A Stone in the Sea(50)

No harm, no foul.

My gaze got glued to my feet when Kallie’s head poked up in interest, grinning at me with too much sweet and innocence and childhood intrigue.

Curious.

Curious.

Curious.

Look where that had gotten us.

I edged around the other side of Shea, feeling protected by the butcher-block island that took up a good share of the layout of the country kitchen.

A smirk threatened.

Country. Through and through.

But now was not the time to go noticing how fucking adorable Shea was, her pint-sized twin pulling up a close second.

“Hey,” I attempted, shifting on my feet as I dragged a shaky hand through the mess on top of my head.

She chewed at that plump pink bottom lip, and a blush crept up her neck.

God, it was way too obvious where her thoughts went traveling, and damn it all if my mind didn’t want to go along for the ride.

“Good morning,” she murmured low.

I jerked my head up when the swinging door flew open and someone came barreling in. “Hey, Shea, have you seen my—”

The woman’s words clipped off and she stopped like she’d slammed into a brick wall. This plain girl with a brown ponytail, and even browner eyes. “What the fu…” Her mouth formed the words without her tongue vocalizing them, and Shea visibly cringed.

The barely contained distress that had taken up residence in my stomach ratcheted up by a thousand notches.

The girl who’d come rushing in looked weakly toward Shea before she turned to Kallie who’d started pounding on the table top. “Hungry…hungry…hungry,” she chanted. “Momma’s makin’ pancakes.”

Irritation buzzed through me. This had to be the most awkward moment of my entire life.

“Who are…?” The girl shook her head, looking to Shea for an answer.

I shifted some more.

Shea peeked at me, then turned to the girl who was her…sister?…and said, “This is Baz.”

No. There was no resemblance. This had to be a roommate, or more likely a friend with the way she was looking at me in outright horror. A friend I was most definitely not expecting and a friend who I most definitely wasn’t prepared for. Not the worry that struck up in her eyes or the little pinpoint daggers that suddenly took them over, like she’d just summed me up and decided I was someone to hate.

She wouldn’t be wrong, but it sure as hell didn’t make the situation any easier.

Shea ignored her friend gaping at me from the door and cleared her throat.

“Do you want coffee?” she asked me with just as much discomfort as I was drowning in. She gestured with her chin toward the coffee maker that was dribbling the last drops of a full pot into a metal carafe. “I’m making breakfast.” She began to ramble, it sounding a whole lot like a plea. “Are you hungry? I don’t know what you like…I can throw on some eggs if you’d prefer something different.”

I raked a hand through my hair. “I…uh…” Over my shoulder, I looked to the door that I guessed had to lead out to the side of Shea’s massive house, to the cute little girl with too wide eyes that spilled over with innocence and joy, back to Shea who was watching me in a way I wished she wouldn’t.

With a hope there was no use hoping for.

“I think I’m just gonna…go.”

Shea’s face crumpled and her jaw locked, as if she was physically trying to master whatever was gripping her inside, this sweet girl struggling to hold back tears that collected fast in her eyes.

Tears I put there.

Shit.

“Shea,” I murmured. My hand darted toward her then halted in the air. Honestly, I wasn’t sure I could handle touching her. I dropped my voice so only she could hear. “That’s not what I meant.”

But we both knew that’s exactly what I meant. I had every intention of escaping out her door.

And walking away was going to fucking hurt because standing here, we both knew we wouldn’t be seeing each other again. I was going back to Anthony’s, packing up our shit, and getting the hell out of Savannah. Anthony thought I’d be safe here, but I was in deeper than I’d ever been before.

Trouble.

Told Anthony that shit followed me wherever I went. More like I was a magnet for it, lured right to a girl who I knew without a doubt could turn my life upside down.

She pulled her face out of my reach and her eyes slipped closed, blocking out the sight of me. Her voice was strained and deathly quiet, but I felt the impact of every word. “The last thing I need are lies from you. Please…just go. Don’t make me cry in front of my daughter.”

Swallowing around the rock scraping up my throat, I nodded. I took a furtive glance at her friend and her daughter, knowing I was nothing but a bastard.