14. Chapter 14
14
Kelly
I t took me three minutes to get dressed in a pair of leggings and a form fitting t-shirt, a cardigan slapped over it before I was heading out the door to go check on Lindsey. I ignored Malak’s voice from behind me as I hurried down the stairs.
Anxiety crept up as I waited outside for the Uber, not wanting to bother Emily, and certainly not wanting anything to do with Malak or Grey at that moment.
I had made enough money in the last two weeks to be able to afford a ride now and again. If I was lucky, in a couple months I’d be able to get my own car.
I enjoyed the crisp breeze outside as I waited, my nose and cheeks turning pink from the cold. Four minutes later, I was climbing into the backseat of the car and giving a polite greeting.
Fifteen minutes later, I was leaving a tip, saying goodbye and getting out. Much better than riding on the bus, that was for sure.
Still, as I was walking up to the front of the condo, I couldn’t help but think about what Malak had said.
What else didn’t I know? How many more secrets could there possibly be? I shook it off. That could be dealt with later. I needed to talk to Lindsey, tell her that I knew about the marriage, about the kiss.
I knocked on the front door, no longer having my key.
No one answered.
My brow furrowed, and I tried again. Nothing.
I twisted the door handle; it was unlocked. Well, that wasn’t good. Lindsey was always very particular about wanting the door locked at all times.
I opened the door and stepped into the entryway.
“Hello?” I said. I heard shuffling and feet shoes clicking along the hardwood floor.
I hesitantly went up the stairs, though the voice in my head was telling me I was a stupid bitch and should turn back around.
I gasped as Rose came into view, startling me.
My hand flew to my chest. “Shit!”
Rose’s hands moved up in front of her. “I’m sorry,” she insisted and stepped to the side so I could move away from the stairs.
“It’s fine. I knocked two times, no one answered,” I told her.
Rose sighed, “I was in the back listening to music,” she said.
I nodded. I avoided looking Rose in the eyes. Every time I looked in her direction, I felt warmth spread throughout my entire body. The sight of her soft blonde hair, the tired, caring, strong look in her blue eyes. She was so beautiful, I could barely stand it.
I swallowed and looked behind her. My eyes widened as I realized quite a few pieces of decor were missing, photos on the walls and all the crafts that Lindsey had made over the years and strung up around the room.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
Rose looked to the side and shoved her hands in the pockets of the sweater she was wearing. It was rare for me to see her in something other than work clothing. She was always done up, ready to get something done. Right then, however, she looked comfortable, cozy. Her blonde hair was pinned back at the top out of her face.
“Lindsey left,” Rose told me and then turned around, not explaining any further.
I blinked and followed after her into the kitchen.
“She what?” I asked.
“She left. We broke up. She didn’t want to stay here anymore. Told me she was going to stay with a friend,” Rose replied.
I watched as she grabbed a mug from the cabinet and placed it on the counter next to one that was already there. She poured black tea into both from a kettle on the stove.
“A friend? Did she say what friend?” I asked, heat flaring in my ears, but I was trying to stay calm.
“No,” Rose said with a sigh. I watched her calmly put cream and sugar in one of the mugs and hold it in front of her daintily. How could she be so unbothered?
“You didn’t stop her?” I asked.
Rose blinked. “Why would I?” she asked. “She wanted to leave. I let her.”
Anger flared in my stomach and up my throat. “You’re lying, she’d never leave without telling me.”
“She would’ve texted me, or called me,” I huffed, “I’ve been texting her the last few days, she hasn’t answered.”
Rose set the mug of tea down and folded her arms. “Why would I lie to you Kelly?” she asked, “Your sister and I’s marriage is done, my name is on the condo, I told her she could stay anyway, I was willing to get it put in her name, but she didn’t want that. She left.”
My hands balled into fists. “You should’ve stopped her!” I insisted, “You should’ve told her to stay, worked on things.”
“She’s a grown adult. We didn’t want to work on things.” Rose’s voice grew thick with aggravation.
