Chapter 20
Away From The Light
Kiki
Working alongside Eddie is a special kind of hell.
I’ve missed him more than I’ve ever missed anyone, but I don’t dare say a word about it. Not when it’s painfully obvious his opinion of me ranks right up there with food poisoning on Thanksgiving.
When I stumbled earlier and grabbed his arm, his entire body tensed. He’s never done that before. At least not with me.
But I don’t get the luxury of falling apart over my current reality. I need this job. I need the money. More importantly, Eddie needs it for Theo. This project is a huge break for him, and I refuse to be the reason anything else goes wrong in his life.
I’m just not entirely sure how I’m going to survive the next several months.
Eddie’s crew has been friendly enough. If they know about me and my sordid history, they keep their opinions to themselves. No whispers or pointed looks.
Trust me, that’s something.
Actually, I haven’t been glared at once today. Unless you count the man I love.
What the hell did you expect, Kiki? You broke his heart, and your own in the process.
I spend the morning drifting from room to room as I sketch mental layouts, figuring out how everything might come together, and staying the hell out of everyone’s way.
I don’t have a workspace yet, which is far from ideal, but I’ll figure something out.
The idea of me building a desk myself is laughable at this point.
“Kiki, there you are.”
I turn at the sound of my name to find Mr. Montague standing at the far edge of the garden, sunlight glinting off his glasses as he waves me over.
“Join me for lunch.” It’s not a question, but rather a demand, and one I know better than to deny. “I thought we’d drive to Aurum Ridge. They have excellent food.”
They do. Not that my bank account can afford a crouton in that place.
Apparently that thought bleeds onto my face, because Mr. Montague chuckles. “Don’t worry. It’s on me.”
Heat creeps up my neck. Great. Now he knows I’m broke.
“Kiki,” he adds, as though he has insight to every thought racing through my brain, “I’m inviting you to lunch. You’re not paying. Consider it a business expense.”
God, I’m out of practice with people. I feel like I’m eighteen again, attending my first college interview. Although I had a far better self-image in those days.
“I appreciate it.” I smooth my hands over my skirt. “Is Eddie coming along too? We could go over the plans together.”
“Good idea.” Mr. Montague glances toward the driveway. “Eddie, join us for lunch. We’re heading to Aurum Ridge.”
Eddie looks up from sorting through his toolbox, his gaze volleying between the two of us. “If it’s all the same to you, Nolan, I’ve got a ton of work to do. I’d rather stay here and get the guys started.”
Romy, who seems intent to hover a little too close to Eddie for my liking, waves Mr. Montague off. “Don’t worry, boss. I’ll make sure the guys get fed.”
I bet she will.
Stop it, Kiki. You don’t get to be mad about this. Of course Romy likes Eddie. What sane, red-blooded woman wouldn’t? He’s fucking perfect.
And he was mine until life ripped him away from me.
Now, because life is clearly a sadistic bitch, I have a front-row seat to watching a willowy blonde beauty flirt with him.
My only saving grace? He hasn’t flirted back. Yet.
But Eddie has made it clear he’d rather snack on a soggy sandwich at a dilapidated job site than dine at one of the nicest restaurants in the area.
Translation, he’d rather be anywhere than stuck at a table with me.
He hates me.
If he only knew how much I hate myself.
Mr. Montague drops me back at the house a couple of hours later, and I’ve learned two things: the man has deep pockets and an even bigger personality. He’s charismatic, intense, and, if I’m being honest, a little exhausting.
We discuss his vision for each room. I try to focus on timelines and expectations, but he insists on circling back to the chemistry between Eddie and me. I lose count of how many times he brings it up.
But Eddie would rather eat drywall than be anywhere near me.
Best keep that bit of knowledge to myself.
The guys are deep in demo mode when I return. Seems the one compromise Nolan and Eddie were able to reach this morning was that all demo work needs to be completed first.
Thank God Nolan didn’t argue that facet, too.
I peer down at my outfit and wince. Yeah. I’m wildly overdressed.
