“Oh my God! Enough!” she said with frustration. “I’m fine, okay? What is going on with you?”
Now he looked confused. “What do you mean?”
“I mean that you’re being a total weirdo today and I don’t know why. This was all your idea—going on the hike and spending the day together—but you’re treating me like a stranger, and I don’t know what I did wrong to make you act this way.”
He didn’t confirm or deny anything and, if anything, he wouldn’t look directly at her. It was like she was dealing with Tucker—and half the guys she’d ever dated—all over again.
Great.
That’s when all the fight went out of her.
“You know what? I guess I really don’t feel that great. Why don’t we just turn around and go back?” she asked quietly.
“Evie…”
“I guess I wasn’t as up to it as I thought. I’ll join Nora’s bird-watching group Monday on the beginner trail.”
She thought he’d be relieved, but he paced a few feet away and muttered a curse, thoroughly confusing her.
“You’re not going bird-watching. That’s ridiculous,” he said after a minute, and he sounded just the tiniest bit frustrated.
Which was weird considering she was giving him the out he so clearly wanted.
“Why not? I’ve never done it before and I’ll be in a group so I’m sure it will be fun. Plus, then you won’t have to deal with me.”
He let out a long, weary sigh. “I never said that I didn’t want to deal with you, Evie. I don’t know why you’re even thinking that.”
“Because you’re acting weird! Sheesh! It’s like you have no desire to be out here with me or even talk to me!” She wanted to stomp her foot and just walk away, but she was smart enough to know Slater would just follow her and catch up.
Evie felt the first sting of tears when he still didn’t say anything. She had no idea what to do or where to go, and she just wished she knew why crap like this kept happening to her. Feeling the weight of Slater’s stare, she forced herself to turn and walk away. Maybe he’d catch up with her; maybe he’d just let her go. All she knew was that she was done begging for answers.
“West Coast jerks, East Coast jerks, I guess I’ll have to find someplace to live in the middle of Kansas next,” she murmured.
“Evie, wait,” Slater said as he jogged after her, but she refused to stop walking. “Come on. I’m sorry, okay? I didn’t mean to upset you.”
She just kept walking.
“I’ll tell you what’s wrong, but just remember, you asked,” he said casually, and she had to admit that piqued her interest.
“Fine. What is your problem with me?” she demanded as she came to a stop.
“You kissed me.”
For a moment, Evie looked at him as if he’d lost his mind. Kissed him? Absolutely not. There is no way she had ever…
Oh. No.
“You mean after the trivia game last night?” she asked, unsure whether she wanted to laugh or say something really snarky. “That was barely anything, Slater. I mean…come on!”
He had the decency to look a little embarrassed. “Yeah, I know, but…it caught me off guard and…I don’t know…it freaked me out.”
All she could do was stare at first, but then a wave of humiliation washed over her.
Again.
“So what you’re saying is, having my lips on you for a tenth of a second was so offensive to you that now you can’t stand to be around me?”
His eyes went wide. “What? No! That’s not…”
