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“The hint?” I say, not familiar with the situation.
All I know is there is no way I am turning around to see what he’s talking about. No way, no how. I’ve met the dark eyes of Kane Thaler one too many times over the course of this evening. And if I’m being honest, I’m not sure I like that every time I look at him his gaze is locked on me. I don’t know if he’s sizing me up, trying to figure me out for his brother’s sake, or if it’s something more. And while I can’t explain it, I can’t deny that my gut instinct is that it’s something more. I just don’t know what.
“Marie has been chasing Kane around since we moved here. They’ve never been any more than friends and he’s tried letting her down easy several times. But last year, they got drunk at a party and Kane ended up sleeping with her.”
“Oh lord,” I mutter, already knowing where this is going.
“Yeah.” He gives me a knowing look. “Needless to say she woke up the next day convinced they were going to be together.”
“Let me guess. It didn’t work out as she had hoped.”
“Not even a little,” he confirms. “And what’s worse, he left town shortly after and avoided taking her calls, so she kept showing up here asking if we had heard from him. I felt really bad for her but at the same time I wanted to shake her and tell her to wake the hell up. Kane is Kane. She knows him, knows how he is. I don’t know why she expected anything more from him than exactly what he did.”
“Kamden Joseph, are you telling me your brother is a player?” I cock a brow, having never heard him talk about Kane’s love life, or lack thereof, before.
“I wouldn’t say he’s necessarily a player. I think he means well. But then again, the line of broken hearts he’s left behind him might say otherwise. I can’t even count on two hands how many girls showed up here either crying or raging pissed while Kane was in high school.” He chuckles, shaking his head.
“Somehow that doesn’t surprise me,” I admit, dragging my teeth along my lower lip.
“No?” He cocks his head and smirks.
“He kind of seems like a player,” I admit. “And I’ve only been around him a couple of hours. There’s just something about him. Something that reads ‘untouchable’.”
“And that’s the appeal,” Kam confirms. “Girls chase after guys like Kane. The ones who seem unobtainable. It’s like some messed up game.” He shakes his head. “Confuses the hell out of me.”
“Of course it does.” A small laugh passes through my lips.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” He hits me with a serious expression but his hazel eyes are full of humor.
“You’re incapable of playing games, Kam. You are one of those ‘what you see is what you get’ kind of guys. And I adore that about you,” I quickly tack on. “No bullshit. No lies. You’re just you.”
“I think you’re giving me too much credit, bean.”
“I think you’re not giving yourself enough,” I shoot back.
“Always sees the good.” Kam smiles, shaking his head before pulling me back flush to his body as the song shifts from a slow song to one a little more upbeat, but still with a slow enough tempo that our current position on the dance floor doesn’t seem completely out of place.
I rest my cheek against Kam’s chest, smiling when Kris and Mary go whirling by; Kris spinning his wife around the dance floor like they’ve done it a million times before. Then again they probably have, considering the Thaler’s have been married for nearly twenty-five years.
That and I know for a fact Mary has been dragging Kris to a late night Salsa class every Thursday for the last eight months. Kam says his dad complains about it every chance he gets but because it’s important to Mary, he keeps going.
My gaze falls to the other people around us as Kam glides us along the dance floor. Hailee, Kam’s cousin, and her boyfriend Jimmy. Drake and Carrie, two of Kam’s close friends from school. Some other classmates whom I’ve met but can’t for the life of me remember their names.
And then suddenly I’m looking into the same set of dark eyes I’ve found myself looking into several times over the course of the night. A shiver runs through my body as Kane holds my gaze, his expression unreadable.
God, what is it about this man that has had my stomach in knots a good portion of the night? I try to ignore the way his eyes on me makes me feel and turn my head, resting my other cheek on Kam’s chest just as his arms tighten around me.
“I’m really glad you were able to make it tonight, El,” Kam speaks into my hair.
“Like I’d miss it.” I pull back to smile up at him.
“I just… You’ve been through a lot this year. I know this isn’t easy for you.” I know instantly he’s talking about my mom.
“Don’t.” I shake my head, tears instantly pricking the back of my eyes. “I can’t talk about it here, Kam.”
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything.” He brushes the pad of his thumb over my cheekbone.
“It’s fine.” I force a smile. “Really,” I reassure him. “I just don’t want to ruin this night for you.”
