I hear her door shut, but just like the other night, I notice she doesn’t lock it.
I might have just cost myself a shot with her any time soon, but I’ll still count it as a win that she doesn’t feel the need to lock her door.
CHAPTER 21
KELSEY
There is nota cloud in the sky on this flawless Wyoming afternoon. The only thing interrupting the endless blue skies are the timeless Teton Mountains. There are still pockets of snow and unmelted glaciers dotting the granite peaks. The mountain air is crisp and cool, perfect for shorts and a t-shirt.
Even with my pale skin that would give a vampire a run for their money, I’m still enjoying the sun—I just need a dose of SPF infinity sunscreen. To top it off, I’m off work today and Gloria’s is closed, so I won’t even be tempted to work a shift at the bar.
It’s a perfect summer day and there is nothing that can ruin it—well, almost nothing.
Monica is giving me a death stare over the salted rim of her margarita from across the balcony. Jason, being the great boyfriend that he is, made us a pitcher of margaritas before he left for work. “You’re impossible, Kels.” She takes a drink and sighs. “Just when I think you’re starting to accept that the entire world isn’t out to get you, you tell Sutton that he’s just some nobody tourist.”
I might be scowling at her, but deep down I know she’s got a point. Just when I started to accept help and try to makemy life the littlest bit easier, I basically put my foot in my mouth and pissed off someone that’s been genuinely nice to me. Not even that. He likes me. He likes being around me. As cold as I’ve been to him for years, he somehow still likes me.
“You seem awfully obsessed with a man that isn’t your wonderful boyfriend,” I quip, keeping my scowl in place.
She tilts her head and raises a brow. “Yeah, but he could be yours.”
I nearly choke on my drink and start coughing. I set my drink down and clutch my chest, trying to cough up the spicy margarita and salt that burns my throat.
She giggles to herself. “There it is. Looks like I hit a little close to home, didn’t I?”
I flip her the bird as I regain my composure. “Don’t try to live vicariously through me.”
She smirks. “Don’t try and turn this back on me. We’re talking about you and your love life.”
“You mean lack there of?”
It’s been over a year since we lived together and while we talk almost every day, she doesn’t see the ins and outs of my love life like she did before. Not that there really was much of one for her to see exactly. So she doesn’t know the full extent of it, which is that I have only been on a couple dates since that night with Sutton. I wasn’t particularly active before, and after that, I don’t know if I lost interest or what, but it hasn’t been any better.
Her smirk fades into a kind smile, the one she’s always saved for when I need it the most. “I’m just saying you should think about giving him a chance. That man’s been head over heels for you for years. All you do is shit on him and he keeps coming back for more.”
When I got to her apartment for lunch, the first thing I did was tell her what happened last night. I might have leftout one important detail—the part where he told me that I’ve been living rent free in his head for years.
I guess it’s only fair that now I’m the one with him stuck in my head. His confession confirmed what I didn’t want to accept. I spent so long making him a villain, a manifestation of all my problems that I could take my frustration out on. The issue is now I know that he hasn’t been screwing with me or messing with me all this time.
His words have been playing on repeat in my mind since I woke up, and now I don’t know what to do with that.
Between what he said and the look on his face last night, I nearly lost all my willpower to fight what he does to me. If he wouldn’t have walked off to his room before I could react, I’m positive that my inner-bitch would have crumbled. It was bad enough that he was so close that every breath I took was filled with that deliciously woodsy ashen scent of his. Even thinking about it now stirs a feeling low in my core.
Pressing my thighs together to dull the growing ache, I take a sip of my drink. “So what am I supposed to do? Just corner him in his apartment and tell him I might still be interested in him too? Or jump his bones behind the bar in his restaurant? ‘Hi Sutton, I’m sorry I’ve been a bitch for so long.’” I flail my hand around in question, catching the flicker of my black nail polish in the sun.
Monica’s lips pull up into a wicked grin. “You could do that. In fact, I fully endorse that. Do something for yourself for once. Do something fun that’s all about you.”
She hums dismissively and turns up a palm. “Or…” she says, drawing out the syllable. “You could just try being nice to him for once?”
I take a deep breath and huff. I hate that she’s right. “I guess I can try that.”
“Good girl.” She winks at me before looking out to the mountains. “So when will you see him again?”
“Probably tomorrow? I’m going back to Rodgers tonight for dinner with my parents and staying at my apartment there. Tomorrow morning, I’ll be at the coffee shop with you, then working a bar shift at Gloria’s.”
Her eyes run up and down me and I can tell she’s scheming by the way her tongue darts out. “You should wear a dress tomorrow night. Oh! Wearthedress. Make him really want you.”
“I’m already regretting telling you any of this.”