of seconds later and when Kyle mentioned it, Keith shrugged it off. Normally he grabbed his phone like a lifeline when it rang or a notification sounded.
“Let me drive,” Keith said and held out his hand.
Kyle clutched the keys all the way to the car as his brother needled him about driving, only relinquishing them after the kid promised he wouldn’t say a word during the five-minute drive. Something was up. Keith wouldn’t look him in the eye and then there was that strange business with his phone.
Had he heard more from home that he didn’t want to share? Probably found out Kenny’s WITSEC story was pure BS and was too embarrassed to tell him. Kyle still needed to call home, except what was he supposed to say— “Hey Mom, guess what? Not such a good role model after all.” Yeah, the old man would eat that news up.
Lost in thought, Kyle hadn’t paid attention and realized they’d arrived at Keith’s job until his brother turned off the ignition as he got out.
“Why in the hell did you turn off—” Kyle asked as he slid out of the passenger seat and came to a stop.
Nic.
His heart ached at the sight of her.
She smiled and turned away.
“You better get inside before you’re late and we’ll discuss this later, Shyster,” Kyle said.
His brother loped off across the parking lot, leaving the two of them standing alone with dead air filling the space between as Kyle came to rest next to the driver’s door. He reached out for Nic, but the message was loud and clear as she stepped back out of his reach.
For once in his life he didn’t know what to say. Everything that came to mind sounded like a cliché or a knockoff from some campy movie where he’d apologize and she’d forgive him and they could carry on like he hadn’t been an idiot for the past couple of days. His intentions might be good, but his execution sucked and he knew it.
“Come here often?” He waggled his eyebrows, trying to make it into a joke to cut through the chill.
“Had an uncontrollable taco craving.”
“Not craving anything else are you? Like pickles and ice cream?” He gave her one of his best grins. “Or me?”
“No.” She looked down at her watch. “Haven’t had much of an appetite for anything lately. Definitely nothing sour. Probably wouldn’t have given in to the taco urge if your brother hadn’t sent me a text saying he desperately needed to talk. Figured it had to do with Kenny or your mom, until you got out of the car.”
He stepped into her space and with each step she took back, he took one forward until she was pressed up against the passenger door of her car.
“I didn’t put him up to the ruse.”
“Didn’t actually think you had.” The ice in the air had reached her eyes and her voice cut deep as she hit her mark.
“Let’s go get a real meal and talk. Somewhere nice.”
She glanced down at his T-shirt and shorts and rolled her eyes at him. “Is it just everyone else you listen to?” she asked.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
What the hell had he done now? His mind raced, trying to connect asking her to dinner and how that played into listening and what had he missed. Nic placed her palms against his chest and shoved him away.
“Never mind, Einstein.”
“Nic, please. I’ve missed you.”
He had, too. The past five days may as well have been a full-on deployment for him. Being stuck in the apartment was nothing compared to the restriction from Nic. He hadn’t taken her calls knowing he’d cave and break orders. He missed her smile, the scent of her hair, the feel of her skin, the sound of her laughter.
He missed cooking for her and the look on her face when she tasted something new and liked it even though she’d been convinced she’d hate it. Then there was the way she’d purr when he’d rub her back and wiggle her toes to keep from laughing as he
skimmed his fingertips over her ticklish spots. Most of all he missed the way he felt inside when she was next to him like all was right in the world, and he could handle anything life threw his way.
A horn honked and Kyle looked up to see Petty Officer Wu wave to them from the adjacent parking lot. A good reminder this wasn’t the place for them to have this conversation, as anyone could drive by and see them.
“If you don’t want to go out, we could go back to my place and I’ll whip up shrimp tacos,” he said.
She shook her head and took a step away, then stopped and turned back to him. The resigned look of disappointment killed him.
“I’ll pass. Your silence the last couple of days has pretty much told me everything I need to know. It’s over. It was fun and now it’s time to move on. I’ll talk to Keith and tell him not to play matchmaker again.”
“It’s not over, Nic.” He took her hand and held on like a lifeline. “Did you talk to Reece, by chance, before he left?”
“About?” Her eyes narrowed to thin slits.
“His visit to see me.”
“His what?” She exhaled a deep breath. “Start talking and don’t stop until you’ve told me every. Last. Detail.” Arms crossed, she leaned back against her car, one brow cocked, lips purse and steam coming out of her ears.
He told her everything: Reece’s concern, his proposed solution, the reporters showing up, right down to the CO’s orders to stay away. During his confession she never said a word.
She’d gone unnaturally calm, like the air right before a hurricane leveled everything in its path.
* * *
Of all the egotistically, alpha male, control-freak, stupid, cockamamie ideas her brothers had ever come up with, and there’d been some doozies before, this one took the cake. And to top it off, Kyle had agreed with them.
What had she ever seen in him?
He was just like them.
Oh dear, God! She’d been dating a clone of her brothers.
Well, that was going to stop right here and now.
She was tired, beyond tired of the men in her life deciding what she should do and how she should live. They meant well, she wouldn’t argue that they didn’t have the best intentions, but sooner or later and it better be sooner, they had to realize she could make her own choices.
“Why didn’t you tell me all of this Saturday or Monday? You were home Monday when I stopped by, weren’t you?” she demanded.
He flinched. It was there and gone in a heartbeat, but she saw it and his admission hurt more than she expected. Oh, yeah, she knew he’d been home. Call it women’s intuition. Having him admit it was like pouring salt in the cut and rubbing it in.
“We didn’t think you’d agree with our plan.”
“You figured I’d get hysterical and unreasonable and I don’t know, throw myself at your feet and beg you not to leave me alone for a week?” She couldn’t help the laughter. The thought was ridiculous. Even her thirteen-year-old self would have scoffed at the idea of throwing a fit over some boy ignoring her.
