Deciding Love (10 page)

Walking slowly, I approached the sliding doors, looking out at the small backyard and patio we had, to see Chloe sitting out there by herself, a steaming cup of coffee placed on the table in front of her.

Since she didn’t know I was there watching, I let myself soak up everything about her. Her face was turned upward toward the sun, clean of the sexy make-up she’d worn last night. Like this, she was even more beautiful. Her eyes were closed, hiding those unusual orbs, but all the freckles along her nose and cheekbones were visible, as was the natural pink of those plush lips.

There was a small smile on them, lifting the corners, but not enough to show those dimples that drove me crazy. She looked happy and content. When was the last time I had looked or felt that way? I couldn’t remember. Her expression had me riveted to my spot. If I witnessed her moment, would some of what she was feeling pass over to me?

Obviously not. And yet I couldn’t look away, as though I needed to feel it through her, even if it was just this once. Finally she opened her eyes, lowering her head to look at something in the distance.

I didn’t want to interrupt her private time, seeing that she was deep within her own thoughts, but I suddenly felt a strong urge to join her out there and smooth things between us.

I might not want to be friends with Chloe, or anything more, but I also didn’t want us to not be friends. If that made any sense. Having her hate me didn’t sit right in my gut.

On that thought, I pulled on the handle, sliding the door open to let in the fresh, mild morning air. Her head whipped around to look at me, surprise written on her pretty face. How could one girl look so edible in the morning? She wore her hair in a messy bun, a plain white tank top, and baggy pajama pants, and yet I couldn’t decide which version of her I liked more – this one, or the polished one from last night. Both had my blood boiling.

Hiding how she affected me, I gave her a weary smile, not knowing if she’d accept my company now that I faced her.

“Morning,” I said, my voice hoarse. “Sorry if I startled you.”

She gave me a tentative smile of her own, shaking her head slightly. “It’s fine,” she said.

“Mind if I sit?” I asked, gesturing to a chair.

“Of course, it’s your house.”

Her eyes briefly dropped to my bare chest, her cheeks turning slightly pink, before she quickly looked away, sipping at her coffee. The silence between us was awkward, and I hated that. I didn’t want us to be awkward around each other, even though I didn’t know how else to be with her.

Clearing my throat, I leaned my elbows on my knees. “Look, I just want to apologize for last night,” I started.

She turned to look back at me, biting at her bottom lip before replying. “I’m sorry too. I shouldn’t have gotten so angry.”

“I get why you did. I know I can be a bit overprotective when it comes to my sister. I had no right to get mad at you too.”

She just nodded.

“It won’t happen again, I promise.”

She smiled, her dimples coming out, making my heart ache for some reason. “Thanks, Kyle.”

“Now you promise that you and my sister won’t be going to college parties anymore,” I said with raised eyebrows.

She laughed. “Okay, I promise. Not that it’s really necessary, I’m pretty sure no one is going to be inviting us to a party after last night anyway.”

“Well at least some good came from it then,” I said with a smirk.

Chloe shook her head, laughing again. “You’re awful. I feel sorry for Cat.”

I leaned back, not missing how her gaze quickly flickered to my chest and stomach again, before meeting my eyes. She found me attractive, that was obvious. From the way she’d reacted to me last night, there was no doubt in my mind. We wanted each other, and neither of us was going to do something about it. We were quite the couple. My heart picked up speed at that thought.

I pinched my eyebrows at her. “You feel sorry for her? Do you know what it’s like having Cat as a sister? That girl gets her way more than anyone else I know.”

“That doesn’t surprise me.”

I smiled, thinking of all the scams my sister had run growing up, my parents and I completely wrapped around her finger. I shared a particularly funny one with Chloe that had her laughing loudly, her eyes bright like they were last night, but this time with laughter. Those dimples out in full force.

I’d never seen her like this, and all I wanted to do was keep talking so it wouldn’t stop. I even found myself laughing along with her, all the while mesmerized by the girl in front of me.

“Kyle?” a voice called out, interrupting us. I didn’t know where it was coming from, or who it was until I saw blonde hair peak over the side gate.

Shit.

Shit, shit, shit.

Rachel walked in, smiling as she swayed her hips in what I assumed she thought was enticing, wearing shorts so short you could almost see her ass.

“Hey, handsome,” she said, glancing at Chloe with interest. She stopped, placing a hand on her hip. “Was I not enough for you last night? You had to go and pick up another girl for round two?” She flicked her hair as I felt all the colour drain from my face. “I could have gone again if you had told me.”

I tore my eyes off her to look at Chloe, afraid of what I’d see there. It was worse than I was prepared for. All that laughter and happiness was gone, her eyes blank and cold, her body stiff.

“What are you doing her, Rach?” I asked.

She didn’t bother looking at me, her focus solely on Chloe, the way a hunter would size up a prey.

“Aren’t you going to introduce us?” she asked.

“No,” I answered.

Chloe stood, clearing her throat as she grabbed her mug off the table. “I’m Chloe, his sister’s friend,” she smiled tightly. “And that’s all I am, for your information. But it was a pleasure meeting you, Rachel.”

She didn’t wait for a response. Moving fast, she headed inside, those eyes not acknowledging me once. My stomach sank, that familiar burn of anger rising in the pit of it. I swung my narrowed gaze to Rachel, furious that she’d interrupted the best morning I’d had in what felt like forever.

“Now that you’re done being a bitch,” I said, “want to tell me why you’re here?”

She didn’t look the least bit concerned about her attitude, or the fact that I was clearly pissed.

“You forgot your sweater at my place,” she said simply, taking the seat Chloe had just vacated, placing it on the table. It only pissed me off more to see her there instead of Chloe.

