Chapter 4
Chapter Four
I was late.
I hated running behind, especially for my shift, but I’d slept like shit again last night and managed to silence my alarm while half asleep.
I had Frankie to thank for my fitful night. Well, her and Crew. I’d never met him, but after the colorful picture she painted yesterday on the beach for me, the nightmares took shape.
Since I only knew Cole’s face, his face materialized in my dreams, but his eyes were wrong, and when he found me in the pool and pulled me under, I never resurfaced. Not once.
I’d drowned more times than I could count last night.
Just past six in the morning, I yawned as I rushed out of the house, a tumbler of iced boba in my hand and my bag slung over my shoulder. The sky above was concealed in darkness, the wind off the ocean whipping like a jilted lover hellbent on revenge. A storm brewed, and a wicked one by the looks of it.
I never minded gloomy days. I particularly liked them. Something in the overcast skies spoke to my soul as if the heavens knew I’d been touched by tragedy and related to my pain. There was a beauty to the earth being washed away by such violent rains, the kind that shot to the earth in sheets. A part of me longed to plop down in the sand, waiting and watching for the moody gray clouds to open up and pour rain.
The heaviness of moisture in the air made breathing a little difficult, but not in a bad way, and unless I wanted to risk getting soaked before my shift, I should bite the bullet and drive.
I stared at the car I rarely drove. Since the accident, getting behind the wheel gave me the worst anxiety. If it wasn’t absolutely necessary, I walked.
I was already late; driving would make me less late and guaranteed I stayed dry. Thanks to Cole, I didn’t have a spare outfit to fall back on. What I had on was it, not that Ann or Forest would mind if I showed up without my uniform. They would understand. They were far too understanding.
“Shit,” I mumbled under my breath, setting the tumbler down on the hood while I fished out the keys from the bottom of my bag.
A car door slammed shut from another driveway, startling me. Since I was already on edge, it didn’t take much to send my heart racing. Nor did it take long for me to figure out where the sound had come from.
Don’t look in that direction , I warned my eyes. They didn’t listen. Not a single part of my body ever listened to my brain. It was maddening as was the sight of Cole Riley leaning against a sleek black car, staring at me.
Messy, dark hair blew with the ocean breeze. It had the look as if he’d just woken and forked his fingers through it. Given the time of day, he probably had. I might be leaving, but Cole Riley was just coming home.
From where? I didn’t give a shit.
Go. Just go. Quickly!
My legs and feet didn’t immediately move, not until I scolded them a second time. I ripped my gaze from his but not before I caught the hint of a smirk on his face. I dropped the keys back into my bag and grabbed my bubble tea, moving away from the car.
Rattled at seeing him again, I couldn’t get behind the wheel, not when I didn’t feel steady and secure, so I started to walk, increasing my pace down the driveway.
I neared the edge when his voice reached me. “Quinn,” Cole called, much closer than I anticipated.
I should have kept going and pretended I hadn’t heard him .
I didn’t.
Mistake number one.
My second mistake happened when I glanced up into his eyes. Jesus . Something about the gold flecks in the center of all that darkness made me wonder if he was part cat. I faltered a step and almost dumped my entire drink. That would have royally pissed me off.
I scowled at the hand he placed under my elbow to steady me. “Shit,” I cursed, tea spilling onto my hand. I glanced down, seeing a few stains forming on my shirt. You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. Irritation flared, warming my body temperature. At least this morning was cooler than the last few days. Small miracles.
Switching the tumbler to my other hand, I shook off the dribbles of liquid from my skin. “I’m in a hurry,” I said with a sharp bite. “What do you want?”
The hand on my elbow slowly drew away, dragging down my arm in a gesture that felt too intimate. Little tingles danced on my skin. “Looks like you might need a new shirt. Did you want to borrow mine again?” he asked, his eyes coy.
My mouth tightened as I glared at Cole. “I don’t have time to banter with you. I haven’t even had time to drink my boba yet, and you don’t want to speak to me until after I’ve had at least one cup.”
He shoved his hands into the back pockets of his black jeans. “I can wait.” His eyes went to the tumbler grasped between my fingers.
“Did you not hear that I said I was in a hurry? I’m late for work.” No thanks to you , I added silently and started walking on the side of our street.
Cole followed beside me.
I cast him a sidelong glance, an exasperated sigh on my lips. “What are you doing?”
“Walking you to work. Turns out I’m hungry.”
I halted and whirled. Perhaps a bit too fast. By the time Cole realized I’d stopped, he bumped into me, our fronts colliding. His hands went straight to my hips, and an image of the other night in the pool flashed through my memory. He leaned in, and I caught the faintest whiff of alcohol. Normally, the scent churned my stomach, inducing a combination of panic and rage .
I waited for my emotions to get the best of me.
His fingers pressed lightly into my hips.
Jerking back, I moved away from his too warm hands. “What can I do to get you to leave me alone?”
His lips curved at the corners, and the fact my curt tone amused him spiked my blood pressure. He angled his head to the side. “Have breakfast with me.”
