AllFreeNovel
Share Us
ChapterTwo
WALSH
Fuck, it’s been a long day. After a delayed flight that caused a missed connection and having to catch a late flight, I’m kicking myself for wanting to leave early. Sure, I could have stayed in Cabo until I was scheduled to come home, but I’d had enough sun and sand. I’d also had about enough of my best friend and his vacation hookup banging their headboard against my wall all night. He swore to me it was going to be just the two of us scuba diving and relaxing all week, but the moment I saw the instructor, I knew exactly what was going to happen.
I wasn’t supposed to come home until Sunday night, but when I saw there was an early flight this morning, I jumped on it. Too bad there were three connections, and everything that could have gone wrong did. Thankfully I have my carry-on luggage because who knows where it would have ended up otherwise. The cab pulls up outside my house, and I see all the lights are on. When I get out I check my phone again and see that Kyle hasn’t responded to a single one of my messages.
This is not what I envisioned when my sister sent my nephew to stay with me for the year. When his school kicked him out, my sister said she had nowhere else to turn. Kyle’s dad is cruising the Greek coast with his newest wife, and my sister works as an actress in LA. What choice did I have? She works crazy hours, and it's his senior year. I thought I could bring him up here and give him a fresh start and a chance to go to college in the fall. It’s been nine months, and I’ve yet to see him do anything but make excuses and break the rules. I blame my sister and her frantic lifestyle and also his dad, who keeps telling him to drop out and fly to Greece to be with him.
When I get to the front door, I can hear the music blaring even from here. I flex my fingers around the handle and close my eyes. “Deep breath, Walsh.”
I should have known this was going to happen. He told me over and over that I could trust him while I was gone, but I knew better.
Walking into the house, I go to the kitchen, and a quick glance reveals an enormous mess. “Great,” I mumble as I drop my bag in the living room and go in search of Kyle.
His room is empty, but there’s a movie playing on the television. I decide to check outside next, but the pool is empty. After I spot some empty beer cans by the pool house, I get angry.
“What the fuck?” I feel my temper flaring as I storm into the pool house and push the door open with more force than necessary. It bangs against the wall behind me and then my anger dissipates as I see a young woman sitting on the small couch crying.
“I’m sorry!” she immediately apologizes and stands up while wiping away her tears. “I was just leaving.”
She’s got on a floral print dress that is cut so low in the front I can see a mountain of cleavage threatening the seams. Her hair is messy like she’s been running her fingers through it, and something about her is so familiar that I take a long moment just to take her in.
“Where’s Kyle?” I finally ask, and so help me god if he did something to this girl, I’ll kill him.
“I think he went back inside.” She looks around like she forgot she was in here crying and then grabs a purse from the floor.
In the process of getting her purse, all of its contents fall out, and I see her cell phone take a nosedive to the tile floor. I wince as it shatters the screen and the light that was on fades to black.
“Oh no,” she sobs, getting on her hands and knees to start scooping up the pieces.
“Wait, don’t do that.” I follow her down to the floor, but it’s too late and she’s already dragged her hand over the broken screen and cut her finger. “Shit, be careful.”
I take her hand in mine, and I’m surprised by the spark of heat that singes my fingers. I must have run my feet across the rug or something and shocked her. Her tears flow freely now as she begins to apologize once more.
“Hey, hey enough of that,” I say softly as all the anger I was feeling before morphs into concern. “It’s all right, don’t cry.” She looks up at me through her wet lashes, and her dark eyes are so big and full of worry. “I’ll take care of you.”
The words are out of my mouth, and I have no idea where they came from. But damn does it feel good when I see the corner of her mouth ever so slightly tug upward into a smile. At that moment, I realize that I might do anything to watch that happen over and over.
“Kiss,” she says, and my eyes travel right to her full, lush lips. Then my brain kicks in, and I hear the rest of what she’s saying. “It was just a stupid kiss. I don’t know why I couldn’t just do it.”
She’s talking mostly to herself now, but now my anger is back with a vengeance. “Did he hurt you?” Her eyes snap up to mine, and she shakes her head. “Come with me.”
Before I have time to think this through, I help her off the floor and grab the rest of her things. I find a clean towel in the bathroom, wrap her hand, and lead her into the main house.
“It’s just a scratch. I’m sure I’ll be fine. It’s no trouble, I can just call my sister and—” She stops talking and then tears well in her eyes again. “I don’t know her number by heart.” Her shoulders sag in defeat, and I clench my jaw with frustrated anger.
“It’s all right. I told you I’m going to take care of you. What’s your name?”
“Nadia,” she answers and then sniffs.
“I’m Walsh, all right? I’ve got a first-aid kit in the kitchen, and I want to clean that up.”
“It’s really not that bad; I just wasn’t paying attention.”
When I lead her into the kitchen, I clear off one of the bar stools and grab the kit from under the sink. I’m going to strangle Kyle when I find him. I can’t believe he left her all alone out there. She was in tears!
“Hold still,” I say as I take her hand in mine. Once again, the static zips between us, and I try to remember if the rugs in the house usually cause so much electricity. “It’s going to sting a little.”
