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Cheese and crackers, I can’t believe I just blurted that out. I blame the lack of oxygen from all the non-breathing I did. That must be the reason I lost all sense. My mind sputters as to what to say next. Dalton’s blank reception doesn’t help ease the tension. There’s a delicate balance between wanting him to know the entire truth versus needing him to hate me enough to stay away. Perhaps, I’m overthinking it or a bit self-centered because I figured he’d at least crack a smile from learning I’m not taken. And from his bored expression, he acts as if I recited the phonebook—backward.
My hand flies to the base of my neck, my fingers fumbling with a nonexistent necklace. “Uh, I mean, I don’t want him to be.”
His gaze dips to my chest before returning his cold stare. “What do you want, Choir Girl?”
Despite the chill to his tone, the use of the nickname he gave me in Bellow Bay is the slightest indication that the sweet guy still exists inside him. Emotion lodges in my throat. “Can we talk?”
He studies me for a moment, and the intensity behind his stare down leaves me breathless. But he’s so darn unreadable I wonder if I’m the only one feeling this way. Usually, he would erase the gap or find some way to touch me by now. He’s done neither. That look in his eyes—the one where he acts as if he could feast on me—is also missing. I wouldn’t say the sexual tension is missing, but more like it’s paused.
I really messed things up between us.
“Please,” I ask, feeling defeated.
He works his jaw and takes a sharp breath. When I think the answer will be no, he nods.
Now comes the fun game of balancing my attraction with friendship. Dad’s threat still exists. No matter how badly I want to tip the scales in my favor.
Chapter Twelve
DALTON
I stepinto the hallway and follow Cassie into the kitchen. I’m not in the mood for head games, but I know she isn’t one to play them. I also suspect her reason for wanting to talk has everything to do with my behavior from last night. That subject is a no-go. I can’t afford to get closer to her than we already are. But as my gaze dips to those short shorts I guarantee aren’t daddy approved, someone needs to inform my dick. He wholeheartedly approves of getting closer, as evident by the stirring in my pants. That curvy ass of hers looks too good not to stare.
Cassie whips around as if I voiced my thoughts aloud. My gaze meets her accusing eyes, and I feel guilty for ogling her. But a smirk pushes across my innocent roommate’s face.
Yeah, she totally read my thoughts.
She grabs keys from inside a cabinet and nudges her head toward the patio doors. “Let’s sit outside. It’s too stuffy in here.”
I nod, not missing the way her button nose crinkles toward the end, but I can’t help but wonder if it’s the quietness or her dad’s lingering presence that causes the stuffiness. With Cassie’s recent disappearing act, I stay holed up in my room like a damn hermit and venture out only when hunger pains strike. The house is like a mortuary, aside from the slight ticking of the wall clock and occasional bark from Bellow. There isn’t even a television, for fuck’s sake. The last thing I want to do is sit in the living room and watch her dad riffle through religious magazines. A shudder works its way down my spine at that thought. Shaking that image off, I step behind her as she resumes walking through the sliding glass doors that lead to the backyard. Bellow follows us outside, wagging his tail.
The warm breeze kicks Cassie’s blond curls off her neck, revealing her silhouette. She’s beautiful. She remains quiet as she leads me to the edge of the pool. I haven’t spent any time out here since I arrived.
“Remove your shoes and join me.” She points to my feet as she drops to the pool’s concrete edge and sticks her lower legs into the water. I quickly follow suit. Bellow takes off to the small patch of grass by the outbuilding on the far right. I noticed the freestanding garage the other day when I went for a run but haven’t had a chance to ask about it. As I said, communication around here is at a minimum.
The heated water laps against our shins as it circulates the pool. We sit there as the steady stream from the waterfall beats down like gentle rain and fills in the silence. I take in my surroundings. This isn’t a pool. This is an oasis found in five-star hotels. How’d I miss all of this when I arrived? The shock from seeing Cassie must’ve blinded me to the beauty of their backyard because I had no idea the backdrop featured so many waterfalls. Strategically stacked boulders, which I assume are faux, form a massive wall. It’s peaceful.
“It’s beautiful out here.”
“Thanks. I find it relaxing. I come out here to think. Or I used to when I was home.”
I turn her way. The corners of her lips turn downward, and there’s a faraway look to her stare. I’d give anything to know what’s going through her mind, but something tells me she needs to work through her emotions. I wonder if she’s thinking about her mom. She hasn’t mentioned anything about her, but something must have happened.
“I wanted to apologize.” Cassie’s melodic voice pulls me back to her.
“What do you have to be sorry about?”
“I can think of a few things, but I want to start with the reason for leaving. You need to know why I left Bellow Bay so suddenly.” She takes a stuttering breath while her feet kick in a slow pattern. “That morning after . . .” Her voice trails off, and no matter how badly I want her to finish, I let her collect her thoughts. The morning after we made love for the first and only time played out a lot differently than I wanted. We were supposed to meet back up that night, but she was gone.
“My dad showed up that morning and surprised me.” Pain cripples her features, and I have to stop myself from reaching out to her. This pain goes beyond the pain of losing me. This stems from something tragic. “He showed up at Aunt Jan’s house to bring me home. My mom found out she had cancer, and her prognosis wasn’t good.”
Her hand rises to her chest. Her cross pendant is once again missing. Another mystery I’ll let her tell me about in her own time, but I wonder if it has to do with her losing her mom. I remember she told me they were close. She had commented that she wouldn’t know what she’d do without her mom. Pain rips through my chest, and even though I shouldn’t, I scoot closer to her and wrap a protective arm around her.
“I’m so sorry you went through that. When did she pass away?”
“About ten months ago.” She lays her head on my shoulder.
“I figured something bad had happened.”
