What's Done in Darkness (14 page)

I
had
lost it at grad. Totally become unhinged. In my anger, I'd become a different person. Someone I didn't want to be again. Surely I could allow for a mistake on Christian's part. And who knew—Katrina could be on point with her assessment that stress was playing a big part in why they were fighting.

It suddenly struck me why Wesley didn't trust me. Because of how crazy I'd gotten. Hearing Katrina talk about it last night was giving me new perspective. Maybe I needed to apologize again, let him know that what I'd done had been completely my fault. Not Michelle's or his. Mine. A temporary reaction because of the stress of not graduating and the fear of losing him.

I also had to let him know that I was fine with a long-distance relationship … as long as he didn't close the door on us altogether.

So I sent him that text, with the goal of convincing him that I was a changed person.

And I prayed that he would be willing to give me another chance. I didn't want to be single. I wanted to work on saving the relationship I already had.

 

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

The next morning, I entered the café and noticed Gordon outside the front door. His laptop bag was slung over his shoulder. But what struck me as odd was that Katrina was outside the door talking to him.

I watched, curious. I had planned to ask Gordon about what Katrina had said, see for myself where his head was at. But I watched in disbelief as, instead of coming into the café and assuming his regular table, Gordon turned and walked away.

Katrina watched him go, then came into the café. I went over to her immediately. “Where's Gordon going?” I asked. “Why is he leaving?”

“Because I talked to him. Told him I didn't appreciate him leading you on.”

“That's what you said?” I asked, feeling alarmed. And embarrassed. Shit, I didn't need Gordon getting the wrong impression.

Katrina shrugged nonchalantly. “The fact that he left shows his true intentions.”

I frowned. Why would Gordon leave if Katrina had talked to him about leading me on? Wouldn't he have told her that she was mistaken? Perhaps even laughed off the idea as crazy?

I looked at Katrina—and knew she was lying. But why?

“I need to talk to him,” I said.

I started for the door, but Katrina grabbed hold of my arm, stopping me. “Let him go, Jade. He's no good.”

“But this doesn't make sense.”

“What—that he's a liar?”

Pulling my arm free of Katrina's grip, I blew out a frustrated breath. I wanted to talk to Gordon. Find out why he'd really left.

But he was gone now. I'd have to ask him later—if he came back to the café.

“You've got customers waiting, Jade,” Katrina said.

I didn't respond, just went back to work. And every time I heard the door chimes, I looked in that direction, hoping to see Gordon returning.

Every fiber of my being told me that Katrina had lied to me, and I wanted to know why.

*   *   *

Later I was delivering drinks on the patio when I got the overpowering sense that someone was watching me.

I quickly looked over my shoulder, expecting to see Gordon.

Instead, I saw someone else. And my heart stopped in my chest.

Brian!

He was about twenty feet away, resting against a light pole. Definitely staring at me. He smiled.

I blinked, making sure that my eyes weren't playing tricks on me. Because the way Brian had abandoned me at that bar, the last thing I expected was for him to be here now—and smiling at me.

But my eyes weren't betraying me. Brian was actually here.

As I turned away, my breath caught in my throat. Then I glanced in his direction again, confused. His smile brightened, and he actually waved.

I stood, dumbfounded, unable to react. My God, Brian was here. And even with the distance between us, I felt the heat that I had when I'd first met him.

He beckoned me over. That's when I felt a wave of irritation and finally reacted. Guffawing, I turned on my heel and started toward the café's front door.

“Jade!” I heard him call.

My hand paused on the door's handle. Something inside of me melted. The sound of his voice … God, what was it about him that drew me to him like a moth to a flame?

“Jade,” he repeated, his voice softer. He was closer. I could hear a plea in the way he'd said my name.

I wanted to run. Lord, how my brain told me to run. But instead, I drew in a breath and turned. He was a few feet away, on the outside of the patio railing.

“I'm working,” I said. No niceties.

“You can't spare a few minutes?”