“And you couldn’t call me?”

She shrugged. “I tried. You weren’t answering.”

Shit, my phone was up in my room still.

“Well you dropped it off,” I said, giving her a blank look.

She huffed. “What’s your problem, Briggs? I thought we had fun last night.”

I shrugged. “That was last night.”

She stood, her face turning an ugly shade of red. “You are such an ass, you know that? What’s the problem, did I interrupt your quaint little coffee break with Miss. Jailbait?”

I stood fast. “Don’t talk about her,” I said. “You come to my house and are rude to people you don’t even know? I don’t think so. I thought you were cool, Rachel.”

For once she actually appeared sheepish. “Well how was I supposed to know she was just your sister’s friend?”

“You ask instead of just being a bitch about it.”

“It’s not my fault,” she huffed. “You came to me last night, remember? And then not eight hours later I find you with someone else? How do you think that makes me feel?”

“It shouldn’t make you feel anything,” I replied, rubbing a hand over my face. “Last night was just fun, Rach. I made that very clear.”

She stepped closer to me, running a finger down my chest. Her touch made me want to cringe away from it.

“I thought maybe we could have more fun,” she said, batting her lashes at me.

I took hold of her hand gently, removing it from my chest. “I don’t think so.”

Her eyes blazed. “Why the fuck not? Because of her?”

“Jesus,” I muttered. “Did you not get the part where she said she was just a friend of Cat’s?”

“Yeah, and I also got the part where I saw the way you watched her. I’m not blind, Briggs.”

I took a deep breath before shaking my head. “I wasn’t watching her in any way,” I denied. “Not only is she my sister’s friend, but she also happens to be Colt’s sister.”

Her face screwed up in confusion. “Colt Morgan?”

I nodded.

“You must think I’m pretty stupid. Colt Morgan doesn’t have a sister.”

I took another deep breath. This girl was trying my patience. “He does now. She’s his half sister, and he only found out about her recently. Now, can we change the subject?”

She seemed to absorb this before a cruel smile lifted the corners of her mouth. “Isn’t that poetic justice?” She laughed.

“What are you talking about now?”

She continued to laugh. “Kyle Briggs finally likes a girl, and he can’t have her. That’s just fucking perfect.”

I clenched my teeth, my hands doing the same. “I don’t like her,” I said evenly. I didn’t.
Like
. That sounded like such a trivial emotion. I wasn’t some little kid with a crush. I didn’t like Chloe. If I allowed myself to feel anything for her, it wouldn’t be as simple as
liking
her. What the hell did Rachel know?

“If you say so,” she said haughtily.

“You can leave now.”

“Fine,” she said, spinning on her heel. When she reached the gate she looked over her shoulder at me. “Give me a call if you want a repeat of last night.”

She was gone before I could reply. Was the woman insane? I shook my head, grabbing my cup and the sweater, wondering why I kept getting mixed up with the crazy ones.

As I stood beneath the spray of water, I couldn’t help but hear Rachel’s words again -

“Kyle Briggs finally likes a girl, and he can’t have her. That’s just fucking perfect.”

Behind her were Jenn’s words too, from the last time I’d talked to her -

“One day you’re going to meet a girl who knocks you off your feet, and you won’t know what you’re doing anymore.”

Was there truth to both those things? Had I finally found someone and I couldn’t have them? Was this some punishment for how I’d viewed love and relationships during my entire teenage years?

Or was it all just bullshit?

Bullshit, I though with a firm mental nod.

I didn’t like Chloe, and she certainly wasn’t the one who was going to make me change my ways and regret my past behavior. She was just another pretty girl. The only difference was I wasn’t going to make a play for her like I normally would have.

Yeah, that was it. Feeling better, I finished my shower and got ready to head to the library. All the while ignoring another voice that kept repeating the same word round and round in my head -

Liar.

11

Chloe

I had one mission Monday morning, and I would not fail. Walking into Geography after drama, I zeroed in on my target.

After Sunday morning, I had spent the day telling myself that it was time to put actions into words. I could say to forget Kyle all I wanted. But unless I actually did something to circumvent my constant thoughts about him, I would never be free of him. And I wanted to be. I wanted it so much.

Sunday morning had shown me both a new Kyle and the one I had come to loathe. When it had just been the two of us, he’d been completely different. At first he had seemed nervous, but once we’d gotten our apologies for the night before out of the way, he’d lightened up. He’d laughed and joked and talked to me more than he ever had.

Seeing Kyle laughing was something I would never forget, no matter how much I pushed him from my mind. That was one thing that I would close my eyes and picture whenever I thought about him. That Kyle had been the real one, in my opinion.

But then
Rachel
had come and ruined everything. Or perhaps not. Maybe it was just that with her sudden arrival, had also come the inevitable arrival of reality. She had been the one he’d gone out to meet with Saturday. And if I hadn’t already known that, she had made sure to make it crystal clear.

It had been worse than a punch to the gut. It had felt like someone had literally reached into my chest and squeezed it until it hurt to even draw a breath.

If Cat had noticed afterward that something was wrong, she hadn’t asked or said anything. I’d made quick work of getting my parents to come pick me up, and got out of there before I would have to face him again.

Dad had noticed something was wrong. I had felt his worried gaze on me multiple times as we had driven home. But he hadn’t asked, for which I was grateful. Whatever wound had been inflicted had been too raw.

But I’d spent the rest of Sunday nursing it. Healing. And now I had a plan of attack, and I was dedicated to seeing it through. No longer would I hold out some tiny, mislead hope that Kyle might see me as something more than just Cat’s friend. Even if I had caught him looking at me in certain ways, especially when we’d been laughing over coffee together, it didn’t matter.