My heart felt like it was going to beat out of my chest. “You could’ve at least tried.”
“Why?” she asked. Her face growing pinker than mine, and she stepped closer.
I didn’t have an answer.
“We didn’t want to anymore. It was over,” Rose said, low.
“We? Or you?” I asked, feeling dizzy at her proximity.
“No, I didn’t want to, neither did your sister. She just didn’t want to be alone,” she hissed at me.
My fingers twitched, and I attempted to calm myself.
“What do you want?” I asked her.
It was a stupid question. I regretted it before it had even come out of my mouth, and yet it had.
I was still looking to the side of her head, refusing to look into her eyes, but I watched her step even closer, the fridge behind my back as I stepped back.
“You know,” Rose said.
I shook my head, “No, I don’t.”
Rose captured my chin in between her thumb and index finger.
“You won’t look me in the eyes, Kelly,” she whispered, her voice softer, but still thick with emotion, “I know, you know.”
I was quiet. I didn’t want to speak and, frankly; I didn’t feel like I could. My bottom lip caught between my teeth. I felt her eyes on me, but I still kept my own away from her gaze.
“Look at me,” she ordered.
I refused, trying to pull my chin away from her fingers. Despite how good the warmth of them felt on my skin. How close she was to me.
“Look in my eyes, angelo ,” Rose repeated. That glimmer of a word in Italian, her low, slightly raspy voice accented. It melted me at that moment.
My eyes met hers, and my entire body warmed.
“I want you,” she told me.
I exhaled a shaky breath. “Why?” I asked, “Why me?”
Rose caressed my chin with her thumb, and then slid her hand along my jawline, just like Malak had. The sense of comfort, desire, need, I felt in that moment at the memory and the present situation was so strong that my breath caught in my throat.
“You make me feel things I haven’t felt in a long time,” Rose told me, her thumb sliding down the front of my throat and dripping between my collarbones. Her fingers lingered so close to my breasts.
I squirmed slightly and watched her eyes shift down and back up to me.
“Why can’t you admit what you want?” she asked.
I struggled to get words out. “…it won’t change anything,” I mumbled.
Guilt was laced in her eyes, but she didn’t move, only pressed me firmer against the fridge.
“Do you want it to?” she asked me.
I could barely stand all the questions, secrets, answers that I was either trying to get or forced to give. I was so fucking tired of talking. My eyes stung with tears. I hated it all. I didn’t know what to say, what to feel. My sister hadn’t told me she was leaving. I didn’t know where she was; I didn’t know why Malak smelled like Rose; I didn’t understand what the future was with Grey after sex with him, and I didn’t even know what my future would be.
Still, it didn’t stop me from blurting out my next words.
“Yes.”
My bottom lip trembled in this admittance. Surely I would convince myself it was a break in my sanity later on, but in that moment, there was no taking it back.
Rose leaned in and her lips captured mine. Soft, warm, needy. Against all good sense, I kissed her back. My arms slid over her shoulders and around her neck. Rose’s hands slid down to my wide hips, and she pulled our bodies closer together.
My head swam as her mouth took mine, her tongue brushed along my bottom lip. I couldn’t even stop it as my tongue brushed against hers, allowing her access to my mouth.
A soft moan bubbled up from my throat as she gripped my hips tighter. I was already so wet, my thighs burning, and core aching.
“Rose,” I moaned against her mouth.
My face flushed deeply in realization. Her mouth broke from mine and she began to trail fervent kisses along my jawline, down my neck. I shivered as she reached that sensitive spot at the crook of my neck. The scent of her skin and hair overwhelmed me.
Suddenly, I remembered. Malak. He had smelled just like her. Being so close to her, her scent flooding my nose, I knew it had been here. My breath caught in my throat and my body tensed.
“No,” I huffed and shoved Rose away from me, “I can’t.”
My eyes burned with frustration. So many secrets. So many fucking secrets!
“What’s wrong?” Rose asked.
I panted softly as I pushed past her, away from the fridge. “What’s wrong?” I asked, my face red, brows knit, “I’m kissing my ex sister-in-law against a fridge!” I huffed.
