Tom and I got pregnant with Lindsey when I was sixteen, and he was only two years older. He did what he thought was right and married me before we even graduated high school.
To a sixteen-year-old, the idea of marriage was like a fairytale. The dream of having my small little family together was all I wanted. To the thirty-five-year-old I am now, the idea of marriage left a nasty taste in my mouth. Our marriage was more like a really good roommate agreement with the occasional half-hearted booty call thrown in. Even those had stopped years before we had gotten a divorce. Not to mention touching me at all. I couldn’t even remember the last time he had even so much as held my hand despite my endless effort to attract his attention.
What he had said to me on the phone only served to drag up those old insecurities. Had I really been the one that drove him to find comfort in another woman’s arms?
I shoved away from the door and went down the hall to my bathroom. Feeling like I was on autopilot, I turned the shower on and undressed. After having my world rocked to its core by Reid, the weird encounter with Heath, and the conversation with Tom, I felt a little raw.
The shower’s hot spray burned my skin as I stepped in, but it would help drag me out of my head. I tried to tell myself that Tom’s issues were just that, his issues. So what if he couldn’t get it hard for me? Heath and Reid didn’t seem to have the same problem. Some of what Tom said had sunk in, though. What if I wouldn’t be able to find someone to put up with me? Was I really boring? I didn’t feel boring ten minutes ago.
I washed my hair methodically, wishing the thoughts would go down the drain too. After washing off, I dried myself. I didn’t stop myself from thinking about Reid’s hands on me. He had left a trail of fire everywhere he touched, and I couldn’t help wondering if it would be the same with Heath.
I sighed heavily. I needed to stop thinking about them. I had a pint of ice cream in the freezer with my name on it and a Netflix show to binge-watch. I would hunker down for the rest of the evening and shut down my brain. Tomorrow was a new day, and I would deal with everything then.
Hopefully, I would hear from Samantha sooner rather than later. Having a job would make it easier to get out of my head. I would try my damnedest to avoid the boys because I might die from embarrassment the next time I saw them.
Chapter Six
I was going to die. It had been two days of trying to avoid the boys. Two days looking through my peephole before I would sprint to the elevator and hope to God nobody would exit that damned apartment. I even thought I got away with pretending to not be home when Heath had knocked, trying to get me to come out.
I had time to come out of my head space and started to feel a little better. I’d needed that blow-up with Tom to happen. It was almost therapeutic in a way. I had been nothing but polite through the whole divorce, trying to keep it as civil as possible. It felt good to finally let a little bitchiness out.
I woke up the next morning feeling refreshed and a little sore from the prior night’s activities. When your girl parts went from being severely neglected one day to having a mind-blowing orgasm the next, things got a little achy.
Shortly after getting up, my phone rang. It was Samantha with the job offer. I, of course, took the offer, and she asked if I could come in that day.
Then I spent the next two days completely immersed in learning the ins and outs of the company, and I was completely hooked. Samantha had told me that my position was an entry-level position, but there were always advancement opportunities if I was willing to put in the work. It felt so good to be needed again and to be doing something productive.
The days flew by so fast that I hadn’t even realized it was Saturday until I woke up this morning in a panic because my alarm hadn’t alerted me. I decided it was far past time for me to get out and get to know this city I was calling home. I decided I needed to explore a beach or two while I was at it, too. I’d been in town for about a month now, and I hadn’t even seen the ocean yet.
I packed all the stuff I would need for the outing and put on my swimsuit under my cutoff overalls. After putting my hair up in a messy bun and completely foregoing makeup, I was ready to march out the door.
I stopped at the peephole and looked out. Although I was feeling better, I still wasn’t ready to face the boys yet, having not recovered from my embarrassment. I still couldn’t figure out what their deal was. Why hadn’t Heath gotten mad after catching me with Reid? I could believe that he wouldn’t think he had a claim on me because we had only had one moment in the elevator. But even if that was the case, wouldn’t he still be slightly upset? The whole situation left me confused.
It looked like the coast was clear, so I rushed out my door as quietly as I could. Pushing the button for the elevator, I kept my eyes trained on their door. If it opened, I might be able to make it back inside before they saw me. The elevator dinged as it stopped on my floor, and I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.
Just when I thought I was in the clear, the doors opened, revealing the very men I had been trying to avoid. Hence my impending death. Death by embarrassment was a thing, right?
Heath had been in the middle of a sentence, cut off when they noticed me standing there. They both caught me in their stares. Reid kept his eyes on me as a grin spread across his face. I could feel the heat left behind as his gaze trailed down my body while he played his tongue across his teeth.
The sight made me cinch my thighs together as arousal flooded my veins. He reminded me of a hungry lion, and I felt like the prey. All the color drained from my face as I stole a glance at Heath. The darkness I found in his eyes was enough to make my breath catch. I guessed he was mad after all. How was I going to get out of this?
Before I could come up with an excuse to go back to my apartment, Reid cut me off. “Hey, Kate, long time no see.” There was amusement in his voice. His gaze still traveled over my body, from my flip-flops, and up to the top of my bun. Soaking in all of my details with hungry eyes.
“Uh, yeah. I-uh, started my new job so I have been kinda busy.” God, that sounded so lame.
Heath held me with his hard eyes as Reid spoke. “Huh. See, Heath? I told you she wasn’t avoiding us. She was just busy.” He tried to hide his smirk by dragging his hand across his mouth. “So, is that where you’re headed now? Work?” He put a little emphasis on theK.
“Uh, no, actually. I figured I would head to the beach. I haven’t been yet, so I thought today was the day to see what I’ve been missing out on.”
I was sure I sounded like an idiot. Reid looked at Heath, who still wouldn’t take his eyes off me. “You know what, we haven’t been to the beach in ages. Have we, Heath?” It didn’t sound like a question. “What do you say to a little company? We could show you the best beach then take you to the boardwalk for some grub.”
I opened my mouth to say that probably wasn’t a good idea when he cut me off again. “Great! I’ll go get our trunks if you guys want to hold the elevator,” he said with a shit-eating grin as he brushed past me.
I was left alone with Heath in the elevator once again. We just stared at each other for what felt like hours. The silence stretched, getting louder. The overwhelming need to speak took charge. “So what have you been—”
He cut me off. “You never let me answer your question the other night.”
Okay, he wasn’t beating around the bush, was he? “Oh, I guess you’re right. I just— I just figured after walking in on … you know, you wouldn’t want to go out with me.” I could feel a flush climbing up my neck.