Chapter Three #2
“Yeah, well.” I glance away from the large spider in the corner and pretend I don’t see it. “Yay, climate change.”
“Sure.”
I frown at his tone, distracted. “What do you mean, ‘sure’?”
“Nothing,” he says, as I pull the heavy box toward the door. “I’ve just never really believed in that stuff.”
I stop where I am, hunched over our prize like a little goblin. “Are you serious?”
“It’s just weather,” he shrugs. “Weather changes. I don’t know why everyone keeps freaking out about it.” He tries to take the box from me when I just stare at him, and I immediately tug it back.
“It’s how it’s changing that matters,” I say, trying to keep my voice level. “And it’s changing far too fast.”
He nods, but his expression remains infuriatingly blank. “I guess.”
“No, there’s no guessing. There’s just fact. And it’s up to us to— you’re messing with me.”
That little lip twitch, the one I’m beginning to realize is his tell, stops me mid-rant, and he smiles at my obvious, if not furious, relief.
“Sorry.”
I am this close to hitting him in the nose again. My pulse is skyrocketing with the usual sickly adrenaline I get whenever I think I’m going to have to argue with someone.
“You’re mean.”
“And you’re cute when you panic.”
“Uh-uh. No.”
“Excuse me?”
“I’m too tired to flirt,” I tell him, and his smile widens. “I mean it. I can’t. I’ll say something stupid. I’m already saying something stupid. No flirting.”
“Fine,” he promises. “No flirting.” He grabs the box before I can stop him, but otherwise doesn’t move, and the shed suddenly feels very small, and he feels very close, and I’m not even thinking about all the spiders in here because—
“You’re still doing it!” I accuse, and he laughs. “You’re looking at me.”
“I’m not allowed to look at you now?”
“Not like that,” I tell him, gesturing him through the door. “Eyes straight. Two paces between us.”
“You’re a very demanding person,” he says, but does as he’s told.
“And you’re not a climate change denier,” I confirm, following him out and bolting the door behind me.
“Cross my heart.”
“What are you then?”
“A Libra. And an on-site project coordinator.”
“Sounds official.”
“It is.” He puts the box next to the fence and cups his hands together. “After you.”
I come to a stop beside him, hesitating. This felt a lot easier when he just grabbed me. In fact, I kind of wish he would do that again so I wouldn’t have to think too much, but he just stands there patiently, waiting for me to move.
“Don’t drop me,” I finally warn, and he nods as I place one probably very dirty sneaker into his hands and hold on to his shoulders.
Up I go.
I catch my breath at the fluid movement, one that for a brief second makes me feel like I’m flying, and then I’m grabbing hold of the slats and hauling myself up.
He passes me the box before pulling himself over to the other side and taking it from me again, and I’m just swinging my leg around when he reaches up to help me.
“Thanks,” I mumble, as his hands drag briefly up my thighs before grasping my hips. Heat blooms under his touch, and I try not to react as he lowers me down, even though a ridiculous part of me wants to collapse backward and have him catch me, like some sort of Austen heroine.
Like I said, tired.
He lets go as soon as I’m back on terra firma but doesn’t step away, and his undivided attention suddenly makes me a little shy.
“So you work at the pub?” he asks, when I don’t say anything.
“I’m a bartender.”
“That’s cool. You like it?”
“Yeah. I mean, I—”
“Katie?”
I startle as Adam appears around the side of the building, shining a torch in our direction.
“I was about to send out a search party,” he says.
“Sorry. I lost the keys. We think they’re down the well.”
“You lost the— we?” Adam stops before us, and Callum winces as he swings the light right at him.
“If I wake up with all my sight tomorrow morning, it’ll be a miracle,” he mutters.
“Callum works for Glenmill,” I explain. “He’s going to see about stopping the traffic, so I can get some sleep and not want to yell at everyone all the time.”
“How nice of him.” The words are as flat as Adam’s expression because, apparently, being polite is just not something we do anymore.
“Adam owns the pub,” I tell Callum. “Speaking of which, who’s looking after it?”
“Gemma,” Adam says. “Who I don’t trust, so we better get back.” He says the last bit looking right at Callum, a dismissal that’s impossible to ignore lacing his words.
But if Callum’s surprised by his rudeness, he doesn’t show it, just grabs the box and hands it to me. “Better get going myself.”
“Thanks for your help,” I say. “And for looking into the noise.”
“I aim to please,” he says. “Or at least to reroute. Can you…” He glances around, looking lost. “I parked by some recycling bins?”
A very basic no echoes through me at the thought of him leaving, making me want to welcome him inside and pour him a drink. But Adam is still radiating displeasure beside me, and it doesn’t take a genius to know he wouldn’t approve.
“That way,” I say, gesturing up to the main road. “Near the east entrance to the forest. Take a left.”
“Thanks.” His eyes flick to Adam and, with a final nod of farewell, he disappears back around the pub. Adam waits for his footsteps to fade before taking the box in one hand and passing me the torch with the other, his face stony. But I’ve known the man too long to put up with it.
“What crawled up your hole?”
“What?”
I wave a hand in the direction Callum went. “You were rude to him. We’re still open. You should have invited him in for a drink.”
“Legally, we’re not open at all and you really want to bring him inside when Nush is ready to scratch the eyes out of anyone associated with that hotel?”
“That is such an exaggeration.” I hope. And it still doesn’t excuse his sudden change in mood. Adam isn’t the friendliest of people when you first meet him, but he’s usually a little more civil than that.
“Seriously,” I press. “What’s up?”
“It’s nothing,” he says, nudging me back toward the pub. “Just help me get the place lit up and then go home to Maeve. You need to get some sleep. And to stop talking to strangers. And what do you mean, the keys are down the well?”
I wince as his tone sharpens at the last bit and follow him back inside, trying to explain.