Just One Kiss: A Black Alcove Novel (The Black Alcove Series Book 1) (17 page)

BOOK: Just One Kiss: A Black Alcove Novel (The Black Alcove Series Book 1)
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“Nothing.” I shrug.

“Lies. Come on, tell me.” His voice is
nearing the begging side and that’s when it clicks.

“Sara asked you to ask me that, didn’t
she?”

“Nope.” He shakes his head. “She did
not.”

“Yeah, okay, we’re not really anything. I
don’t think Ethan knows what he wants.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Okay everyone! Let’s end class here. If you
haven’t turned your entry in for the columnist spot, you have
exactly twenty seconds to do so or you’re out.”

I glance around to see who my competition
might be, but no one steps up. I saw three other papers on the
prof’s desk so I know I’m not alone, and he has more than one
class, but the fewer who enter, the better. My paper is going to
grab their attention, I just know it.

“Hey.” Logan taps my desk. “Let’s go and you
can tell me your Ethan theory.”

I follow him out of the room with the other
students.

“He was just acting weird last night after
his brother showed up. He couldn’t even introduce me to him.”

Logan nods, pushing to doors open to step
outside.

“It’s like one minute he likes me, the next
he has no idea. I don’t get it.”

“Well, you better figure it out quick
because confused lover boy is standing by your car.”

I stop, looking directly at Ethan. He’s got
a bouquet of flowers in his hand and a nervous look on his face.
This would be much easier if he could look happy all the time
instead of like someone who keeps messing up. Or he could just stop
messing up. I stroll toward him, crossing my arms over my chest.
Whatever his excuse it this time, it better be good because I
swear, one more chance is all this guy is going to get.

Ethan

I fucked up, again. At this point I should
stop trying and just leave the girl alone, but I can’t. I’ve never
found someone whose opinion meant more to me than my father’s and
I’m not about to let her go that easily.

As she hesitantly approaches, I cringe
inside at the reminder of how I put us into this spot.

I should have introduced her as my
girlfriend. Anything would have been better than placing her into
the employee category. I’m an idiot.

“Hey,” I say when she stops
in front of me. I’m leaning against the hood of her car. I had this
whole speech planned out. One where I confess,
again
, to what a jackass I am and how
I won’t let it happen
again
. But now I can’t think of
anything except just being near her.

Her eyebrow rises as she crosses her arms
over her books in front of her.

“Do you think we can talk?” I ask. Kelsey
huffs and her car chirps behind me once she’s hit the unlock
button.

“No, you had time to talk last night, but
instead you didn’t. Actually, that’s a lie. You said plenty when
you made it clear to your brother that I was just an employee.”

She tries to nudge me away, but I don’t
budge.

“I was caught off guard. I didn’t want my
family to think I came down here to get managing experience only to
start hooking up with someone who works there.”

“Well, you did.”

“Yeah, but not in the way it sounds.”

“That doesn’t even make sense, Ethan. If
that’s not what happened between us, then what was it? We hooked
up. It was fun. That’s the end of it.”

She jerks her car door hard, smacking me
with it. I step back and grab the frame.

“I like you, Kelsey. It was more than just a
hookup to me,” I finally admit. I don’t sound very manly, but
sometimes the truth isn’t.

Kelsey laughs sarcastically. “Well, I’d hate
to see how you treat the girl you fall in love with.”

“Just give me one more chance, Kelsey. I
swear to you this time. I will not mess it up.”

“Ethan—”

I don’t let her finish the rejection that is
on her lips. Instead, I crash mine against them. Her body freezes
for a moment before her mouth responds. I grab the books out of her
hand and toss them in the car.

This right here, the passion and the way I
care about nothing but her, this is why I can’t stay away and it’s
the exact reason why I have to get this right.

“This is your last chance,” she says. “I
mean it, Ethan. I’m an idiot to give it to you, so do not make me
look like a fool.”

I step back, holding her door until she
slides inside her car.

“I won’t, you can trust me.”

Even as I say the words, I know they are
just as much to convince myself as they are her. Now all I need to
do is find the perfect time to explain further why I’m here and not
working for my father.

