The thought has me choking back a laugh, not of humor, per se, only that me and Cat Stewart getting married is about as laughable a scenario as I could possibly imagine.
“Did you need something? I mean, other than to rub my nose in my own shit,” I say, ready to be done with this conversation.
“I was a little surprised to see Trav here this morning.” He does a complete one-eighty.
“Why?”
“Sometimes I think you forget how small this town is and just how much the people who inhabit it like to gossip. Rumor has it that the two were seen having coffee together last week. And then let’s not forget that he was also seen swallowing her face yesterday.”
“Who told you that?”
“Charlie saw them. Said you saw them too. Which brings me back to my original statement. I’m surprised to see Travis here today. Hell, I’m surprised to see him alive if you saw him kiss London.”
“Not my place. Though I did reiterate our no fraternization policy. He won’t be kissing her again anytime soon. That is, if he values his job.”
“Since when do we have a no fraternization policy?” He arches a brow.
“Since yesterday.”
Alec’s laughter fills the room seconds later.
“And what happens when Janet comes back and London is no longer an employee?”
“That’s a problem for another day.”
“You know, you could just tell her that you’re still in love with her.”
“Don’t you have work to do?” I say instead of letting him bait me.
“For what it’s worth, I think she still loves you too,” he says as he stands. “Maybe if you stopped treating her like public enemy number one, you’d see that too.”
“Alec,” I warn, not willing to get into this with him right now.
“All right. All right.” He holds his hands up. “I won’t say any more. Just do me a favor and try to get out of your own way, yeah?”
Without another word, he quickly exits the office.
I flip open my laptop and pull up my email, needing to finish sorting through the quotes for the parts to fix the two remaining ships that are still in need of repairs from the storm a few weeks ago.
When I hear the door creak open a second time, I let out a low groan.
“Alec, I swear if you say one more word...” My words die on my tongue when I look up and see London enter the office.
It’s the first time I’ve seen her today, despite the fact that she’s been here since six this morning. If I didn’t know anybetter, I’d think she was avoiding me. Then again, who could blame her if she were?
Even I can admit that I’ve been awful to her since she came back. I don’t know why. I don’t know why I look at her and feel this uncontrollable rage build up inside of me. An anger that if I don’t release, I’m fairly certain will consume me. Only when I look at her today, I don’t feel anger. I feel sadness.
That this is what we’ve been reduced to. Strangers. Enemies. Barely able to exist in the same room as each other. I know that’s more my doing than hers, but it still doesn’t make it any easier of a pill to swallow.
“Sorry, I thought you were my brother,” I say, watching her make her way to her desk.
Today, she’s dressed in faded jeans and a navy tank, her long hair tied up into a messy bun, little pieces falling around her face, which is flushed from the afternoon heat.
I’m not sure she’s ever looked more beautiful.
Then again, I’m pretty sure I think that every single time I see her.
“Everything good down there?” I gesture toward the window that overlooks the docks.
