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I waited until the last minute that I could.
Then I stood, inhaled a steeling breath, and wheeled my suitcase to the front door. I forced myself to walk out of it and lock it behind me, then I knelt to leave the key under the mat.
I’d text the owner tomorrow to let her know I’d vacated the property.
Awkwardly lifting the heavy suitcase, I let it bang against the side of my leg as I hurried down the exterior steps with the cool of the morning brushing across my heated flesh.
Only I stumbled to a stop when I started to round the building.
Gasping.
Because River Tayte stepped out in front of me, blocking my path.
SEVENTEEN
RIVER
It was exactlyas I thought.
The little runner was getting ready to bolt.
I should have minded my own fucking business. Stayed away when she’d told me things needed to end right where we’d left them last night.
I’d tried.
I fuckin’ tried.
But she’d left me a twisted knot, disquiet ripping through me, unable to sleep a wink because my gut told me things weren’t right.
She was in trouble, and there was no way I could just ignore it.
Not after the things she said.
And sure as hell not after that kiss.
So there I stood like a twisted fuck blocking her path.
Cinnamon-kissed eyes went wide in surprise as she stumbled to a stop, body bowing back at my proximity.
“What are you doing here?” The words wheezed from her mouth.
I tucked my hands in my pockets because I didn’t trust myself not to reach out and touch her.
Last thing I wanted was to freak her out. Make her feel afraid when I knew whatever was going down in her life had her terrified.
“Came to check on you.”
Emotion crested her features, like she was torn between being angry and relieved. Torn between ignoring whatever boiled between us and reaching out and dipping her fingers into it.
I watched her try to put the walls back in place.
“Why would you do that?” she asked as if she hadn’t pared herself open for me last night.
I got it. The need to try to barricade who we really were. Too bad I wanted to bash through every barrier she tried to put between us.
“Because you were upset last night. Because I knew you were afraid. And once I finally pried myself away from where I was standing across the street and went home, Raven told me she was worried about you since you’d told her you were going hiking first thing this morning. By yourself.”
Such bullshit.
