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It’s almost6 a.m. and I’ve been lying here awake for the last three hours. I’d be lying if I said I’m not worried about Kennedy even though I know she’s safe at home in bed. Jackson kept an eye on her up until Everly dropped her at work. She point-blank refused to stay home. Everly then picked her up again when she’d finished.
Jackson told me that he offered to drive Kenz to Virginia Beach this morning to look at a new car and for that I’m grateful because he at least will make sure she doesn’t buy some rusted heap of crap.
Sleep continues to allude me, so I get up and shower for the third time in twenty-four hours. I’m just drying off when the door swings open and in walks Everly.
“Ash— Oh, sweet lord,” she exclaims, eyes darting over my naked body. She quickly turns around. “Sorry. So sorry,” she apologizes then mumbles something under her breath.
“What can I do for you, Everly?” I ask with a rumble of laughter.
“To start, you can stop being so damn smug.”
I pull on some boxers and a pair of jeans. “You can turn around now. It’s safe,” I say with another chuckle. In all the years I’ve known Everly, I don’t think I’ve ever seen her this flustered.
“Why are you laughing, Asher King? I was protecting your modesty.”
“Come on, Everly, you and I both know modesty isn’t in my vocabulary. Anyway, what’s up?”
“You’re not wrong there,” she mumbles. “Kennedy told me about Owen turning up and what happened between you two, but she’s only giving me half a story.”
I throw on my t-shirt. “If you came here looking for me to fill in the blanks, then I’m sorry but you’re wasting your time,” I say, packing my shit back into my locker.
“Asher, someone ran her off the road,” she says, grabbing my arm. “The same person that followed her the night before. It wasn’t an accident.”
“I’m fully aware. But what do you want me to do if she won’t talk to me, huh?” I pull my arm free from her grip and close my locker. “Look, I’m just as concerned as you, and I’m doing what I can. For now, just be there for her. Whatever trouble she’s in we’ll figure it out.”
She leaves but not at all happy with my response. I’m not happy with my response. But I’m determined to find answers.
ChapterFourteen
Iwatch Jackson lead Asher away, and I don’t miss Deputy Peters standing on the steps of the station taking the whole scene in. Talk about giving the guy ammunition.
Owen’s groaning draws my attention as Asher and Jackson disappear inside. “Now you can leave too. I’d suggest going in that direction,” I say, pointing toward the hospital.
“The hell I am. We need to talk.”
“Talk? We have nothing to talk about, Owen. Even if I was stupid enough to think of taking you back for whoring behind my back, laying your hands on me put another nail in the coffin of our relationship. But the icing on the cake is you standing here telling me you’ve come to take me home and in the next breath admitting to fucking God knows how many women during our entire relationship. You should get a psych evaluation while you’re getting your nose fixed because you’ve gone and lost your damn mind.” I march away in the direction of town. I figure it’s the safest place to be even though it will have the gossip mill going crazy.
I hear him jogging to catch up to me, calling my name. “Don’t you walk away from me,” he whisper-shouts now right beside me.
The hairs on my arm prickle with awareness as I feel him reach out to me.
“Fucking touch me and you’ll need to have your balls removed from inside your stomach as well as get your nose fixed.” He lowers his hand although he continues to walk alongside me.
“I’m sorry. I just got angry seeing you with another man. Can we please talk?”
I keep walking, following the crowd and making it hard for him to talk to me. The constant change in attitude is confusing the hell out of me. One minute he says he wants me back then the next he’s spouting shit about cheating on me throughout our relationship with a level of hatred I can’t understand.
“I wasn’t with another man, Owen. And even if I were, it’s none of your business anymore. We’re over. Just leave Silverbell and go back to one of your many bed buddies.” I wait for his response only it doesn’t come. In fact, not only does he not respond but when I turn to look for him, I can’t see him anywhere.
I don’t know where he went, and I can’t say I really care as long as he’s not here. Maybe I should have taken more notice, or at least been concerned about how he found me, but I have more pressing things I need to worry about. I take one last look around the street before I start heading back toward home, only I don’t take two steps before Stu steps in front of me.
“Kennedy,” he says with surprise. “I thought you were still at home resting.” He seems on edge, as though he’s been caught out, and looking around just as I was.
“Needed some air. How about you?” I ask, layering my question with blatant suspicion given the way he’s behaving, which brings his attention back to me.
“You should have let us know you were going out?” he reprimands.