Honestly, I’d prefer to leave and work on my sketches from home, but Nolan was adamant that he wants me onsite.
Why? Not a damn clue, unless you count the whole chemistry mumbo jumbo.
I walk through the door and immediately sidestep a guy carrying a length of lumber, before almost colliding with another man as I round the corner.
Wonderful. I’m already in the way.
I hover near the edge of the living room, scanning for somewhere—anywhere—I can tuck myself away without interfering, when I spot a small nook just off the study. It’s quiet and out of the way. Perfect.
But I pull up short when I enter the room.
An old table’s been dragged into the space and wiped clean. A chair sits tucked beneath it. Someone’s rigged a work light overhead, clipped onto a makeshift stand of two-by-fours, and my briefcase sits on the desk, awaiting my return.
My breath catches, because this wasn’t just thrown together. The crew did this for me.
“Hey, Mike,” I call out, catching him as he passes by with a sledgehammer slung over his shoulder. “Thank you for setting this up. It’s perfect.”
He grins, shaking his head. “Wasn’t me. That’s all Eddie. He said you needed a place to work.”
My chin wobbles, and I turn away, pretending to fuss with my bag so Mike doesn’t think I’ve completely lost my mind crying over a desk.
Even though Eddie can’t stand to be in the same room with me, he still ensured I had a base of operations.
It’s exactly like him, and yet another reason I love the man… not that it matters anymore.
From my little nook, I have a clear view into the living room, which also happens to be where Eddie has set up camp. He’s got a set of plans and various tools spread across a pair of sawhorses and a sheet of plywood.
I glance down at the table now serving as my desk and realize he could have used it, but he chose to give it to me.
Maybe he doesn’t hate me.
I’m ready to test that theory and thank him for his generosity when Romy glides into the room, all sunshine and effortless charm. I remember being that bright. That untouched by life.
Those were good days.
She props her elbows on the edge of the plywood, her chin resting in her hand as she gazes up at him. “So what do you do for fun around here?”
Eddie huffs out a quiet laugh, his gaze still on his paperwork. “I’m a single dad. Fun is a six-year-old and early bedtimes.”
“You have a son? Oh my God, do you have pictures?”
Eddie tosses down his pen and pulls out his phone. “Of course I’ve got pictures.”
She leans in, a little too close, peering over his shoulder at the screen. “He’s adorable.”
“He’s the greatest kid on the planet.” The words slip past my lips before I can stop them.
Suddenly the din quiets. You could hear a damn pin drop.
Both of them look at me, Romy with open curiosity and Eddie with barely concealed aggravation, his mouth set in a thin line, his eyes dark and stormy.
I don’t know if he’s pissed because I dared to interrupt his conversation with a pretty girl, because I brought up his son, or because I exist at all.
We’ll go with some fun combination of the three.
“Wait,” Romy says, gesturing between us. “You know his son?”
Shit. Talk about backing myself into a corner.
I wave my hand, dismissing her question like it’s no big deal. “Yeah. I mean, the whole crew does. He’s a really great kid. Eddie does an amazing job with him.”
If Romy notices my discomfort, she ignores it, choosing to pivot back to Eddie, her main focus.
She circles his makeshift desk. “That’s it. You work way too hard. We’re all going out tonight. I want to see the local scene.”
Eddie shakes his head. “I don’t—”
“Nope.” She cuts him off, wagging a teasing finger under his nose. “All the guys already said yes, so you have to come too.”
Instead of answering, he gestures toward her with an easy smile. “If you’re sticking around, you need to wear a hard hat. I don’t want anything happening to that pretty head.”
His voice is light. Teasing. Effortless. And more than I can fucking handle right now.
I retreat to my desk, away from the light that’s no longer mine.
An hour later, I’m flipping through a stack of color swatches and pattern books. I’m trying to look busy, unaffected, and useful, all of which are currently a stretch, considering a beautiful young woman is flirting with the man I love ten feet away.
“Got a second?”
