What He Never Knew (What He Doesn't Know, #3)(28)

And she wasn’t alone.

One of the bus boys at The Kinky Starfish had his apron slung casually over his shoulders, his arms folded over his chest as he said something that made Sarah laugh. My chest pinched at the sight of her cheeks flushing, the same way they had the first night she’d met me.

Sarah’s stance mirrored his, her arms crossed in the same manner, and the way she shifted her weight side to side told me she was nervous.

I realized the longer I stared, the more I should have looked away. They were having a conversation, one I wasn’t a part of. But I found I couldn’t look anywhere else now that I’d seen her.

I recognized the kid the longer I watched them. It was Danny Caruso, the owner’s son. I didn’t know much about him, but from what I did know, he was a good kid. He treated his mom like gold and was a hard worker around the restaurant. He went to college and still managed to pick up extra shifts when people called out. I didn’t really know him, but he’d always been nice to me.

I couldn’t place my annoyance with the way he was staring at Sarah.

He waved goodbye to her after a few minutes more, and I lit up the second cigarette as I watched him walk away, making sure Sarah was safe. I had no reason not to trust Danny, but Sarah was young, and new to town. I didn’t want him taking advantage of that like most guys his age would.

Like I would have when I was that young.

Sarah bent to pull on her shoes once Danny was gone, rolling up her yoga mat with a smile that stretched from ear to ear when she stood again. It was almost as if she was laughing at an inside joke she had with herself, or maybe it was something Danny had said, something she was replaying.

Whatever the case, that smile slipped when she saw me.

I took a drag from the cigarette hanging between my lips as she made her way toward me, mat under her arm. She stopped when there were a few feet between us, and I glanced over her shoulder, watching Danny pull out of the parking lot.

“Hey,” she said on a breath.

“I thought you were off tonight.”

Her smile slipped even farther, brows tugging together. “I was… they called me in.”

I nodded, taking another drag. “You know Danny?”

Confusion washed over Sarah’s face before she followed my gaze to where she and Danny had been standing. “Uh… yeah, kind of. I mean, we work together.” She paused, facing me again. “Obviously.”

“What were you guys talking about?”

The question left my mouth before I had the common sense to stop it, and once it was out in the air, I couldn’t take it back. I aimed for nonchalance, leaning against the brick wall and flicking the cherry off my cigarette. It was just an easy question. I was just making conversation.

Sarah lifted a brow. “He asked me on a date.”

I sniffed, bracing the sole of one shoe on the wall behind me. “He’s a good kid.”

She watched the smoke floating between us for a moment, adjusting the mat under her arm before her eyes found mine again. “He is.”

“So, when are you going?”

“I’m not.”

I frowned. “What do you mean?”

“I’m not,” she said again with a shrug. Her dangly earrings moved with the gesture, and I realized I’d never seen her wear them before. She was always so natural — no makeup, no accessories — but tonight, she wore two long, flowy, sparkly earrings. “I told him no.”

“Why?”

Oh my God, stop fucking talking.

Sarah shook her head, face twisted up like she was as uncomfortable as I was. I didn’t know why I was being weird. I was her teacher, but if anyone had seen us in that moment, they’d have thought I was a protective older brother. I didn’t have any right to be so invested in her safety, and judging by the look on her face, she felt the same.

“I don’t know,” she finally said. “Because I don’t want to.”

I waited for her to explain more. Did she already have a boyfriend? Was Danny not her type? Did he creep her out?

My jaw ticked.

Did he make an unwanted move on her?

Frustration seeped through me as I reminded myself, yet again, that I didn’t have a right to ask any of those questions. I sucked on my cigarette, instead.

“Are you okay?” Sarah asked, searching my face. “You seem… irritable.”

Great. And now I was creeping her out.

I blew out a breath, snuffing what was left on my cigarette and tucking the bud in my pocket to throw away inside. “Sorry,” I said. “Just been a weird week. I should get back inside. I’ll see you tomorrow night?”

Sarah frowned. “Yeah, see you tomorrow.”

I gave her one last curt nod before ducking back inside, tossing Ronaldo his lighter and making a beeline for the piano. I needed to play, needed to work my muscles in a way that felt familiar and safe. I felt like an animal, triggered by the need to protect a girl who I knew without a doubt did not need my protection.

Maybe it was that I’d opened up to her, that I’d let her in. Maybe that vulnerability had caused me to feel some sort of unnecessary connection, some strange need to ensure she was okay. Either way, judging by the smile she had when Danny left, she was just fine.

I didn’t have an explanation for my sudden awareness of her, or my bizarre behavior. All I knew was that by the time she showed up to my house for our next lesson tomorrow night, I needed to box away whatever the hell that just was and be professional.