get past this awkwardness. This gray cloud that followed them around like a ghost.
She looked up again, took in the incoming storm and suddenly felt empowered by its ominous strength.
Yes. What she and Josh needed to lay this thing between them to rest once and for all.
***
R elief and rush of lingering frustration hummed through Josh’s body at the sound of what he guessed was Carissa’s car outside the flip. Part of him hoped she’d wise up and go home— alone —and a bigger part of him hoped she’d reach out to him in some way. A text or a phone call maybe. Something to let him know he hadn’t gone and completely fucked up their friendship by acting like a selfish, possessive prick.
He hadn’t considered she’d come after him and, frankly, it probably wasn’t a wise move on her part, because he wanted things with her he couldn’t have and it was eating the hell out of his resolve. It was only a matter of time before he snapped and that put them both in a very precarious position. Especially after their encounter in his parents’ kitchen.
He climbed down from the ladder in dining room, where he’d begun installing a new light fixture. Something he thought would keep his mind busy and off of her. Ha .
He leaned against the half-wall that split the room from the living area and waited for her to bust in, surrounded by one of those clouds of fury he tended to stir up in her. He certainly hadn’t expected she’d push through the door, juggling a pizza box and a six pack of Corona.
“Hi.” She stopped just inside the door when she saw him, blowing strands of long, glossy hair from her face. Her cheeks were flushed as they’d been earlier and, though she still looked hot as hell in that tiny mint green dress, there was a nervous air whirling about her too.
This isn’t going to end well, man.
“I, uh, thought you might be hungry.” She took a tentative step further into the foyer and shifted the box slightly toward the kitchen his guys gutted that afternoon, silently asking permission to enter. Funny, considering it was her house. He dipped his chin nonetheless and watched from afar as she set the pizza and beer on a stack of subflooring that would be laid early next week. “I brought the beer for me, but you know I’ll only drink one, so feel free to help with the rest.”
Such a beautiful mess.
She waved a hand in front of her face. “Wow, it’s still way hot out there. And did you see that storm blowing in? We’re in for a doozy.”
He shifted his weight from one leg to the other and crossed his arms over his chest, afraid to open his mouth in fear all his words for the evening would be just as ridiculous and asinine as his earlier ones.
She seemed just as pensive and when she turned toward him again, her pinched gaze roaming up and down his body, the extent of her nervousness was clear.
This was it. The conversation they’d avoided for far too long.
She pulled in a deep breath, then huffed it out. “There’s so much I need to say,” she sighed and he was certain he heard a tremble in her voice. Pushing a hand back through her hair, she fisted it and tried again. “But I’m pretty sure you hate me right now and I hate that and, God, Josh, I just...I didn’t expect...”
With a groan of frustration, she shook off her rambling and grabbed a beer. Staring at the bottle, her pouty lips twisted. “I don’t suppose you have something I could open this with.”
Wordlessly, he strolled into the kitchen, pulled his Leatherman from a pocket in his cargos, popped off the top and handed the bottle back to her. Anxiety radiated off her little body and that vulnerability made her seem so much smaller than usual. Then again, maybe his being jacked up and overinflated on testosterone and possession was to blame for him feeling like such a giant beside her.
She took an impressive swig and held the back of her hand against her mouth. “I’m gonna be plastered in no time if you don’t at
She looked up again, took in the incoming storm and suddenly felt empowered by its ominous strength.
Yes. What she and Josh needed to lay this thing between them to rest once and for all.
***
R elief and rush of lingering frustration hummed through Josh’s body at the sound of what he guessed was Carissa’s car outside the flip. Part of him hoped she’d wise up and go home— alone —and a bigger part of him hoped she’d reach out to him in some way. A text or a phone call maybe. Something to let him know he hadn’t gone and completely fucked up their friendship by acting like a selfish, possessive prick.
He hadn’t considered she’d come after him and, frankly, it probably wasn’t a wise move on her part, because he wanted things with her he couldn’t have and it was eating the hell out of his resolve. It was only a matter of time before he snapped and that put them both in a very precarious position. Especially after their encounter in his parents’ kitchen.
He climbed down from the ladder in dining room, where he’d begun installing a new light fixture. Something he thought would keep his mind busy and off of her. Ha .
He leaned against the half-wall that split the room from the living area and waited for her to bust in, surrounded by one of those clouds of fury he tended to stir up in her. He certainly hadn’t expected she’d push through the door, juggling a pizza box and a six pack of Corona.
“Hi.” She stopped just inside the door when she saw him, blowing strands of long, glossy hair from her face. Her cheeks were flushed as they’d been earlier and, though she still looked hot as hell in that tiny mint green dress, there was a nervous air whirling about her too.
This isn’t going to end well, man.
“I, uh, thought you might be hungry.” She took a tentative step further into the foyer and shifted the box slightly toward the kitchen his guys gutted that afternoon, silently asking permission to enter. Funny, considering it was her house. He dipped his chin nonetheless and watched from afar as she set the pizza and beer on a stack of subflooring that would be laid early next week. “I brought the beer for me, but you know I’ll only drink one, so feel free to help with the rest.”
Such a beautiful mess.
She waved a hand in front of her face. “Wow, it’s still way hot out there. And did you see that storm blowing in? We’re in for a doozy.”
He shifted his weight from one leg to the other and crossed his arms over his chest, afraid to open his mouth in fear all his words for the evening would be just as ridiculous and asinine as his earlier ones.
She seemed just as pensive and when she turned toward him again, her pinched gaze roaming up and down his body, the extent of her nervousness was clear.
This was it. The conversation they’d avoided for far too long.
She pulled in a deep breath, then huffed it out. “There’s so much I need to say,” she sighed and he was certain he heard a tremble in her voice. Pushing a hand back through her hair, she fisted it and tried again. “But I’m pretty sure you hate me right now and I hate that and, God, Josh, I just...I didn’t expect...”
With a groan of frustration, she shook off her rambling and grabbed a beer. Staring at the bottle, her pouty lips twisted. “I don’t suppose you have something I could open this with.”
Wordlessly, he strolled into the kitchen, pulled his Leatherman from a pocket in his cargos, popped off the top and handed the bottle back to her. Anxiety radiated off her little body and that vulnerability made her seem so much smaller than usual. Then again, maybe his being jacked up and overinflated on testosterone and possession was to blame for him feeling like such a giant beside her.
She took an impressive swig and held the back of her hand against her mouth. “I’m gonna be plastered in no time if you don’t at
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