“Talking,” I say.
Kellan lets out a most irritating snort, and I shoot him a murderous look.
Now Mandy will never believe me.
“Hmm. I bet,” she says and stares right at me.
I shrug and remain silent as Kellan fills our cups.
“Anyway, guys, I have an announcement to make,” Mandy says and takes a sip of her coffee. “I’m leaving today.”
I stare at her. “What are you talking about?”
“Well, I wanted to talk to you last night, but you wouldn’t open the door. I wanted to tell you that Josh, his cousin—” She points to Kellan. “—is taking a trip to Helena. I want to go with him.”
I shake my head, confused. “But that’s not where the gig takes place.”
“I know,” Mandy says. “I’ll be back in time to see Mile High.”
“What about…our plan?”
And me? I want to yell.
Mandy shrugs. “You wanted a vacation. That’s exactly what you’re getting. Kellan will take good care of you. Won’t you?” She slaps his shoulder to get his attention.
“I’ll make sure to feed her,” Kellan says and winks at me.
“See?” Mandy says. “Problem taken care of.”
I stare at both of them, lost for words.
Is it just my impression, or did he already know that Mandy was leaving, because he sure doesn’t look particularly surprised?
“Can I talk to you?” My fingers clutch around Mandy’s upper arm, and I yank hard.
“Sure.”
She leads me to the privacy of her bedroom. I realize all her things are packed.
“What’s up?” she asks as soon as the door’s closed.
“We’ve barely been here for a day, and now you want to leave again? What happened? Why the sudden change of heart? What happened to our vacation in a five-star hotel?”
“You said you weren’t keen on it,” Mandy says.
“Yes, but that was back home. I never said I wanted to stay here either.”
Mandy stares at me. “Look, this is your one opportunity to bury the past. You can’t stay single forever just because one guy let you down.”
I let out a snort. “Kellan and I don’t have a relationship. He’s not even into relationships.”
“Yet,” she says slowly.
“It’s not going to happen. Ever.”
“You can’t know that.”
“Trust me, I know.”
She sets her jaw. I can almost see the sappy scenes from The Notebook playing before her eyes. She wants a happy ending so desperately, it’s ridiculous. “That’s not what Josh said.”
“What did he say?” I ask warily.
“I think you should hear it from Kellan. I’m sorry, Ava, but I have to do this. I promise I’ll be back soon.”
She hugs me tight and quickly lets go, dragging her suitcase behind her as she leaves. I dash for my room to grab a clean shirt before I sprint after her.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Through the window in the hallway, I watch Mandy get into Josh’s pickup truck and leave. I could head after her, beg, force her into staying, and yet I’m doing none of those things.
As soon as she’s gone, I return to the kitchen.
“You knew she was planning on leaving, didn’t you?”
“She talked to me yesterday. You never gave her a chance to tell you.” Kellan’s leaning against the kitchen counter, his arms crossed over his chest. “Why did you leave last night?”
“I was tired.”
“Really?” He raises his eyebrows, amused. “So you say. However, I got a different impression. You feel a strong need to run from me.”
“Who’s running? I’m not.” I jut my chin out and regard him through narrowed eyes. “I could have asked Mandy to take me with her, you know?”
“But you didn’t.”
“No, I didn’t. I chose to stay.” I grimace, doubting the sanity of my decision.
A smile lights up his face. “I wonder why?”
Yeah, why indeed?
My traitorous stomach growls.
“Someone’s hungry,” Kellan says. “Come on, I’ll make you a real breakfast, even though I shouldn’t because I liked you better with only your bra on.” He points at my clean shirt.
“I can make my own breakfast.” I turn my back to him, suddenly nervous as realization dawns on me.
We are alone. In his house.
“Let me. I’m the host.” Before I can protest, Kellan’s standing next to me, arms on either side of me as he begins to fumble around for stuff, his hard body brushing against me at every opportunity.
Oh, for crying out loud!
It’s his kitchen. Unless he’s just suffered from a major case of amnesia, there’s no way he doesn’t know where he’s placed all the stuff he apparently needs.