Wrapped Up in You (Heartbreaker Bay, #8)(34)

Until he lifted his gaze and unerringly met hers across the boisterous, nosy, crowded bar. Even from their distance, her heart gave a stupid flutter, but that took a backseat because there was something in his gaze, a hollow, haunted look that clutched her heart and made the air in her lungs whoosh out. The guy had been through a rough spell. He was recovering from nearly being killed at work, and had just unexpectedly run into the mother who’d abandoned him, and then the girl he . . . liked? . . . had skipped out on him.

She was a jerk.

Excusing herself, she made her way across the room, watching as Kel continued to interact with Caleb and Sadie, who were both smiling and chatting easily, making Ivy frown.

Couldn’t they tell something was wrong with him?

When she got to the far end of the bar where they were gathered, she stopped, suddenly feeling extremely awkward.

“Hey, you!” Sadie said in greeting and gave her a hug before grabbing Caleb by the hand. “We’re going to kick some serious ass in the dart tourney.”

“But it’s not our turn yet—” Caleb started and then zipped it at Sadie’s long look in his direction. “Well clearly I’m mistaken,” he said smoothly, making Sadie beam at him as she pulled him away.

“She’s matchmaking,” Kel said without any inflection or indication of his thoughts.

“Yes,” Ivy agreed. “I’m not sure she can help herself. Happy people are like that. They want to spread the cheer, when what they don’t get is that it’s horribly annoying to those of us who just want to be left to our misery.”

That got her an almost smile. “You’re happy in your misery then?” he asked.

“Exactly.” But more than anything, Sadie’s efforts were misguided because she and Kel didn’t have a shot at the long-lasting happiness Sadie and Caleb were clearly destined for. But it didn’t mean that she couldn’t still apologize.

Kel was sprawled comfortably on the barstool, one hand on a bottle of beer, watching her with that same small smile he’d had with Caleb and Sadie. The one that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“How did things go with your mom the other night?” she asked.

He shrugged.

“Don’t want to talk about it?”

He took a pull of his beer. “If you’d stuck around instead of sneaking off, you’d already know.”

She winced. “Kel—”

“Before we start this conversation neither of us wants to have, why don’t you do what you do and walk away. There’re windows in the bathrooms, if you feel more comfortable with that exit strategy.”





Chapter 13




Get your head in the game



Ivy blew out a breath and faced the clearly angry Kel. “I’m not leaving.” She took the vacant barstool next to him. Because of how he was turned toward her, this put his long legs in close contact with hers. He could have pulled back, but he didn’t. She decided to take that as a good sign. “I need to apologize to you.”

“For?” he asked with a shrug as if whatever it was didn’t matter to him one way or the other.

“You know what for,” she said quietly.

“Oh, you mean when you dined and ditched me?”

“That’s not—” She took a moment and another breath. “Okay, yes, fine. I did that, and I was a jerk. But I had a good reason, Kel.”

“Which was?”

“I wanted to give you time to talk to your mom.”

He just looked at her.

“Look, I didn’t start this story with an I’m-proud-of-what-I-did. Because I shouldn’t have left like that without thanking you for the ride and the help at the event. At the very least, I could have sent a text.”

He raised a brow.

“What? I don’t like talking on the phone.”

“Not that,” he said. “Interesting apology . . . since there wasn’t one.”

She grimaced. “I am sorry, okay? You deserved better, much better. But I really did think that you and your mom needed to talk.”

“We didn’t,” he said flatly.

It was her turn to cock her head and study him. He was most definitely doing a good job at deflecting and misdirecting, but she was no longer surprised by their odd connection and ability to see right through each other’s bullshit. And see right through him she did. “What happened?” she asked softly. “What’s wrong?”

“How do you know something’s wrong?”

“I don’t know exactly. I guess I can read it in your eyes and body language. I can . . . feel it. It’s about your mom, right?”

“We’re not . . . close.”

“I’m getting that,” she said carefully. “She just seemed so sweet, and so happy to see you. She was proud of you, and that was special to see. Not that I’ve had my mom look at me like that.” She shook her head. “Honestly? I was a little envious.”

“Don’t be.” Kel ran a thumb over the condensation on the bottle of beer in his palm. “We haven’t had any sort of a relationship for a long time.”

“And that makes you . . . sad.”

“Maybe. I don’t know. For a long time, I resented her for having to lie for her.” At her clear surprise, he nodded. “When I was ten, I caught her having an affair. I kept her secret for her. Two years later my dad died, and my mom sent me and my sister to Idaho to live with our grandparents.”