Rose’s own face was pink. Her jaw set.
I shook my head. “I can’t do this,” I told her. “There’s so many secrets. I don’t know what anyone is doing or why, or what they really feel, when they felt it, what’s even happening, Rose.”
Rose stepped closer to me. “I know,” she said. “I didn’t know any of this was going to happen, either. I thought…things were never going to amount to anything for me when it came to love. Lindsey wanted security, our family wanted good press, I could provide those things. It was never in my plans to—”
“No, don’t use that word,” I cut her off. “I can’t.”
I took a deep breath and steadied myself the best I could while wet and frustrated.
“Why did Malak smell like you last night?” I asked her.
Rose’s eyes widened, and she shifted on her sheet, looking to the side, almost behind her.
I looked at her in confusion. “Why Rose?” I repeated myself.
The sudden change in her demeanor told me all I needed to know. They did know each other. I just wasn’t sure how, or why. I shook my head.
“I need to leave.” I turned around.
“Kelly, wait,” Rose said.
I stopped but didn’t turn around. “Are you going to tell me about Malak?”
Silence.
“I didn’t think so,” I mumbled, and hurried out of the condo as fast as I could.
The second I was outside and certain Rose wasn’t going to follow me, I set up a ride to Chelsea’s.
Twenty minutes later I was being dropped off in front of Chelsea’s, debating on setting up another ride to get home, or calling Emily, but decided I wanted to wait until I knew what was going on with Lindsey. I was going my best not to think about the kiss with Rose. The way my thighs clenched, pulse throbbing.
I took a slow breath. This was about my sister. I needed to make sure she was okay, and then tell her she was an idiot for not letting me know where she was going.
My knuckles rapped three times on Chelsea’s door. I waited.
Almost a full minute later, the door opened and Chelsea’s tired face, a toddler attached to her hip and her red hair pulled up into a messy bun, came into my view.
“Hey, is Lindsey here?” I asked.
She looked confused. That should have been my first clue.
“Uh, no,” she told me.
“Will she be later?” I asked, my brow knitting.
Chelsea shifted the kid in her arm and shook her head. “No, I haven’t seen her in a few weeks. She texted me a couple days ago and said she was dealing with some stuff, but that was it.”
I gulped.
“Thanks, I’m so sorry to bother you,” I told her.
“Is everything okay?” Chelsea asked.
“Uh, we’ll see, I’ll let you know,” I insisted, forcing a smile onto my face, and waiting for the door to hesitantly close.
My ears heated and I all but stomped back over into the parking lot of the apartment complex, ripping my phone out of my pocket.
I pushed Lindsey’s contact. It rang and rang, no answer.
Again.
No answer.
Again.
No answer.
I was determined.
Finally, the sixth time, the phone finally picked up on the 5th ring.
“What do you want, Kelly?” Lindsey asked me.
My free hand balled into a fist.
“What the hell do you mean ‘what do you want’?” I asked her, “I had no idea you left your condo until Rose told me, and you told her you were going to be at Chelsea’s.”
Lindsey huffed on the other end of the phone.
“I am,” she lied.
Anger flared in my entire body. “The hell you are. I’m at Chelsea’s and she said she hasn’t seen you in a few weeks.”
It did occur to me that Chelsea could have lied, but she didn’t seem the type, and she looked genuinely confused when I asked about Lindsey.
“It doesn’t matter!” Lindsey all but spat at me through the phone. “You ruined everything!”
My body tensed, and I felt the anger bubbling up in my throat.
“Just leave me alone!” Lindsey told me.
“Fine!” I yelled. I had to fight throwing my phone against the pavement and shove it angrily into my pocket instead.
My eyes were blurring over with tears, I fought them with all the fight I had. Guilt and frustration were the most overwhelming feelings. I hadn’t asked for any of this.
I wanted to make sure my sister was okay, and I’d tried.
I called up an Uber, not wanting to bother anyone, and paced the parking lot, trying to settle down.