Jacked (Trent Brothers #1)(75)

He crossed his arms, effectively tucking my keys away. “I need to know something.”

I braced, sensing I was about to be interrogated.

“Last night, drinking like that. Is that something you do often?”

Hung-over or not, I knew a displeased accusation when I’d heard one. Even shaking my head was enough to make me never want to take another drink again. “No.”

His eyes narrowed. “No? You sure?”

I straightened, feeling weak and dizzy but strangely annoyed at having to be on guard. “No. Never.”

His small scoff didn’t go unnoticed, either.

“So you’re telling me this was a one-time thing? Because I’ve got to tell ya, that sort of thing does not sit well with me. Last thing I need in my life is a party girl who gets smashed every weekend.”

My throat felt as raw as my emotions. “Believe me, I don’t make a habit out of it, but it looks like you don’t believe me so…”

Adam’s head swayed. “You know how I feel about lying, Erin.”

“I have no reason to lie to you, Adam.” I shoved my knit hat into my opened purse, incensed by his false assumptions. “I have no life. Haven’t had much of one for years. It’s not like I even have opportunities to go out anymore. All my friends are…” Busy, married, making babies. “I just completed my medical residency. Do you even know what that means? I work, study, and barely sleep. Whatever. I don’t know why I’m bothering to explain myself. I can’t help it if you choose not to believe me.”

I wished my boots would magically appear on the other side of his overstuffed brown leather chair. “Everything else in my life has turned to shit, might as well add you to that list, too. If you tell me where you put my coat and the rest of my stuff I’ll gladly get out of your hair.” I pulled my purse up over my arm and held out my hand. “Can I have my keys now?”

“You make a habit of walking away a lot. You’re a jack.”

A what? “A what?”

“A jack rabbit.”

Was he equating me to one of his petty car thieves? He made my head spin. “You’ve got to be kidding me. You ran away first, Adam. No, actually if I remember correctly, you pushed me away several times and then the last time I saw you, you ran out of my house like your ass was on fire. So screw you. Can I have my keys, please?”

Adam sighed. “You’re right. I did. But you’re here now.”

My coat was nowhere in sight, adding to my agitation. “To which I still don’t understand why. Can you tell me where my boots are?”

He took a step toward me, frowning at my bare foot. “All public transportation shut down last night, Doc. You would have been waiting a long time for a cab.”

“So? I could have walked or waited in my car until I felt okay to drive. I didn’t ask you to come get me.”

“What? And let you drive home as drunk as you were? I don’t think so.”

I took a leveling breath. “Is that what’s bugging you? I’m sorry, but I had no intentions of ruining your evening and I’m sorry if I did. Honestly, I’m surprised you came for me or that you even care.”

His eyes turned even darker.

“And to answer your question, yes, I do walk away. I have no reason to stay where I’m not wanted. Been there, done that, Officer. You can’t pretend to care one minute and not give a shit the next. It’s confusing.”

His hands balled into fists. “Who said I don’t give a shit?”

“Oh that’s right. You’d rather sneak around and stay anonymous than see me. Please tell me where my boots are so I can go.”

“What are you talking about? Sneaking around?”

Annoyed blood thinned out with tequila was thrumming through my veins. “You know exactly what I’m talking about: my loose siding, the shingles that were peeled up, the burnt out light over my garage that suddenly works now. My neighbor told me yesterday that a mysterious guy in a big black truck has been stopping by with a ladder and tools all week, performing all sorts of random acts of kindness. Know anyone with a black truck, Adam?”

He shrugged. “I f*cked up. Won’t do that again.”

His reply hit my like a physical blow. “And what? I wasn’t supposed to know you’ve been the one fixing things around my house? Why would you do that, Adam? It’s the most thoughtful thing anyone has ever done for me and yet I don’t see you? Or hear from you at all? I’m just trying to understand.”

His eyes narrowed. “Why did you pick Al’s? Out of all of places to go tie one on—”

“I don’t have time for this.”

“Why Al’s?”

I glared back. “It’s close to my house.”

“Bullshit. This town isn’t lacking for bars.”

“And they have good food. And I was home on Tuesday, by the way. And Wednesday, too.”

He sighed. “I know. You worked the night shift again.”

“And you couldn’t knock on my door?”

He cast his eyes to the ground. “I did, sort of. The hammering didn’t wake you up and you never came out to investigate, so I figured you were avoiding me or sound asleep.”

My brain felt close to imploding. “So you admit to being at my house?”