Chapter 19 #3
I sit straighter up, confused. “You two weren’t a thing before?”
He laughs, but it doesn’t hold anything comical. “No, and not even after.”
My mind tries to wrap itself around his words, his confession.
“I didn’t start seeing Molly until over two years ago. And once we became a couple, she sunk her talons in. Molly has been playing the long game. This is what happens when you hurt someone by using them to hurt another.” He rubs his face.
My eyes widen. “Holy hell,” I say, confused, “but you’re going to marry her.”
“That wasn’t by my design. I did what I needed to do. For my family.” I watch as he props himself against the wooden railing, facing me.
“I’m sorry, Bohdi. But I’m confused,” I tell him because I’m not sure what he is even telling me, or why he’s telling me.
“If you hadn’t come back to Driftwood Bay, I don’t believe any of this would have come to the surface or that I would have found my balls. The Williams have all been playing a long game, not just Molly. Do you know who your dad fought to buy August Cove from?”
My hand flies to my mouth then drops. “Them?”
Bohdi nods his head yes.
Standing, because I can’t sit a second longer, I pace the deck.
“So that’s why she’s been emailing me and being persistent about when I was going to go live with the sale of the cottage.
Molly’s tantrum in the store.” It all lets me know Bohdi isn’t lying.
Stopping and turning to look at Bohdi, I ask, “Why are you telling me all this now?”
“I’m not like them. I can’t just pretend these people aren’t horrible. And I want you to know what could be in store for you by you staying in Driftwood Bay.”
Bohdi opens his mouth and then closes it. “What?”
“Nothing.” He shakes his head.
“Spill it, Bohdi.” I walk closer to him.
“The water leak and damage in the cottage. That wasn’t an accident. They purposefully had it tampered with.”
“And you knew about this?” I accuse, cutting my eyes over to him
Holding up his hands, “No. No, August, I just found out about it.”
“I don’t give a shit what they try to do.
They won’t get this place. They didn’t get it before with my father, and they will not get it now from me,” I seethe.
Not believing that is who fought my dad so long ago.
Did he even know it was them? I would have thought he’d tell me, just to prepare myself.
But then I remembered what Bohdi said. They play the long game.
My dad only said he fought with a land developer, never mentioned a name.
“What is her award for winning her game?”
Bohdi raises his shoulder. “I don’t know.” He doesn’t look me in the eyes when he says this, and I know…well, knew Bohdi’s signs of not telling the truth, and that was one of them.
The wind picks up and out of nowhere, the sky opens and pours on us. We both just stand in the rain.
Furrowing my brow at him as water drips down my face, I want to dig deeper, but it isn’t for me to. He didn’t have to come here and tell me what he knew, but he did. “Thank you for letting me know.”
“You’re still going to stay, right?” His now beige shirt is darker from the rain.
I laugh, wiping my eyes of the water droplets hanging on my eyelashes. “I’m not leaving anytime soon. I’m fixing to buy a bakery.” I widen my eyes at him, and we both laugh in unison. It is a weird sound to hear, one I used to love.
“I heard you’re staying at the bed-and-breakfast.” I quickly close my mouth, stopping my next sentence.
“Fucking Kai.” He blows out before shaking his head, trying to rid some of the water from his hair.
Turning to go back into the cottage, I stop once I’m inside, looking back at Bohdi, still standing at the railing.
Just do it, I tell myself. “Hey, Bohdi. If you want, you can crash on the sofa tonight.” I turn around, heading straight back to my bedroom, shutting the door behind me.
Giving him the option to choose. With the rain, I didn’t want him thinking he had to drive his motorcycle on the wet roads.
Changing into dry clothes, I lay in bed wondering if he had stayed. It’s been quiet outside my room. Just the thought of him possibly being in my living room is keeping me awake. I toss and turn for over an hour, looking at my phone; it’s now close to twelve at night.
Staring at the dark wall, flinging my covers from my body, I tiptoe to the bedroom door, opening it.
The house is dark. Did I leave it this dark?
My breath hitches when I spot Bohdi laying on the sofa, shirt off, hand thrown behind his head. I stand there looking at him. Fixing to turn on my heels, “Can’t sleep?” in his gruff voice meets my ears.
I lean against the corner of the wall, ankles now crossed. “I couldn’t,” I say truthfully, hoping the dark will swallow me whole.
The tension is thick in the room. Ebbing with desire and flowing with need.
“Come here.” His voice allures me.
My hand has a mind of its own, going to my lips, running my fingers across them, remembering what he felt like on them.
Biting my lip, I push off the wall, taking unsure steps to close the space between him and me as he lies on the sofa.
His hand reaches out when I stand next to his lying form.
I feel the tips of his fingers glide up my leg, raising shivers in his wake as he stops at my thigh.
My breathing hitches, my head falls back.
This man does not know how he could undo me by just this touch, and it scares me.
His fingers keep traveling up under my sleep shorts. “Is this okay?” he whispers.