* * *

“You sure ran off in a hurry this morning,”
Lance says when I walk through my front door. I head for the
kitchen and he follows me.

He didn’t ask me any questions last night.
Nothing about Kelsey or the bar. Sometimes I wonder if he really
cares what happens or not. He doesn’t seem to concerned about
running the BA or being an accomplice to expanding the family feud
we have going on between Sara’s dad and ours. Yet he’s still here,
just like my father said he would be.

“I didn’t realize I had to inform you of my
schedule.”

“Dad seems to think you do.”

“Dad has a control problem.”

Lance glances at me with a shocked
expression. I stare back at him, ready for whatever defense he
decides to throw my way, but it never comes. Instead, he chuckles
as he takes bottled water from the fridge.

“You’re probably the first brother to admit
that out loud.” He takes a drink. “And you’re damn lucky you said
it to me—Ben might kick your ass.”

“What do you want?” I take a seat at the
table. “Uncle Dean doesn’t have anything for me to find. They keep
everything clean. There’s no way Dad could pull this off.”

“So tell him that,” Lance says, sitting
across from me. “Tell him you can’t find anything and go home.”

“I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“Because I made a commitment to Sara. I
can’t abandon the bar while she’s gone.”

“Ethan, Dean will be able to handle it just
fine.”

I shake my head.

“He’s not here. He’s off searching for a new
building so he can make the bar into a chain. That’s why they
called Dad in the first place.”

“So there isn’t any reason for you to stay.
Not even that girl across the street.”

My teeth grind as I look him in the eyes.
“Stay away from Kelsey.”

He laughs. “Okay, so wait a second. Let me
see if I have this right. For years, you’ve wanted Dad to know he
can depend on you, begging him for the chance to prove it to him,
so he sends you here. Then, all of the sudden, an account number is
hard to find. You think he’s controlling and now you’re growling at
me with an ‘I’ll beat your ass’ look because I mentioned a girl.
What happened when you got here?”

I blink a few times as I think about it.

“I guess all I needed was a life without him
in it to figure out what kind of person I am.”

Lance nods but doesn’t say anything. A half
grin appears on his face as he stands.

“I think I’d better head out. Dad clearly
underestimated you, as did I. I thought you’d stay his puppet
forever. I’m proud of you.”

He heads for the door and I watch him, still
processing the fact he didn’t come here to sabotage me.

“If Dad calls, let’s pretend I’m still here
taking over for you. I need some time away myself and you seem to
have your shit under control.”

And just like that, he leaves.

One obstacle down and one left to go. All I
have to do is build back up Kelsey’s trust and my life will be
smooth sailing and secret free.

Chapter Twenty-one

Kelsey

“Gross, you two make me want to vomit.”
Beth’s whines from across the table, making me blush. “Can’t I eat
my lunch without having to witness people sticking their tongues
down each other’s throat?” She guards her eyes with her hands.

“Oh, come on, Beth. When you find someone
you’re head over heels for, you will understand.”

“Seriously, Logan, you’re defending
them?”

“Yeah, why not?”

“You’re not even dating anyone.”

“But he could be…” Ethan chimes in and nods
at Logan. “Right?”

“Yep, that’s right.”

“Whatever. All I’m saying is that I’ve seen
this every night I’ve worked at the bar for the last month and a
half. Haven’t you moved past this stage yet?” Beth asks.

I grin toward Ethan, who mimics my
expression. She’s right. You would think we would be out of this
phase, but we’re not even close. My father would be furious if he
knew I’ve spent more nights at Ethan’s than guarding his house. I
don’t mind it one bit. Waking up with Ethan has been amazing.

Class has been even better. I got the letter
this morning about being a finalist in the column competition. Some
people from the paper want to meet with me for a dinner in couple
weeks, right before Thanksgiving, where they will end the night
announcing the winner. It’s like my entire life has finally become
what I’ve wanted. I know it sounds lame and cliché that I could
feel this way so soon, but I’ve never been happier.

I look forward to the days when Ethan meets
us all at the college cafeteria for lunch, like today. Beth usually
doesn’t join us, and although I like when she does, I’m guessing
she won’t much longer.

