THIRTY-THREE
CHAPTER
Over the course of the dinner, I watched the light dim in Kacey’s eyes under the shadow of my mother and Oscar’s comments.
My mother had her reasons for being protective about Kacey and Jonah—I wasn’t about to call her out on them.
But Oscar was being a dick and I had no clue why, except that it hurt Kacey.
Just Kacey?
I shrugged that off.
After dessert, Oscar didn’t wait around, but muttered something about waiting outside for Dena. Kacey was saying goodbye to my parents, so I followed him to the street.
“What the hell is your problem, man?”
He jerked around to glare back at me by the light of the lone streetlamp above us. “You really have to ask? No, wait. Me first. I’ve got a question I’ve wanted to ask for weeks. ”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “By all means.”
“What the fuck is going on with you and Kacey?”
“Nothing’s going on. We’re friends.”
“Oh yeah. Just friends.” His gaze flickered to the silver watch on my wrist. “Hey, you got the time, by any chance?”
I nodded slowly. “Yeah, I do.”
“I’ll bet you do. It’s a sweet watch, man.” Oscar’s eyes were challenging. “Where’d you get it? Let me guess. Your friend Kacey gave it to you.”
“You got something to say to me, Oscar, then go ahead and say it.”
Oscar shook his head, a short, disgusted laugh gusting out of him.
“You know, I thought it was strange you kept flying back and forth to see her, but I was willing to give you the benefit of the doubt. I told myself you were just friends too. And then I saw you today. We all saw you. Including your mother, I might add.”
“Saw what, exactly?”
“Don’t play stupid. Neither of you could stop looking at each other all fucking night.” Before I could reply, he took a step closer, dropped his voice. He had the look of a man itching for a fight. “Are you sleeping with her?”
My jaw clenched and I spat the words through gritted teeth. “None of your fucking business.”
“It is my business. Jonah was my best friend and I know how you operate.”
“The fuck is that supposed to mean?”
“Why her, man? You can fuck any woman you want. And you do. So why Kacey?” His jaw worked and it seemed like he was trying to keep his fists from flying. “Why do you have to go after Jonah’s girl?”
I took a step back. “It’s not like that.”
“No? You trying to tell me this time, after years of chasing after anything in a skirt, it’s now different with her? Special ?”
I fought to keep my voice even, while inside I was ready to combust. “What the hell is wrong with you? You spend one day with us, and you think you know the story?”
“I know your story,” Oscar said. “I’ve heard it before.
Holly. Rachel. Lana. Brandi… Shit, those are only the ones I can name.
You got at least a hundred more in your phone.
Different names, same fucking story. But not Kacey, man.
She’s not like the rest. She’s not some chick you can bang and then never call again. ”
The blood drained from my face. “I’m aware of that.”
“Are you?” He leaned close, his words hissing at me while his finger jabbed my chest. “Because it looks to me like it’s business as usual with you, only this time it’s your dead brother’s girlf—”
My hand shot out and gripped Oscar by the front of his shirt, and I yanked him to me until we were nose to nose. “Shut. The fuck. Up. You don’t know shit about it.”
“I know what I see.” Oscar tore away from me. “I know what you do with women, and I’m warning you, you can’t do that with Kacey.”
“Oh, you’re warning me?”
Kacey and Dena were on the front walk, and both stopped, staring. The air thickened so I could hardly breathe.
“What’s going on?” Dena asked.
“Nothing. Let’s go.” Oscar headed for their SUV. He opened the driver door and put one foot in.
“Bye, Oscar,” Kacey said in a small voice.
“It’s a really nice watch, Kace,” Oscar said in return, his eyes hard on me. “I hope you kept the receipt. Dena, let’s go .”
I caught Dena’s eye and managed a smile. “It’s okay,” I said. “Go ahead. I’ll talk to you later.”
Dena nodded and slid into the passenger seat. I drew some comfort from the probability of Oscar getting an earful from his wife the second the door shut.
Or maybe Oscar will tell her I’m just using Kacey for sex. Another conquest.
They drove away, leaving Kacey and me to stare after.
“What was that about?” she said.
“Nothing. Let’s get you back to your hotel.”
“Tell me.”
“It’s cold out, Kace,” I said, softening my voice. “Come on, you’re shivering. Get in the car.”
I started the engine and cranked up the heat, pulling slowly out of the cul-de-sac when I only wanted to peel out and leave a scar of rubber a mile long.
“It was about us, wasn’t it?” Kacey asked.
“It’s not important.” My hands clenched the steering wheel.
“I heard enough,” she said. “And your mom. Jesus.”
“I know.”
“We haven’t even figured anything out between us, but they’ve already made up their minds.”
“Yeah, they have.”
“Where are you going?” she asked, frowning at the streets outside her window.
“Your hotel. You have an early flight tomorrow.”
“Teddy…”
“Let’s just call it a night, Kace.”
“Why? I thought we were going to talk?”
My gaze slid over to her, to the smooth skin of her thighs and the curve of her breasts beneath her dress. What if Oscar was right? What the hell did I know about getting serious with someone? I knew brute, emotionless sex. I could barely put together two words to tell Kacey how I felt.
I walked her to her hotel room door, where she hesitated with the key card in her hand.
“Teddy…”
“Look, it’s been a monumentally shitty night,” I said. “You have the most important meeting of your life on Monday. You should get some sleep, get back to New Orleans, and prepare for it.”
“Is that what you want?” she asked softly.
My hand itched to reach out and touch her face, but I didn’t dare. “I want you to be happy, Kace. Your whole life is about to change. Now isn’t the time for all this unnecessary headache in your life. My mom and Oscar and all the rest of it.”
She nodded slowly. “I’m sorry today wasn’t what it should’ve been for you. You deserve better.”
I bent and kissed her temple. “Have a safe flight.”
At home, I changed out of the suit into flannel pants and a wife-beater. I shut off all the lights and put SportsCenter on the TV, but I wasn’t watching. It was all mindless chatter.
The part of me feeling like I’d done the right thing was getting its ass kicked by the part of me worrying I was letting Kacey go without a fight.
“Just talk,” I said. “Talk to her. On the phone. No kissing. No sex.”
I picked up my phone and pushed her number. It went to voicemail. I checked the time—a little after eleven. Maybe she was sleeping.
I sent her a text.
You there?
I’m here.
Then I heard the knock on my front door.
My phone slipped out of my hands and my heart clanged against my ribcage like an animal trying to get out. I strode into the kitchen, flipped the light on and opened the door.
She came in, breathless and beautiful. Pushed the door shut and leaned against it. Her eyes raked up and down my skin.
“You want to talk?” I said.
Kacey reached and turned the light off, plunging the kitchen into darkness. “Fuck talking.”