“Oh, that's priceless.” The question annoyed me. More reason to simply walk away from him. But as I glanced through the glass into the café, I decided that Katrina would survive without me for a couple of minutes.

Then, swallowing, I made my way out of the enclosed patio area and to Brian.

“Hey,” he said softly, his smile charming.

The hypocrisy of that smile angered me—as if he hadn't left me in that bar waiting for him to return!

“I find it ironic that you want me to spare you a few minutes now when you couldn't spare me a few minutes to tell me you were leaving me at the bar. So why the hell do you want to talk to me now?”

“Can we go over there and talk for a minute—without an audience?” He gestured to the alley at the side of the café.

“Are you going to answer my question?”

He placed his hand on my elbow. “Come talk to me.”

My breathing was erratic, as was my heartbeat. A part of me was pissed that he had the nerve to show up here and expect me to give him the time of day. But another part was all giddy and elated that he wanted to see me.

Once we were around the side of the building and beyond earshot of patrons on the patio, I said, “Why don't you come into the café and have a seat? Order a drink—and perhaps some nachos.” I gave him a pointed look.

“I'm sorry I left you that night,” he said.

I hadn't expected the apology, and for a moment it made me lower my guard. I looked into his eyes … such beautiful, striking eyes … and I wanted him.

I hated myself for it.

Looking away was the only way to save myself from whatever power he had over me. “You're sorry?” I snorted in derision. “If you came here to apologize, then you've wasted—”

“Something came up,” Brian interjected. “I know it sounds flaky, but it's true. I'd have to be crazy to walk away from you without a good reason.”

“Oh, I'm sure you had a great reason.” I faced him again, needing to see the truth in his eyes. “What's her name? Your girlfriend. Or are you actually married?”

Brian shook his head. “There's no one else.”

Damn it, I believed him. In his eyes, I saw only honesty. And desire. “Then why'd you take off?”

“It was work related,” Brian explained. “I went to the bathroom to take a call, and then I had to leave. I saw that you had company, and…” He shrugged. “And now I'm here.”

“And you expect me to jump for joy?” I asked. Though that's exactly what I wanted to do. Being close to Brian like this, I felt a thrill. Alive. “And what do you mean you got a call?” I asked when my brain registered his paltry excuse. “Your phone didn't ring. You looked around, saw someone, and quickly got up. Do you really think I'm stupid?”

“If I thought you were stupid, I wouldn't have come here to see you today.”

Again his words stopped any protest in my throat. I'd believe him even if he was trying to pass off swampland as a prime real estate location.

“Brian, I've got to get back to work. Katrina is going to be wondering where I am.” I paused. “If you want to … if you want to talk, why not come in and get a table?” What? Why the
hell
had I said
that?
He'd had his chance with me and blown it and I was welcoming him back into my life with open arms?

“I can't,” he said.

Two words, but they deflated my bubble of hope and left me feeling stupid. Scoffing, I lowered my head. I knew I should have walked away.

“But how about I call you?” Brian asked.

Stunned, I raised my eyes to his, the hope returning.

“Or you call me,” Brian continued. “You have a pen?”

I withdrew one from my apron pocket. “Here.”

I thought Brian was going to ask me for a piece of paper, but instead he took my hand in his. Heat tingled along my skin where our hands connected. He opened my palm and began to write.

“I'll leave the ball in your court,” he said as he wrote. “This is my number. Call, or text. If you're not too upset with me.”

I glanced at my palm, then met his eyes again. Our gazes held. And as one beat turned to two and then to three, I waited. Waited for him to kiss me.

“Sometimes,” he began softly, “timing makes all the difference.”

I frowned. “What does that mean?”

“The ball's in your court,” he said.

Then he walked away, leaving me standing breathless in the alley.

Only after he'd gone and I looked at the number on my hand did something strike me as odd. Brian had said that he was from Akron, Ohio. So why had he given me a number with a Key West area code?