“Okay, well I better run. Someone has to
open the bar.” Ethan stands and then leans down to kiss me one more
time. I slip my tongue into his mouth and he rests his hand on the
table to deepen the kiss before leaving for the BA.

“Okay…now I’m taking Beth’s side.” Logan
laughs and waves to Ethan when he leaves. “Have you talked to Sara
recently?”

“Yes, every morning. Why?”

Logan’s head snaps up and hurt washes over
his face. “She hasn’t been answering my calls.”

Shoot, that’s not good.

“I’m sure she’s just busy. She’s having the
time of her life, you know. I bet…” The scent of tuna fish floats
through the air and I gag. “I bet…” I get another whiff and I
barely get my hand over my mouth as my lunch starts to come back
up. I dash from the table to the closest trash can.

“Hey, are you okay?” A hand begins to rub my
shoulder and then I see a water bottle lower into my vision. I grab
it, swish some water around in my mouth, spit it out, and take a
seat at the nearest table. Thank god there aren’t many people in
here; that was not something anyone wants to see.

“I’m fine.” I say, giving Logan a weak smile
before gathering my things and heading home. Now is not the time to
catch the flu, because that’s all it could be. I’ve repeated that
sentence every day since I started throwing up, and I’m praying I’m
right. A nap before work should cure whatever I am coming down
with. When I get to work tonight, all I have to tell Ethan is that
I have a real shot at this job. That’s it. I won’t have anything
else to tell him and the next couple weeks will fly by just as
planned until they announce the winner.

And that winner is going to be me because
nothing is going to mess up any more of my plans. Nothing.

* * *

Both the columnist dinner and Thanksgiving
are just days away. Logan and I slowly make our way down the steps
after class lets out for break. I glance up to see Ethan leaning
against my car. The weather has been getting colder and the snow
has been nonstop. Ethan’s cheeks are rosy, and he’s wearing a red
hoodie and dark blue jeans with his legs crossed at the ankles
while he plays on his cellphone. He looks sexy as always, and I
still can’t believe he’s mine.

When I told him about the paper, he was
thrilled and almost more excited than I was.

“Hey, gorgeous,” Ethan greets me pulling me
in for a hug and burying his face in my neck. I don’t say anything
back, because if I do, I’ll say the wrong thing and start crying
and then he’ll ask questions. Questions I’m not ready to answer. He
trails kisses from my ear until he reaches my mouth. I kiss him
back and wrap my arms around his neck. I love these moments, when
nothing matters but him and me.

I’m going to ruin everything.

“Dude, really, we’re standing in a parking
lot. Save it for later. It was cute a month ago but now, it’s just
– just stop,” Logan complains, but deep down I know he doesn’t
care. I think he’s still having problems reaching Sara, but I’m not
sure how to bring it up. Ethan pulls away, but not before he gives
me a few more quick kisses.

“I’d love to stay and continue this, but
Logan and I have plans,” he says, sticking out his bottom lip and
then placing a kiss on my forehead.

“Dude, we’re going to play ball, so you
better man the fuck up before we get there. Let’s go,” Logan says,
pulling Ethan by his shirt.

“I’ll call you later!” he shouts as he
climbs into his truck, where Logan waits impatiently in the
passenger’s seat, watching me through the window. I’ve been getting
sick a lot in class lately and I threw up twice today. After the
second time, he kept looking at me all weird. I avoided making any
eye contact with him until class was over, but it was almost like
he could read my mind.

I think I’m pregnant.

I drive straight to Sara’s and my apartment.
If I remember right, we already have a test there that I can take.
This isn’t the first time one of us has been in this situation. I
just hope it turns out the same as the other times. I run up the
stairs and dash straight for the bathroom, but that door is locked.
How is it locked? No one’s even living here.

“Just a minute,” a female voice calls from
inside. The waterworks flow instantly at her voice. I can’t imagine
a better time for Sara to be home. I need my best friend now more
than ever.

She opens the door, smiling, and holds her
arms out wide.

BOOK: Just One Kiss: A Black Alcove Novel (The Black Alcove Series Book 1)
6.14Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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