Page 40 of Quarter Miles (Runaway 3)

We’d arrive in Heron Beach today and though I was nervous to see Aria after all this time, I could hardly wait for another person to buffer the conversation.

But first . . . the apology I’d planned to give Cash was still overdue. And the truth was, I needed Cash today.

I needed him by my side when I saw Aria.

What if she’d changed for the worse since our parting at the junkyard? What if her life was in shambles? It would break my heart. My reunion with Gemma had been different. She’d found me, and we’d been on my turf. What if Aria didn’t want to see me, or worse, remember me?

I clutched the steering wheel and took a deep breath. I was the general manager of a multimillion-dollar resort. I’d earned the position without a college degree or professional training. I could mend fences with my best friend.

“I’m sorry about yesterday,” I said. “For what I said in the car.”

Cash looked over and gave me a small smile. “Me too.”

“I don’t want to fight.”

“Kat.” My name sounded pained and his voice hoarse. He blew out a long breath. “Yesterday. In your room. I—”

“What if we don’t talk about it?” Because if he wanted to forget it, if he wanted to pretend like it hadn’t happened, my heart would break. So I’d say it first. “What if we forget it ever happened?”

“No.”

I blinked, glancing over at him. His jaw was tight. His hazel eyes waiting. “What do you mean?”

“It happened, Kat. I don’t want to forget.”

“Then what do you want?”

“Truth? I have no fucking clue.”

“Me neither.” I sighed, so unbelievably relieved he didn’t have an answer. That he didn’t want to forget about me.

“You’re my best friend. The reason I was so pissed in the car yesterday was because you’re right. I don’t want to admit you’re right. Sometimes, it’s easier to shut it off.”

“I understand.” After all, I did the same thing. But this . . . this wasn’t my mother or my childhood that I could avoid. I saw Cash every single day. “We had sex. This changes everything.”

“Yeah, it does.” He nodded. “But today’s a big day. Let’s get through it. Find Aria.”

“Shut it off.”

“For today.”

I breathed another sigh, this one of gratitude. I could use a day or two off to let yesterday’s emotions simmer.

“How’s today going to go?” Cash asked.

I shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“Nervous?”

“Yes. I’m sneaking up on her with this car idea. We had an investigator look into her life. She might not remember me or appreciate that I’ve searched her out.”

“I think you’re worrying for nothing. It’ll be good.” He reached over, his finger ready to flick the tip of my nose, a gesture he’d done a thousand times, but before he touched me, he retracted his hand.

I tried not to let it hurt.

Cash rubbed his bearded jaw. “Grandma called yesterday while you were in the shower.”

“Oh.” Carol would call him but not me? I’d tried her, Liddy and Gemma last night and no one had answered. No one had returned a single one of my texts or voicemails. What the hell? Didn’t anyone miss me? It made sense why’d they’d call Cash. He was real family. I was the employee on vacation.