He cocked his head toward the small desk at the end of the kitchen. "You tell me."
I glanced over, instantly honing in on the engagement ring Audrey had given back to her the night before. There it was, gleaming in the sunlight, abandoned again. All the contentment I'd woken up with fled, replaced by a sharp pain and the familiar ache of rejection.
"What the fuck is that about? I didn't do anything to her." Well, nothing other than the acts that had led to a half dozen orgasms the night before.
"If you say so." Echo put his mug in the sink. "But something made her run." He jerked his head toward the window.
I peered out, noting the empty driveway. "Her bike is gone."
"Right. I heard her fire it up early this morning. Weren't you two supposed to head north today?"
"Yeah." I ground my teeth and clutched the edge of the sink, willing myself to not punch anything. "We were supposed extract your fiancée from Gravity Bay. Looks like Opal and Zeke are going to have to fill in."
"They seem like the obvious choice," he said, peering at me. Then he added, "Are you all right?"
I shrugged, and stared at the spot where she'd parked her bike the night before. My insides ached as if I'd been gut-punched. With her bike gone and the ring left in exactly the same spot she'd left it eight years ago, that meant one thing; she was gone … again.
Something vital inside me hardened, leaving me cold and empty. I stood at the window, my head bowed. I was an idiot. One night hadn't changed anything. In fact, it had probably only reinforced the same fears that had made her run the first time. I turned abruptly, grabbed the ring, and stuffed it in my pocket.
Without saying another word, I stalked out of the house and straight for the brewery. With any luck, both Zeke and Audrey would be there.
The stillness of the morning, combined with the already oppressive humidity, only served to worsen my mood. My frustration and resentment had boiled over by the time I reached the back door of the brewery. Instead of opening it, I stood there, forcing myself to calm down. The desire to throw a punch at the door was overwhelming, but I'd learned that lesson the hard way, courtesy of two broken knuckles, the last time Kennedy had left. After taking a few deep breaths, I reached for the door knob, only to have Kennedy barrel through the door, nearly knocking me down the stairs.
"Oh no!" She grabbed my arm, steading me. "Sorry! I was in a hurry to get back to the house after … " Her words trailed off as she studied me, her expression troubled. "What's wrong?"
Shock rooted me in place, and it took a moment to find my voice. "You're here."
"Well, sure. I went for a run and stopped in for a sec to get some water. I was just headed back to the house for a shower so we can get on the road. Are you here to see Audrey? She just left."
I cast a glance down her lithe body, noting her tank top, workout pants, and running shoes. Her long hair had been forced into a messy bun and her face was still red from exertion.
"Gunn?"
I shook my head as if to clear cobwebs. "Your motorcycle is gone."
"I put it in the garage this morning. Since we're headed to Gravity Bay, I figured it was best to store it out of the elements."
"Right."
She raised an eyebrow. "Did you think someone stole it?"
"No, I … " Shit. This wasn't the conversation I wanted to be having. Not after what we'd shared just a few hours ago. Not seeing a way out without lying, I shrugged. "I woke up to an empty bed. Your bike was gone. And then I saw your engagement ring on the desk. It wasn't that far of a leap to assume you'd woken up regretting last night and decided it was time to split."
"You thought I'd left?" Her incredulous tone rose a few octaves. "After what we-?" She stopped abruptly and placed her hand on my chest.
I fought to keep from flinching, not sure I could handle the contact. Relief and wariness warred inside me. The temptation to grab her hand and never let go was overpowered by the fact my heart had nearly turned to stone. That I'd been so ready to believe that she'd left. Would I wake up every single day for the rest of my life wondering if she would be there? Could I live like that?
As she gazed at me, her eyes full of turmoil and … something else I couldn't identify, I realized what I should've known the first moment she'd barreled through the door-I could no longer sense her emotions.