Until We Touch (Fool's Gold #15)(86)

Good, he told himself. He would focus on the pain.

Sam returned with an ice pack, three glasses and an unopened bottle of Scotch. One of the last ones, Jack thought eyeing the bottle. He’d told himself he needed to stop drinking, but then figured it didn’t matter. It wasn’t as if he was driving anywhere. Staying drunk for the rest of his life might solve all his problems.

Sam poured the amber liquid into three glasses, then handed them out. He passed the ice pack to Jack.

Jack took a couple of sips. He eased the ice pack into place and hissed when it touched his bruised skin.

“You see Taryn?” he asked.

There was a moment of silence. He would guess Sam and Kenny were exchanging glances, each urging the other to speak. Not that Jack was looking—he had his eyes closed.

“She’s pissed and hurt,” Kenny said at last. “She won’t say why. We’re assuming you were a dick.”

“I was.” The things he’d said to her. He’d been so cruel. And for what? He loved Taryn. They’d been there for each other for over a decade. He’d married her and they’d nearly had a child together.

He drew in a breath. That was the worst of it. He didn’t know why he’d lashed out. But he had. He’d hurt her and Percy and...

He couldn’t even think her name, let alone say it. Even though the sun was out, the sky was darker now, the world colder. Without Larissa, there was nothing. And yet he’d pushed her away, too. Had forced her to go in a way that made sure she would never come back.

She loved him and he’d destroyed her.

He put down his glass and looked at his friends. “Get out.”

They stared at him, looked at each other, then put down their glasses.

“Sure thing,” Sam said, scooping up one of the chiweenies.

Kenny grabbed the other. “Don’t come back to Score,” he said before heading for the door. “You’re no longer welcome.”

They closed the door behind them. They didn’t slam it. That would say too much. Give him too much. Instead, they closed it quietly and Jack found himself exactly where he’d said he wanted to be. Completely and totally alone.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

“THIS ISN’T WORKING for me,” Kenny said.

Larissa tried to steady her breathing. She had to get a little more control before she could speak. “Sorry,” she managed, as she dug in deeper, trying to get to the scar tissue.

Kenny raised himself up on his elbows and looked at her. “You’re not hurting me,” he told her. “You’re crying. I can feel your tears on my back.”

She’d hoped he wouldn’t notice. She didn’t want to spend all her time sobbing over Jack, it was just... “This is the first massage I’ve given since we broke up,” she admitted. “I was thinking about how much I miss him. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.” Kenny glanced around, as if looking for something to distract her. “It’s okay. Really. I’m fine. Go back to what you were doing.”

She nodded, but didn’t move. “I can’t stop thinking about him. About us and how good we were together. I guess it’s because I’ve never been in love before. This is my first real broken heart. I keep telling myself it will get better, but it doesn’t feel like it will.”

Kenny swore, then sat up and drew her against him. She went into his embrace, letting his strong arms comfort her. Once again, there wasn’t the slightest hint of a tingle. Because Kenny was like her big brother.

“It will get better,” he promised. “You’ll see. Just give it time.”

“I have time.”

“And me. You have me.”

She looked up at him and managed a smile. “Then I have all I need.”

“Sure. Pile on the pressure. I can take it.” He cupped her face. “You gonna be okay?”

She nodded. While she wasn’t sure, she had to have faith. She had to believe, and until it was real, she had to fake it.

* * *

“THESE ARE PERFECT,” Larissa said, looking at the furniture that had just been delivered. There were two stylized bookcases or storage units. She wasn’t sure what to call them. They were open and deep, but instead of regular shelves, the openings were more square. The sizes were perfect for inexpensive baskets to hold all her supplies.

“It’s all about knowing where to shop,” Bailey told her. “Isabel went to the estate-sale preview and told me about these. She knows I’m looking for furniture for my new house. I want a cute bedroom set for Chloe. I can refinish it myself. If I find something before I find a house, Ford and Isabel said I can store it at their place. When I saw these, I knew they’d be right for you.”

“They’re perfect,” Larissa said. Even better than how functional they were going to be was the price. Together the shelving units had cost her thirty dollars. They were in great shape and didn’t need much more than cleaning.

Larissa measured the openings, then checked against the list of basket sizes she’d gotten from the big craft shop outside of town.

“They’ll fit perfectly,” she said, showing Bailey the dimensions. “And the baskets have that cotton lining. I can wash it, so everything stays clean.”

Her massage table was already on order and she had a lease on the room for the next year. Talk about taking a big step. But it felt right.