Chapter 13
KELSEY
I can’t believe he had the nerve to ask me to be roommates or whatever the hell weird arrangement he had in mind.
I guess he did say spare apartment? I don’t quite remember, because it was all a blur of anger and resentment and I wasn’t about to stick around and unpack that in front of him.
It was already bad enough that I broke down for him to see.
I hate being vulnerable like that. I try my best to hide my emotions from everyone.
For some reason though, Sutton Sterling disarms me.
My resting bitch face crumbles when I’m around him.
Then I’m spilling my guts, and I don’t know why it’s like that with him.
I certainly wasn’t ready to figure out why in the remains of my grandma’s old living room—not that you could tell that’s what it was anymore after practically every wall in the first floor was removed during their renovation.
Only the creaky front door hinges and old wood framed bay window remind me that it is in fact the very spot I spent so much of my childhood.
Like I would ever consider staying there a minute longer than it takes to walk in and drop off a coffee delivery. Or at least that’s what I want to tell myself. I ran out of there and spent the last fifteen minutes walking Felix down the alley behind Cowgirl Coffee, trying to calm down.
As much as I’ve tried to clear my mind, I still feel the ghost of his soothing touch on my shoulder. I feel the lingering caress of his voice, making the hair on my neck stand. If I would have stayed any longer, who knows what I would have agreed to.
Clearing that thought from my mind, I turn the corner and reach Cowgirl Coffee. Just as I get to the front door, Monica steps out.
“Oh, perfect timing.”
I let out a confused hum. “Are you heading out already?”
“Yep. Lock up for me?”
I nod, confused why she’s leaving through the front door. “Yeah. Sure?”
She pats Felix on the head before she starts down the street walking backwards so she can call out. “Oh, and don’t hate me!”
“For what?” I call back, but she just waves with a wry grin before turning back.
Is she skipping away?
Whatever.
I shake my head and walk in, letting Felix off his leash once we’re inside.
Instead of running to his bed like he normally does, he bolts into the seating area.
I nearly jump when I see Sutton sitting on the big oversized chair by the fireplace.
Of course my damn dog wastes no time leaping over the coffee table and right into Sutton’s waiting arms.
Well, I guess I know why she said don’t hate me.
I head toward the counter and sit down at one of the stools at the serving area. Propping my elbows up on the counter, I rest my chin on my fists and look across the shop to where Sutton is. Felix is still rolling around in his lap getting belly rubs.
Whoever said dogs pick up on their owner’s feelings toward a person never met Felix because my dog has loved that man since the night he tackled him in the entryway of my old apartment.
Ever since then, if Felix even gets a whiff of him, it’s all belly rubs and head scritches.
If I wasn’t so irritated with Sutton, I would find the whole thing attractive.
My dog doesn’t like men. It’s not that he hates them.
He’s just aloof and quiet, disinterested in their company.
He doesn’t warm up to most people. He’s just like me, preferring limited social interaction.
There’s one notable exception to Felix’s ambivalence toward people and right now, he’s sitting in my place of employment reminding me of that.
Sutton finally looks up from his shenanigans with Felix and his eyes find me. I quickly shift my gaze away, almost embarrassed that he caught me watching them.
My eyes fall back to the counter and I grab the pile of free stickers sitting by the card scanner and start neatly restacking them.
I don’t even have to look up from my nervous habit to know that he’s walking over to me.
From the dull thud of his boots on the old wooden floors to the jingle of Felix’s collar, who I am sure is following right beside him.
Seriously, whose side is my dog on right now?
“What? Are you here to offer me a free spa day and dinner at Gloria’s? Really, what else does the always happy Sutton Sterling have to offer now?”
He chuckles under his breath, but shakes his head no. Instead, he just walks up to the other stool beside me.
I turn and look right at him. The mix of anger and the other emotion that I feel when I see him clash inside me and I don’t know which one to follow right now.
Why would he ever think to offer me that? I’m not going to debase myself and relive every painful memory of watching my Grandma’s home be turned into some uptight spot for tourists.
