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Instead I saw the broken window, shattered inward. A ‘lakeside’ breeze had blown my threadbare curtains against the jagged glass, causing another shard to drop.
“Straw?” I laughed, and my laughter seemed almost maniacal. Rather than echo through the empty room, the swollen walls seemed to absorb the sound. “Meet camel’s back.”
Fishing my keys from my pocket, I left without even turning off the lights.
Three
BRYCE
“So uh… remember when you guys offered me the option of staying on the worksite?”
Karissa stretched her long arms, arching her slender back. As always she looked absolutely stunning; her bright, beautiful face framed by acres of shining blonde hair.
But it was her last sentence that sent a shiver of excitement bolting through me.
“Wait, what?”
“When you first hired me,” she reiterated, “all those months ago. You guys asked if I wanted to stay here. You said it would be a lot more convenient than driving back and forth, and it turns out you were right.”
Camden and I exchanged hopeful looks across the large, unfinished kitchen. Even Roderick, leaning against one of the framed-out countertops, raised an eyebrow.
“If the offer still stands, I’d like to—”
“Hell yeah it stands,” I jumped in. “You’re welcome to any of the rooms that you like. The finished ones anyway.”
I saw her pretty mouth break into a half-smile, as her gaze swung toward Camden. He set down his coffee and nodded.
“It would be great to have you here,” he said. “Another pair of eyes on the place.”
“That’s it, huh?” she chuckled. “Another pair of… eyes?”
I shrugged. “Well that, plus we can use the company. Since we moved back into the west wing, things have been kind of quiet.”
“And lonely,” Camden added.
“And lame,” I tagged on with a wink.
“Yeah, well it would just be temporary,” Karissa went on. “You know, until I found a new place.”
“What’s wrong with your old place?” asked Roderick.
He was still off to the side, still leaning at an angle as he looked back at us over the rim of his coffee mug. His eyes weren’t soft, or welcoming, and they certainly weren’t filled with excitement. Suddenly I got the impression he might blow the whole thing for us.
“Are you retracting your offer?” Karissa asked boldly.
“I never made an offer to begin with,” said Roderick. “That was Beavis and Butthead, here.”
He blew across the surface of his coffee and took another sip. The expression on his face was so smug I wanted to smack him.
“Alright,” Karissa shrugged. “No biggie. If you have a problem with me staying here, I can always—”
“I never said that either.”
“Said what?”
“That I have a problem with it.”
Karissa’s mouth had gone tight during their exchange. Now however, she let it curl back into a sly smile. “Oh. I see.”