I glance up to find Eddie standing in the doorway, hard hat tucked under his arm, a sheen of sweat across his forehead.
Damn it, but he looks so good that way.
Who am I kidding? He looks good every way.
I force a grin, hoping it doesn’t border on maniacal as I set aside the swatches. “Of course. I always have time for you.”
“Right,” he scoffs as he crosses the room, his boots thudding against the floor.
I bite back a wince. Of course he doesn’t believe me. Why would he?
I run my hands along the edge of the table. “Thank you for setting this up for me.”
He shrugs as he unrolls a set of blueprints. “Not a big deal.”
But it is to me. Even if he won’t admit it.
He stands beside me as he smooths the plans across my makeshift desk.
“Nolan confirmed the first several rooms. Living room, dining room, kitchen, foyer, guest bedroom, and a bath. We’re starting with demo across all of them, then tackling it one room at a time.
It’s a ridiculous setup, but what the client wants, the client gets. ”
I focus on the plans, even though I’m hyper-aware of how close he is and what it’s doing to my insides. “Okay. I’ll start pulling together sketches for those spaces.”
He taps the page. “I grabbed measurements for you. Everything you need should be here. Once we get the basics done—walls up, everything in place—you can start directing the guys on finishes and paint. But we’re nowhere near there yet.”
Seems this entire project is driving him nuts, and I’m not sure if it’s me being here, or Nolan Montague’s wild parameters.
I hesitate for half a second, then reach out and gingerly rest my hand against his arm. “I know he’s a lot,” I murmur, “but he thinks you’re brilliant.”
Eddie huffs out a breath, shooting a pointed glance at my hand. “Yeah. I don’t know about any of that.”
“Well, I do. He couldn’t stop talking about you at lunch.” I offer a small smile. “Look, I know he drives you crazy, so let me help with that. I’ve dealt with men like him before. I can be the go-between.”
Eddie jerks away, pulling his arm from my grip. “I’m perfectly capable of speaking to clients, Kiki. I might be younger than you, but I’m not an idiot.”
I raise my hands in surrender. “That’s not what I meant. At all. I’m just trying to help.”
“You help by doing the designs,” he snaps, stepping back. “That’s it.” He points at the plans on my desk. “I’ll leave those here. The guys are finishing up soon, then we’re heading to the bar. They’ve earned a beer after today.”
Maybe I’m tired. Maybe weeks of sleepless nights and crying fits have finally caught up with me. Maybe I’m getting my period. Who knows, but I’ve officially reached the end of my rope.
“Don’t forget about Romy,” I mutter. “She wants you to show her a good time, remember?”
He drops his hard hat onto the table and scrubs his face with both hands. Apparently, the man’s as worn out as I am. “So she claims.”
I nod and avert my eyes, fiddling with my swatches. “You should take her up on it.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
I maintain a staring contest with the table because there’s no way I can meet his heady stare right now. “It means she likes you. It’s obvious.”
He snorts out a laugh. “If you say so.”
I shrug, still refusing to meet his gaze. “She’s perfect for you, right? Young, beautiful, uncomplicated.”
You know when you open your mouth and make a situation a hundred times worse? Yeah, this is one of those times.
Eddie leans in and hooks a finger under my chin, lifting it until I have no choice but to look at him.
Anger and frustration roil in his dark eyes. “What are you doing, Kiki?” he hisses.
Trying not to fall apart, Eddie? Is that a good enough answer for you?
“Nothing. Just stating the obvious.”
“Are you trying to fix me up with another woman now? Is that what this is?”
“No.” I try to shake my head, but he holds me in place. “I just…” I swallow, forcing the words out. “It would be easy for you, right? To have a future with someone like Romy.”
Something shifts in him as his emotional armor snaps into place, shutting me out.
He releases my chin and straightens, tugging his shirt back into place. “I already have a kid and an ex-wife. I’m not in the market for the whole white picket fence thing again. Pretty sure fun is the only thing missing from my life right now. But hey, thanks for caring.”