Heartbreaker (Unbreakable #1)(50)

But not all guys were wired the same. And girls didn’t find out a guy’s true worth until said guy opened up all of himself. When did that happen? Usually when the girl had already sunk all-emotions deep into him.

I parked, then began running the trail’s gradual climb, mentally and physically preparing myself for its rocky steep terrain. It would demand all my concentration not to stumble.

Every footfall was calculated, each breath a cadence, as my mind let go of my worries and my body gave itself over to the exertion. An easier bend in the trail led to a challenging staircase of granite boulders ahead.

Sudden resolve bubbled up from my gut, like a last-ditch effort to settle the matter once and for all. “It’s simple, Kiki,” I muttered. I took a deep breath, then blew it out.

“Don’t let yourself fall.”



Afternoon dragged into evening as I became engrossed in my latest sculpture. Another bit of metal held with the pincers, another throw of the flame, sudden bright light filtered through the welder’s helmet, and… BAM! The last petal of the drooping tulip-shaped flower hung in place.

I lifted my helmet to get a fresh look at it.

Rough. Delicate. Perfect.

With a satisfied sigh, I pulled the helmet off and set it on my worktable. Then I grabbed a chilled green tea from my minifridge under the counter and took several swallows. A bead of sweat rolled down from my hairline onto my forehead, and I wiped it with the back of my arm as I sat on a barstool.

The towering stack of unopened bills on the far corner stared expectantly at me.

I narrowed my eyes, glaring back.

Hard to play by society’s rules when you got screwed by them at the same time.

Ignoring the situation didn’t make it go away, but I didn’t know what else to do. Denial seemed to be working—so far. But a countdown clock ticked louder and louder as the end of the month approached.

My phone buzzed, dancing a few centimeters across the table as it vibrated. The screen lit up with a number I didn’t recognize, so I let it roll over to voicemail.

When it bleeped a voicemail alert a good minute-and-a-half later, I retrieved the message.



“Hey, Kiki. It’s me. Logan. Is it okay that I called you? Hope so. Anyway…wanna hang? I could really use someone to talk to. A girl someone. If you get this in the next little bit, you know where to find me.”



I did?

The roof!

Panicked, I scooped up my keys and purse, grabbed a sweatshirt off the end of the couch, and pulled it over my head as I jogged out to my car. Then I drove off in the general direction of town I remembered being in last time and wondered if I should call Darren.

But Logan would’ve called Darren if she wanted him there. For some reason, she’d called me.

A red light snagged me, and I waited at the longest streetlight ever, bouncing an impatient leg. Call him? Don’t call him?

In the end, I decided not to call right as the light turned green. I took it as a sign that I’d made the right decision.

The tall brick apartment buildings all began to look the same. The streets were one-way, and I ended up looping around in a circle. Twice.

My phone buzzed beside me. I glanced down to see the same number light up.

I turned it on and hit the speaker button.

Logan chuckled, “You’ve almost got it.”

“How can you tell?” I craned my neck and stared out my windshield, up toward the rooftops.

“You’re the only car driving five miles per hour down the street.” Movement flashed back and forth up along the edge.

“Do not wave at me!” I growled, worried she’d fall.

“Chill. I kicked a leg out. Parallel park out front.”

I yanked the wheel right, then parked behind a newer black SUV, making me feel slightly better about the sketchy neighborhood. Then I swiped a credit card into the meter for an hour’s time. Hopefully we wouldn’t be up there longer than that. I didn’t need a bird’s-eye view of my car being towed.

This time, I took the elevator. The doors slid open at the fifth floor, then I bounded up the flight of stairs to the roof and burst through the door that had been propped ajar by a brick again.

There, on the edge, sat Logan. Half-turned my way, she waved.

“You’re waving.” I arched my brows as I walked toward her.

She rolled her eyes, then shot me an exhausted look. “You gonna lecture me all night?”

“Depends.” I curled my hands under the hem of my sweatshirt.

“On?”

Good question. I had no experience dealing with depression. But maybe I didn’t need any. Logan clearly didn’t think so.

“Whether or not you’re gonna throw me attitude all night.”

She ran her tongue over her teeth, assessing me. Then she reached back and plucked a bottle from a cardboard six-pack. One was already missing.

I took the bottle, staring at the label. “Beer?”

The fifteen-year-old with alcohol arched her brows at me.

Right. Lecture equals attitude. Got it.

Without another word, I carefully settled beside her, then popped the top of my beer with a twist. After I took a healthy gulp, I lowered the bottle to rest on my thigh. “So what’s the occasion tonight?”

“What makes you think there’s a reason?” Her voice softened by a small degree.