Chapter 8 #2
“It was all that was available,” I squeak.
“What’s going on?” Delia asks, finding her way over to the conversation I desperately want to get out of.
“Kayla here is renting Billy Reacher’s apartment,” Kyle says, and Delia grimaces.
“Oh, that’s bad,” she whistles under her breath, crossing her surprisingly ripped arms.
“Look, why don’t you come over and borrow my shower tonight?” Kyle offers, his hand coming to gently grab my elbow.
“I don’t want to impose.” I’m shaking my head and declining before I can even think it through.
“It wouldn’t be,” he promises. “I live alone in a house that has 2 bathrooms. I can spare a shower.”
“Isn’t that a little weird?” I ask.
“Maybe if you were to live anywhere else,” Delia chuckles. “But it’s pretty on par for Castlebrook.” I want to ask her if she was borrowing his shower when she was caught sneaking out his window, but I bite my tongue. I will not become another cog in the gossip machine.
“If you’re sure?” I ask, chewing on the inside of my cheek.
I grew up in Chicago. If someone I had met a month prior offered their shower to me, I would ghost them.
But Delia has a point. If Kyle were to try and murder me in his house, everyone would know where to find my body, or at least who to ask.
“Honestly, you look like you could use a nice warm shower,” Kyle says, squeezing my elbow, smiling sympathetically.
“Okay, yeah.”
“Leave your number on my clipboard, and I’ll text you my address and a time.” He gestures to where his notes are sitting on a picnic-style table.
“Thank you, Kyle.”
“Anytime. Seriously. Now go sit so we can get these lessons started.” I scribble my number on a piece of blank paper clipped to Kyle’s clipboard, and then make my way to my usual seat. I don’t even grimace as I walk to my seat, cause I already feel so gross from my lack of shower.
There’s just something so wrong about starting the week without feeling fresh after a good shower.
As per usual, Ben and his father are nowhere to be seen as the lessons start.
I do my headcount, making sure there are no boys hiding in the change room, and then settle into my chair with my daily planner.
I’m slowly starting to feel caught up, and less like I’m drowning. Right in time for the end of the year.
I haven’t heard anything from Harry about a position for next year, but I’m trying not to panic just yet. Things are hectic this time of year. I have my lease for a year, though, and I don’t think Billy is going to be too willing to break it if I end up not having a job come September.
“Here.” A pair of yellow flip flops is slapped down onto the top of the table where I’m working. A pair of corded arms brace themselves on the arms of my chair, caging me in, and minty breath fans over me. “I don’t want to hear that my brother carried you anywhere, ever again.”
“Whoa,” I breathe, looking up into Colter’s dark eyes.
“Do you understand?” His jaw ticks.
“I didn’t ask him to carry me,” I defend, but it comes out weak. All I can think of is the warmth radiating off of Colter, and the way his arms brush against mine ever so slightly, sending sparks shooting up my spine.
“Oh, trust me, he won’t be doing it again,” Colter pushes up, releasing me from the cage of his arms. “But, I want to make sure you understand the rules too.”
“The rules?” Without his arms around me, my brain seems to restart, and I have to replay the whole conversation in my head to fully understand it. “What rules?”
“My brother doesn’t touch you.”
“I think that’s something you need to talk to your brother about, not me,” I scoff. “You don’t get to tell me who can and cannot touch me.”
His jaw flutters, once, twice, three times. “Kayla.”
“Colter.”
We stare at each other, neither yielding to the other. With him standing over me, you would think I would feel intimidated, but if anything, I feel empowered.
“Fucking woman,” he grumbles under his breath, running a hand down his face.
“Fucking man,” I mimic, rolling my eyes.
“Wear the flip flops.” He points to the shoes before dropping into his chair. The white plastic sags under his weight, and I say a silent prayer that it breaks and sends him to the floor.
“Thanks.” I slip my feet into the shoes, stretching my legs out in front of me and wiggling my toes. They’re a little big, but they’ll work. “But why?”
“I heard you dislike the pool floor. This way you’re not tempted to take another ride.”
“Again, it wasn’t voluntary,” I correct. And to think, I was almost excited to see this ornery cowboy this morning. “You should be lecturing your brother about proper etiquette. Not me.”
“Trust me, we’ve had a long talk.” His lips curl into the barest hint of a smirk as he leans back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. The air between us is thick, charged with energy that buzzes around us as a constant reminder.
