Thoughtful(187)

When the awkwardness got to be too much, I told them both, “I’d better go…pick up the guys.” I gave Kiera a meaningful glance when Denny’s back was to me: Please talk to him. Her face was forlorn, and I knew she wasn’t looking forward to this. Me either.

The house was silent as I gathered my things and left. Too silent. I wished Kiera well, kicked myself for not having the guts to make a stand with her, then headed to Evan’s.

He wasn’t surprised when he cracked open his door, but he did seem irritated. “I should just give you a key. Then I wouldn’t have to get up every time you need to run away from something.”

I was pretty sure I knew why he was mad. “I’m sorry I was a dick last night.”

Evan leaned on his door frame, not letting me in. “Dick doesn’t really cover it. I was thinking more along the lines of…self-absorbed diva.”

That brought a small smile to my lips. “Yeah…maybe…but I really am sorry. I was out of line, and I shouldn’t have said what I did. It’s not my band. It’s our band. You and I formed it together, and we wouldn’t be where we are now without you.”

Evan lifted an eyebrow, clearly waiting for more.

“And I’m a self-absorbed diva, an asshole, a dog of a human being, and unworthy of any sort of praise, kudos, acclaim, or love.” I shut my mouth with a snap. I hadn’t meant to go that far with my apology. I was just freaking out about what was going on at home without me. I should be there. I should turn around and go home…

Frowning, Evan shoved his door open. “That shit’s not true, Kell. Well, yeah, you’re an asshole sometimes, but you’re not…unworthy of anything.” At the moment, I wasn’t sure if I agreed.





It was after dinnertime when I finally went home. Denny’s car was there, and I didn’t know what that meant. My stomach lurched as I walked into the house. I understood Kiera’s anxiety over telling him about us. Denny meant a lot to me; I didn’t want to hurt him either.

The light was on in the kitchen. Fortifying my stomach, I headed that way. Denny and Kiera were at the table, finishing up dinner. I thought that was odd. It didn’t seem to me that Denny would want to sit down and have a meal with Kiera if she’d told him about us…which meant she hadn’t told him a thing. I looked over to Kiera for confirmation, and she shook her head no. She hadn’t said a damn word. We were still at square one.

From the look on her face, I could tell Kiera was wrestling with demons just as torturous as mine; she was probably beating herself up over her lack of courage. Knowing I was just as cowardly as her, I sympathized with her inability to break his heart. We’d have to do it together. By the dark look in Denny’s eyes as he watched Kiera’s every move, he had to know anyway. Needing a minute to gather my thoughts and go over my options, I opened the fridge and grabbed a beer.

I’d just popped it open when Denny disturbed the eerie quiet. “Hey, mate. I think we should all go out. How about the Shack? We could go dancing again.”

The way he said “dancing” was odd. Did he know what Kiera and I had done at the Shack? Or more accurately, in the espresso stand in the parking lot. He couldn’t possibly know specifics about that night, but he knew something wasn’t right between us. Maybe we should go out though. One last hurrah before everything tumbled to the ground.

“Yeah…sure,” I told him.

Denny was still staring at Kiera, who was studying her food like her life depended on it. I wished I could comfort her, but I couldn’t go near her right now. All I could do was go upstairs with my beer and wait for everyone else to be ready for our last roommates’ night out.

Denny and Kiera left the house while I was still in my bedroom. With a heavy sigh, I stood up to leave. I glanced back at my mattress, remembering that Kiera’s necklace was under it. Not sure why I was grabbing it, I walked around to the other side of the bed and pulled it free. It felt cool in my palm as I curled my fingers around it. I supposed I didn’t need the necklace as a parting gift anymore, but something inside me, some lingering doubt or insecurity, was whispering at me to take it. So I did.

Denny’s car was in the parking lot when I arrived at the Shack, and I parked next to him. I couldn’t help but glance at the espresso stand as I walked past it. That was where everything had changed, where Kiera’s and my relationship had truly begun. A part of me wanted to break in one more time, and a part of me never wanted to see it again.

It was warm in the busy bar, but a quick sweep of the area showed me Denny and Kiera weren’t in there. Frowning, I wondered if they were out back. Why would Denny want to sit out there? It was frigid outside.