I don’t wait for her to respond before ending the call.
It’s early in the evening when I head over to Rachel’s place. A neighbor lets me in, and when I knock on Rachel’s door, Laurie opens it.
For a minute, I forget about myself. Faced with Laurie’s obvious misery, I want to find Brett and ask him what the hell is the matter with him.
“Hey, Landon.” She smiles wanly. “Come on in.”
I follow her inside, closing the door behind me as she curls up on the couch. “Where’s Rachel?”
“Downstairs. Ice cream.”
I chuckle. “Ice cream never fails.”
“Yeah.” She makes a face. “Sit, sit. Rachel will be mad that I let you in.”
I lower myself onto an armchair. “I just want to talk to her.”
She shrugs. “I won’t help you if she decides to toss you out of the window.”
“And I won’t hold you responsible, don’t worry.”
Her laughter erases some of the pain from her face. Just then, the door opens behind me and Rachel enters the apartment carrying a shopping bag. Her gaze falls on me, and for a moment, I think she’ll turn around and leave.
“Hello, Rachel.”
She turns her fiery glare from me to Laurie. “You’re obviously feeling better,” she snaps. “Maybe I shouldn’t have bothered with these.”
Laurie, undaunted, rises from the couch and takes the shopping bag. “You’re a lifesaver,” she says to Rachel, totally ignoring her cousin’s annoyance.
She disappears in the dire
ction of the kitchen, and Rachel turns her glare back at me. “What are you doing here?”
I rise from the armchair. “What do you think I’m doing?”
“You need to leave.”
“You have to start saying that like you mean it, but we both know you don’t.”
Laurie returns from the kitchen with ice cream and wine. She inclines her head toward her room. “I’m just gonna…” She grins at me. “It was nice to see you again, Landon.”
I return her smile. “Likewise.”
The door closes behind her and I turn back to Rachel.
“So you’ve moved on?”
She takes a step back. “Is that why you came here? You couldn’t bear the thought that there’s one woman in the whole world who isn’t beside herself with joy at the thought that you want a relationship with her?”
“Jesus! Rachel.” She says the word like it disgusts her. I’ve never had my intentions so misunderstood, questioned, and misinterpreted by a woman. It’s almost as if she’s messing with me, deliberately trying to drive me crazy. I take a step toward her and she backs away. I follow her, not stopping until she reaches the door and I’m standing right in front of her.
I search her face, wanting nothing more than to kiss her. Her lips part, making the temptation more acute.
“I’m at my wits’ end,” I say in a low voice. “I’m helpless, bewitched. You’re my every waking thought and sleeping dream.” She draws in a breath and I continue. “You want me and I’m going crazy. Stop lying to me. Tell me what I have to do.”
“I don’t—”
I can’t stand for her to lie to me again, so I stop whatever she plans to say with a kiss. For an instant, she melts, but then she’s pushing me away.