I glance at the clock—only thirty minutes left in the lessons. I can do this.
As I’m about to open my planner and force myself to look at the lesson plans for the week, I hear Ben’s voice from the far side of the pool. His loud, excited chatter cuts through the low hum of the room, and I can’t help but smile. I’m pretty sure it’s illegal for a kid to be that cute.
For a second, I let myself get lost in the sound of his laughter. It’s the kind of laughter that makes you forget everything else. The kind of innocence you can only find in kids, before they get wrapped up in all the adult nonsense.
But then Colter shifts in his seat, and the moment is broken.
He’s watching me, still with that intense look in his eyes.
Maybe it's because I'm just too tired to care about anything except getting through the day and then going to Kyle's for that shower, but my patience runs out.
“Do you ever stop staring?” I snip, unable to resist.
“I’m just making sure you’re not causing trouble,” he mutters.
I roll my eyes. “Right, cause I’m such a troublemaker. You should’ve seen me in Chicago. I was the trouble.” It’s a lie. I was the quiet bookworm who preferred to stay in and read rather than go out on the town, but he doesn’t need to know that.
That gets a reaction. Colter raises an eyebrow, and I catch a glimpse of something behind his stoic mask. It’s only there for a second, but I see it—amusement? Or maybe curiosity?
"Chicago, huh?" he says, his voice softer now. "That’s a long way from here."
“Yeah, well, not all of us get to stay in our hometowns forever. Some of us need to get away.”
“Cause you got bored?” He leans back, the lines around his eyes tightening. "Is that what you're planning to do when you get bored here? Leave?"
I freeze. The question throws me off balance, more than I’d like to admit.
I shift in my seat, suddenly uncomfortable.
I don’t have an answer for that. The only thing I’m certain of is that I don’t want to go back to Chicago.
Back to my brother’s life. It’s not a bad life, it’s just not mine. I want something that’s mine.
“I don’t know," I mumble, but I can feel my heart rate pick up. "I guess we’ll see.” Colter doesn't press. He just watches me, his jaw tightening again like he’s thinking over the words carefully.
The rest of the lesson drags on, and by the time we wrap up for the day, I’m almost relieved.
I gather my things slowly, trying not to rush, but Colter waits for me, obviously not in a rush either.
I wave to Delia as I walk past, and she looks from Colter to me, then gives me a thumbs up. I don’t understand.
“See you tonight, Kayla,” Kyle calls from across the pool, waving.
“See you!” I call back, smiling thankfully at the man. I clasp my hands together like I’m praying, offering silent praise to the man who’s saving my life.
“What are you doing with him?” Colter huffs, nodding his head in the direction of the swim instructor.
“He invited me over for a shower.”
“Excuse me?” I’m pulled back abruptly by a hand that circles around my bicep gently—cause his hands are so big they can circle my upper arm. Why is that so attractive?
He holds me lightly, but firmly, making sure I can’t escape his question. “That is not what I meant,” I huff.
“How else could it be meant?” He almost sounds like he’s on his last thread with me, ready to lose his chill. When I first met the grumpy man in my classroom, I had no idea it would be so easy to get under his skin.
“The shower in my apartment isn’t working. Kyle asked about my shitty mood, and when he found out, he offered up his shower.” I explain the situation like I’m talking to a child. The actual children all stand lined up, waiting for their supervisors.
“No.”
“What do you mean, no? You can’t just say no.”
“Shower at the ranch.”
“Kyle lives in town, it’s easier.”
“No.”
“Colter.”
“Kayla.”
“What is wrong with you today?” I huff, exasperated. What time warp did I wake up in that Colter is so interested in my social life?
“Nothing is wrong with me.” He has the audacity to look confused by my question, as if he hasn’t been completely unhinged since dropping shoes on the table for me.
“Fine. Look, I have a job to do, so I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Kayla.”
“Thanks for the shoes.” I pull away from him, smiling excitedly as I approach my kiddos.
“Are we ready? I think if we can get dressed, then we can have an extra-long recess today.” The kids cheer, not understanding that extra recess time is as much for the teacher as it is for them.
A little trick for the days you’d prefer to stay in bed, but don’t have the energy for sub plans. “Alright! Let’s go!”
I leave the grumpy cowboy trailing behind me, and I don’t look back. No matter how much I want to.