I leaned on the doorframe, sighing before giving her the bad news. “No, I’m not. To be honest, I’m just not in the mood. I know what my brother said, but he doesn’t know a thing about me. I’m already taken.”
“I didn’t realize. I feel like a fool.”
She started to turn to walk away, and I touched her arm. “Don’t. I’m a private person, who considers himself loyal. I’m sure you’re a good time, but I promised myself that I’d never let my cock make the decisions for me. It got me in heaps of trouble in the past. Now I think with my brain.” It was a sappy response that made her smile immediately. She’d gained respect for me, which was something I hadn’t felt in a long time.
“Thanks for telling me. I guess I’ll just head back to my room then.” She turned around one more time. “Whoever she is, she’s a lucky woman.”
If she only knew that the person I was referring to wasn’t even mine to begin with. She’d never been mine to claim, so why did I feel the need to run after her again? Why was my heart pulling me right to her when I knew it wasn’t going to end well?
I knew the reason as I stood there questioning myself.
It was love.
I’d finally gotten the confirmation that I needed. Katy Michaels was in love with me. She’d admitted it without regret. That alone caused me to let my guard down and go after what I’d wanted for so long; what I felt should have been mine from the very beginning.
Chapter 13
This could be all my imagination, but there was also a chance this was happening the way I was seeing it play out. It took me no time at all to head out of my room, determined to get the answers that I desperately needed. Before she said her vows to my brother, we needed to get things straight with us. I couldn’t live like this for the rest of my life. Slowly she was killing me whether she meant it or not.
At first I searched downstairs in the lobby, and even outside where the front entrance was located. While riding the elevator back up to the floor I was on, I had an idea. It was a long shot, but when we were kids she’d always run to the tree house. Without further thought, I made my way up to the roof, praying she hadn’t run back to my brother so soon.
As soon as I opened the door leading out to the frigid temperatures that December blessed the state with, I saw her there, laying on the cold, hard pavement ground. She didn’t notice me heading in her direction, or even when I squatted down in front of her. Finally, after a few seconds went by, she lifted her head.
Never in my life had I ever seen her so wrecked, not even when her parents were killed. She wasn’t just sad, or worried. She was tormented, even tortured with grief. I knew it because I’d experienced the same hell for years.
“How did you find me?”
I peered around at the empty area. “Well, it’s not exactly a tree house, but I figured you’d run to high ground. You always did.”
After wrapping my jacket around her cold body, I answered. “It’s freezing up here, Kat.”
“I know. I don’t care.” Her gaze moved away from me as if she were ashamed. “Where’s Melissa? I figured you’d be all over that.”
I rubbed my hands on my knees to keep warm, wondering if she really thought I’d hook up with her friend so easily. I assume that years of flaunting slutty girls around to get her attention had backfired. She obviously considered me a player. “You would assume that. Look, I never said I wanted to sleep with her. I told her that maybe we could hang out. Honestly, I figured she’d get so drunk that she’d pass out and forget I said it.”
“So where is she?”
“I don’t know. She showed up and knocked and I thought it was you. When I saw her standing there, talking about how much of a mess you were, I told her to get lost; in a nice way, of course.”
“She’s probably looking for me.”
“She thinks you ran to Branch to make amends because you have that motto where you never go to bed angry.”
She shrugged like she didn’t know what I was talking about. “Yeah, I don’t really care about that anymore. In fact, I don’t really care about anything anymore.”
Kat put her head between her knees. I wasn’t sure if it was to increase her body heat, or hide me from seeing her expressions.
“You look like shit.” I wanted her to smile at me, not turn the other way.
“Thanks. I appreciate that.”
“No, I mean I’ve never seen you look so upset. Is it because of me? I didn’t mean to be so harsh with you. I just couldn’t let things happen between us. You understand, right?”