Jonas
Inever really got the appeal of a hayride. Crawling through a cornfield with a hay bale stabbing me in the ass isn’t really my cup of tea. But I’m squeezed up tight next to Kenna Carpenter, and for the first time in my life, I am really enjoying a hayride.
I had a shitty morning. I woke up racked with guilt over deceiving Kenna while simultaneously missing the feel of her in my arms. Halloween Eve is notoriously slow at The Pub. The locals all eat at the festival and the tourists go to Riptides for pumpkin pasta or whatever abomination Jameson has concocted over there.
I hadn’t planned to work today at all, but I swung by the kitchen to drop off some paperwork and my assistant chef was hungover as fuck. I had to help him catch up and force feed him gatorade. If you’ve never seen a grown man vomit and whimper about drinking ‘too much butter beer,’ consider yourself lucky.
By the time I got him squared away, I was two hours late meeting Dean. I should have realized Kenna would be with him. Ironically, I was too distracted thinking about Kenna to put two and two together. After last night, I know I need to tell her everything. I just have to trust that she’ll forgive me because I can’t keep pretending I don’t know who she is. Hell, I don’t want to keep pretending. I want to walk down Main Street and hold her hand. I want to take her to dinner and make her laugh and then take her home and make her scream my name.
I’m trying to decide the best way to pull her away from Dean and Sutton so I can fess up, but my brain is still hung up on the idea of Kenna in a cat costume. It’s hard to think when I’m trying to conceal a poorly timed boner. I don’t think the other people on the hayride bargained for involuntary chub when they bought tickets.
Kenna whispers something to Sutton and dashes off the back of the moving wagon, leaving absolute bedlam in her wake. Everyone is shouting. Dean, Sutton, and I all call after her and the driver demands she get back in her seat. But Kenna isn’t listening to any of us. She’s already melting into the crowd as I scramble to my feet, slipping in the loose hay covering the floorboards. The driver turns his demands on me, but I’m sure as fuck not taking orders. I jump down the steps of the wagon and sprint toward the crowd.
Dean and Sutton are hot on my heels and I can hear the tractor driver losing his ever loving mind. I dart between tourists carrying cotton candy and caramel apples, searching for Kenna, but it’s like she fucking evaporated.
“Shit,” I mutter, raising my hands in surrender and clasping them over my beanie. I turn on Sutton and catch her squinting at me thoughtfully. “What did she say to you?” I ask, jaw clenched.
An indecipherable smile plays at the edge of her lips as she contemplates her reply. “So, you did know it was her at the club.”
My heart stops dead in my chest, my mind reeling. If Kenna told Sutton… Fuck. FUCK! How long has Kenna known it was me behind the mask? Since last night? The whole damn time?
I nod at Sutton, silently acknowledging my sins as Dean’s eyes bounce back and forth between the two of us.
“What was her? What the fuck is going on?” Dean’s eyebrows slam together. I can see the wheels turning and can only imagine what he’s thinking.
“It’s—complicated.” I rub my forehead in irritation.
“Explain it,” he demands through gritted teeth.
“Kenna turned up at Tango and—”
“Did you touch her?” Dean interrupts.
“Like I said, it’s complicated. And this isn’t the place to talk about it.” The crowd moves around us, packed together like huge a school of sweater wrapped fish. “I need to find Kenna. Now.”
“Did. You. Touch. Her?”
Sutton tugs on his arm and rolls her eyes. “Dean, chill out. Let’s talk about this somewhere else.”
He ignores her and stares me down, his dark eyes hard. Exasperated, I shake my head and sigh. Whatever. He’s going to find out sooner or later.
“I didn’t break my promise to you, but yeah—”
“Wait.” Sutton cuts in, eyes wide. “What promise?”
I look at her, trying to find the words to explain, but don’t get the chance. I glance back at Dean just in time to see him wind up. He throws a punch and I don’t even try to dodge it. His fist connects with my cheekbone, and then my world is nothing but blinding agony.
Spots flash in my vision, and I blink, trying to clear my head.
Dean is shaking his hand, a grimace twisting his face.
“Oh my fucking God,” Sutton growls through her teeth, getting between us. She doesn’t need to. I’m not about to hit him back and from the pained expression on his face, I doubt very much that he has another hit in him. “Dean, you’re being a fucking neanderthal, you know that? She’s not a child and you can’t say shit about who she dates. I don’t even want to fucking know what you made him promise.”
I rub my face while Dean glares at me. “I didn’t break my promise. Kenna found the club on her own. She chose it for herself. And not that it’s any of your business, but I love her. I have been in love with her for so fucking long. I can’t let her go.”
Dean clenches his jaw and turns, walking away into the crowd without another word. Sutton lets out an exasperated sigh and gives me a rueful smile. “That went well. I’ll deal with Dean. Just—go find Kenna.” She gives me an encouraging smile and shoos me away before turning to follow Dean.
I run my hand down my face and nod, heading for the shuttle. Everything is broken, but it’s not too late to make it right. At least, that’s what I tell myself. It can’t be too late. I can’t lose her.