 

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

I was dreaming. I was in a library or an office—somewhere someone was typing on a computer.

I tried to open my eyes, but my eyelids were heavy. I snuggled into my pillow and settled back into my weird dream.

“Hey. Jade. Wake up.”

At first when I heard the voice it didn't totally register. I thought it was part of my dream.

“Jade.”

The combination of my name coupled with the feel of a hand on my leg jarred me awake. Goose bumps popped out on my skin as fear seized me.

“Jade.”

My heart was pounding a mile a minute, but I quickly made sense of what was going on. Katrina was in my room.

I rolled over, squinting as I faced her. The light in my room was blinding. “Kat?” I said, my voice groggy. And in the next instant I felt a spasm of panic. “Is everything okay?”

“You need to go to Mexico.”

I blinked, not sure I'd heard her correctly. “What?”

“You need to go to Mexico,” she repeated.

Maybe I
was
dreaming, because this made no sense. But I didn't feel as though I were sleeping.

My brain in a fog, I craned my neck to look beyond her at the bedside clock. It was 3:04 a.m., and she most definitely had woken me up.
To tell me that I needed to go to Mexico?

Anger swept over me like a massive wave.

“It's three oh four in the morning,” I spat out. “What the fuck?”

“I had an epiphany,” Katrina said, completely unfazed by my ire. “Mexico's what you need to move on, finally put Wesley in your rearview mirror.”

“Kat, why are you in my room? It's the middle of the night.”

“I was just online checking prices for Mexico, and there's a ridiculous deal right now.”

Through narrowed eyelids, I looked toward my desk. She'd been on my computer? “I don't understand what you're doing. You wake me up when I'm trying to friggin' slee—”

“Because the price I found will probably be gone by morning. I can book yours; you can pay me back.”

“Are you insane?”

“For helping you out?” Her expression said she thought I was the insane one. “Besides, I have a friend there,” she continued. “He's been working at a resort in Cancun, and he said he's interested in meeting you.” She patted my leg. “I just
know
the two of you will hit it off. You don't want to miss out on meeting the love of your life, do you?”

I was slowly becoming more conscious, and I wasn't impressed. Huffing, I rolled onto my side.

“Come on,” Katrina urged.

I wanted to tell her to get the fuck out of my room. But I remembered her words about what had happened in Buffalo. That despite my outburst at graduation, she didn't think I was a raging psychopath. So I held in my anger and spoke as rationally as I could. “I can't even think, Kat. Let's talk in the morning.”

“This deal may be gone by morning.”

“I'll take my chances,” I said. Then, groaning, I pulled the pillow over my head. And when I heard my door click shut, I was grateful that she was finally gone.

Is she literally insane?
was the last thought that came into my mind before I drifted into nothingness.

*   *   *

The next morning I awoke thinking that I'd had a bad dream. Had Katrina really come into my room and woken me up in the middle of the night?

I stretched, then rolled over and looked at the bedside clock. Nine thirty-four! I'd slept in.

I threw off the covers and jumped out of bed. That's when I noticed the slip of paper on the floor:

I didn't wake you. Get rest and come downstairs when you're ready. Let's decide about Mexico.
☺
Kat

Exhaling a shuddery breath, I sat back on the bed. It wasn't a bad dream. Katrina had actually come into my room in the middle of the night to tell me that I needed to go to Mexico. Shit,
was
she insane?

And why the hell was she saying we should decide about Mexico? Did she not understand what the word “no” meant?

When I went downstairs forty-five minutes later, Katrina beamed at me as though she were the sweetest person in the world. I was tying my apron behind my back when she came over to me.

“Did you sleep well?” she asked.

“Yeah, sure,” I responded, my tone clipped. “Which section do you want me working today?”

“Section one. Alexis is on the patio.”

“Okay.”

I made a move to head in that direction, but Katrina placed a hand on my arm. I faced her. “Hey, just wanted to let you know that Christian and I have made arrangements for Mexico. We leave on Monday.”