“Everything about your expression tells me that’s a lie.”
He chuckled, rocking back on his heels. “So, is that a yes?”
The movement drew my eyes to the tattoos on his arms. I licked my lips, tasting the gloss I hurriedly slapped on before rushing out. “What do you want?” I demanded.
“So much, Arie.” With a haunting smirk, he tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “Do you still have my shirt? The one you stole the other night.”
The reminder he’d seen me naked lit a flame of embarrassment. I shook my head as the wind kicked up, breaking free the blue-tinted tendrils of hair he had just tucked away. “Go home, Cole. Get some sleep.”
One side of his mouth curled up in a roguish smile. “I would if I could get the picture of you in my pool out of my head.”
I glanced around to make sure no one had heard him. As if I needed more rumors about me started around town. “Are you still drunk?” I hissed, lowering my voice.
“I wish I was. Let me give you a ride to work.”
“Not going to happen,” I started walking again. “I have strict rules about getting in cars with guys who look like you.”
His damn smile grew, the gold flecks in his eyes catching on sunlight. “And just how do I look?”
In no world did Cole Riley not know or think he was God’s gift to women. Hell, probably all people. “Like trouble. I have enough problems. I’ll get the shirt back to you tonight. I don’t have time to run back inside the house. Happy?”
“Did you sleep in it?” he purred.
“What?” I blinked, unable to believe I’d heard him correctly. He wouldn’t have the audacity to ask such a question. Would he ?
He had. And the grin beaming on his face was like the sun breaking through the storm clouds. “You did. Good. I want it to smell like you when you return it.”
“In that case, I’ll make sure to wash it first,” I replied snidely. At this rate, I’d never get to work.
“You’re cruel, Quinn.”
“Does that shit actually work on girls?” It was an honest question. Something about Cole baffled me and yet at the same time piqued my curiosity.
“You tell me?”
I plowed ahead, my jaw clenching. “I can’t figure out if you are trying to be charming or creepy.”
“I’ll see you after work, Quinn.” He winked before turning around and going back the way we came from. I didn’t bother to glance over my shoulder, but something in his tone left me with a lingering feeling that stayed with me. I couldn’t figure out if it was fear, dread, or excitement. Maybe a bit of all three.
I made it two blocks from the diner when heavy rains plunged from the gathered clouds of darkness, drenching me to the bone.
Just my fucking luck.
B eeeeep. Beeeeep.
Two long alerts sounded on the diner’s TV, scaring the shit out of me for a few heartbeats. It was followed by an emergency broadcast, and I stopped to read the message scrolling across the screen. The National Weather Service has issued a hurricane warning for this area. Take cover and urgently complete efforts to protect life and property.
Setting aside the silverware rolled in a napkin, I turned to Miranda beside me. “Why are we just now hearing about the hurricane?” These messages were usually sent out days in advance to prepare the community.
Mir reached for another set of forks and spoons to wrap up. “Where have you been? They’ve been sending out warnings all week. Even advisi ng possible evacuations for a few towns. We’re one of them, and judging by the severity of this storm, I wouldn’t doubt if we’re next on the list.”
I rarely watched the news, and I didn’t listen to the radio, but still, this was the type of information that spread around town easily. Cursing under my breath, I thought about Dad. If I’d known yesterday on my day off, I would have prepped the house. Now I barely had time.
Explained why the diner had such a slow morning.
Ann came out of the kitchen looking frazzled. Pieces of long silvery hair fell out of her usual neat bun. “Girls, we’re closing the diner.” She went to the door and flipped the sign around, peering out the blurry window. We only had two guests who were finishing their breakfasts. They were regulars. “The kitchen is already starting to close up.”
“Arie and I will get the hurricane shutters up,” Mir offered, dropping the last of the prepped silverware into the bin.
Twenty minutes later, most of the guys in the kitchen were gone as well as Miranda. I lied and told her I had a ride, or she would have insisted on driving me home. Mir lived on the opposite side of town, and she still had to pick up her kid. I didn’t want to risk her getting caught in the middle of the hurricane because of me.
The harbor looked like a ghost town. So wholly different from my last shift when people had been scrambling about. Most of the shops had also closed, windows boarded up with storm shutters, giving the strip an eerie feeling.
I breathed in the mist and fresh rain that continued to plummet from the skies. Hurricane sirens blared in the distance, sending a shiver down my spine.
I should have taken the car. So stupid.
Walking home in a potential hurricane…risky.
Fuck. My. Life.
I could call Sadie. Pulling out my phone, I checked the time. She would already be at my house with my dad. I should send her a message and tell her to go home while it was still safe.
My fingers flew over the keys, typing out a quick text when a black SUV rolled to a stop in front of the diner, its tires splashing up the inch of wat er covering the road and soaking my black pants which had only recently dried.
A deep scowl pressed into my lips as a dozen curse words flew readily to my mouth. I lifted my head to let loose a string of colorful words, thinking it couldn’t get worse.
Oh, but it could.