“I already told you no. So can you just please let me wallow in my own self pity today?” Alright. Anger it is, I guess. “Why would you think I’d want that? Also why are you—”
“I’m sorry.” His normally confident, deep voice is laced with an icy, remorseful tone I’ve never heard from him. It cuts right through my anger, catching me off guard.
“You’re what?” I ask, rearing back and shaking my head in confusion. “Sorry for what?”
“I never knew.” The expression on his face is so serious it’s almost unnerving.
“Knew about what? You’re freaking me out. Stop acting weird,” I say, trying to lighten the mood but his expression doesn’t change.
“Gloria’s.” He swallows and I watch his Adam’s apple bob. “The house. I never knew it was your grandma’s. I didn’t know it was connected to your family at all.”
It feels like all of the air is sucked out of the room while I try to process his words.
I look at him, taking in every feature of his striking face, searching for any hint of a joke or a game. There isn’t though. There’s just him, looking at me like he never has before—completely unsure of himself, completely at a loss for words, just like me.
“How?” I breathe out, trying to find the air to form more words. “What do you mean you didn’t know? How could you not?”
I don’t understand how the man could build a whole damn restaurant and renovate not one, but two, apartments and not know who the prior owner was.
“She was your mom’s mom, right? Different last name?”
“Yeah.” I actually haven’t thought of that before. My aunt was the executor of the estate and the name Rivers would not have been on any of the paperwork.
He nods to himself, still facing away from me. I look down to notice Sutton is scratching the top of Felix’s head absentmindedly.
“Slade was the one that handled all the property searches and then the paperwork. I was only brought in once he had picked out the place and finalized designs. By then, it was a done deal and I was just watching the construction and working on the menu before finally running it.”
He drops his head and from this angle, I see the corner of his lips lift into something between a grimace and a weak smile when Felix rests his head on his thigh. In this moment, I don’t mind that Felix likes him this much because he needs Felix more than I do and bless my dog for knowing that.
I look back at him, but I don’t interrupt while he continues.
“I tried to think back on how I never figured it out. You probably know this, but most of our customers are tourists or transplants, so it makes sense none of them would have brought it up. We only have a few regulars and none are really old locals.”
“No one from town ever told you?” I ask, still trying to wrap my head around this.
“No.” He finally turns back and looks at me. “And you’re right. I’m not here as much as I would like to be. I don’t pick up on things in town I probably should.”
Would like to be? I’ve always assumed he leaves because he wants to be somewhere else. I’ve never considered that maybe he has to leave.
He shrugs and continues. “And I guess my only real friends here are TJ and Tanner. TJ’s not from here, so he wouldn’t have known, and Tanner isn’t much for words, so I don’t know. I just can’t believe I never picked up on it. I’m sorry.”
Looking at him now, missing pieces start to fall into place and so many of our interactions over the years start to make sense now.
Worse though, a sinking feeling starts to creep into the back of my head.
Maybe this is partly my fault. “I don’t know what to say.
I’m sorry too. I just assumed you knew. I—”
His eyes go wide and he shakes his head. “No. You don’t have anything to apologize for. It’s my fault. I might not have known to begin with, but I definitely should have figured it out.”
Not knowing what to do with this confession and sudden realization, I go quiet and lean back onto the counter, resting my head in my palms. What the hell do I do with that?
I’ve spent years resenting someone because…
what? I thought he did something he didn’t?
What the hell does that make me in this scenario?
I groan into my palms before facing him. He’s still sitting there, watching me curiously. His soft, blue eyes peer into my soul and suddenly I question everything about him I assumed over the last two years.
“I’m sor—”
“No. I said don’t apologize. I do have one question though.”
I nod. “Sure. Anything.” That feels like the least I can do right now.
“Why did you never tell me?”
That is the question I wish I had a good answer for. Unfortunately, I do not.
I can barely look him in the eye on a good day because I was either pissed at him or remembering that night. Today, we can throw embarrassment onto the pile of emotions he stirs up in me.
So instead of being a grown ass woman and looking him in the eye, like he just did with me, I hide my face and mumble into my palms.
“I figured there was no point. I assumed you knew and anyways, what was there to do about it. So I did what any emotionally mature twenty-seven year old would do and ghosted you. After awhile, I just thought you’d moved on.”