“I had thought you might miss me.”
She paced between the cars. It was either that or throttle him in front of every passing car on Route 12.
“Do I look like a china doll? Someone who needs to be handled with care? Who will break if life gets a little rough?”
Before he could respond she shot him a warning look and made another rotation.
“I warned you about my brothers. Told you they were overprotective, but did you listen to me? No. You meet them once and you’re what? best buds now? Are you linked up on social media? Exchanged phone numbers?”
“It’s not like that, Nic.” His denial just pushed her irritate button harder.
“Oh sure it is. Reece came to you with some scheme to keep me safe from getting hurt and you fell in line with their plans. You and he decided I didn’t need a say in my life. That I wasn’t capable of handling the stress or I was too delicate given what happened before.”
He opened his mouth to respond and she held up one finger, silencing him. He laced his hands at the back of his neck and looked skyward. She was probably trying his patience. Well good, because he’d tried hers and if he didn’t like the outcome, he should have thought of that when he threw in with her brothers.
“I can accept Liam and Reece treating me like a kid. To them, I’ll always be their baby sister whom they have to protect. It’s their job and that was drilled into them from the time I was born by our parents, but you. I think the worst part is you treated me like a mindless puppet, instead of your equal.”
Tears sprang to the corners of her eyes and she fought to keep them from flowing. Embarrassed, she turned away, hating that her emotions got the better of her, proving him right in that she couldn’t handle the pressure.
“Nic, I’m sorry.” His soft voice caressed the side of her neck.
“I thought you were different, that you didn’t look at me and see a victim. Guess I was wrong.”
His warm hands squeezed her shoulders, but she refused to turn around and face him.
“You’re one of the strongest people I know.”
Her head whipped up and she glanced at him from the corner of her eye. “Then why? Why cut me out?”
He slid his arms around her middle and pulled her back against his hard chest.
“I don’t know how this is going to turn out. It’s my word against Stone’s, unless I can find someone to prove he’s lying. The judge can decide to set an example and throw the book at us. I could end up in the brig for a long time. Not to mention that reporter who showed up knew about you and me. I don’t want your name dragged through the mud again. What if they find out about my brother? How’s that going to look?”
“It doesn’t matter. I believe in you and I’m not ashamed to be seen at your side.”
“Do you really want to be on the ten o’clock news with the man accused of videotaping you in the shower? A man from a family of criminals? How will that look for your father? For Liam or Reece? Do you think the reporters will leave your mom alone then?”
Damn him for knowing her weakness and playing it against her.
“So tell them your side,” she pleaded as she turned to face him, searching his eyes for a sign of hope, but what she saw instead caused her to step back.
Cold determination and distance stared back at her.
“No.” He let go and shoved his hands in his back pockets.
Emotions and thoughts she didn’t want to face or deal with slammed through her body, swirling around her until she thought she’d explode. Fears and doubts shoved their way out of the box she’d locked them away in to the forefront of her mind and demanded to be seen, heard, and addressed.
“And what if I said that you were right, that I wasn’t strong enough to deal with this week and the trial on my own? Would you still stand there and say no?”
“You and I both know you’ll be fine.”
“All that talk about standing by me. What was that, just lines to get me into your bed?” She hated herself for asking, if only she could ignore the doubts, if only they’d let her.
His jaw clenched and he looked away without responding. His entire body looked like a coil ready to spring.
While her heart felt like it did indeed belong to a china doll and was one blow away from shattering into a gazillion pieces.
“Answer one last question for me, Kyle. Did you have anything to do with the video?”
She held her breath, and prayed to every known deity she’d ever heard of, made promises and bargains, and cursed herself for asking. A day ago the question wouldn’t have crossed her mind, much less her lips. Heck, an hour ago it wouldn’t have been voiced.
Chills ran over and through her, even though the temperature hovered around ninety-five. Her stomach rolled and the longer he took to answer the sicker she felt.
“If you have to ask, then you’re right. It was fun and now it’s
time to move on.” He sauntered to the driver’s door of the Charger and didn’t even bother to look back at her. “See you around, babe.”
The car door slammed, delivering the final blow shattering her heart. The taillights of the Dodge disappeared down the road, as Nic stood alone in the parking lot. She had no idea how long she stayed there staring into the night before she got into her car and drove dry-eyed to the base, handed the gate guard her ID and then parked in the barracks lot. One minute she had been watching his car leave and the next she found herself alone in her room, her plain, beige-walled room that she hadn’t bothered personalizing.
What would have been the point?
As soon as the trial was over the boat would be back on schedule and out to sea, until then she had been spending every free minute at Kyle’s place. Talking, cooking—well, he cooked, she ate—watching movies, normal stuff people do, but it had felt extraordinary with him. Special. Fun.
She’d missed him the last couple of days and not just his cooking—even though he had skills gifted by the gods—or his backrubs. It was more like the way he laughed at her silly stories of her and her brothers’ antics growing up, the way he made her feel like she was the only person on the planet and he wouldn’t want to be with anyone else. She’d missed playing with his silky hair and how he’d snuggle into her and the smile that would grace his face, his tough guy attitude with Princess and yet how he never missed a chance to scratch behind her ears or slip her a treat.
It was over.
Was any of it even real for him?
Or was Liam right and it had all been a well-planned scheme to advance his career and bank account? She didn’t want to believe it, but he hadn’t denied it even when she’d asked him flat out.
Everything inside of her broke at once. The tears rushed down her cheeks, great sobs of sorrow escaped as she slid into her bed.
She’d been such a fool.
It couldn’t be true.
Love Runs Deep Page 22
