Page 38 of Broken Pact

“Let’s take a walk, yeah? There’s a coffee shop close by.” I offer Rocks a small salute as he watches us from inside the guard house. Shoving my hands into my pockets, I pull out my phone and fire off a quick text to Hawke.

Me: I’m going to grab coffee. Want anything?

She bumps her shoulder into me again, a wide grin on her face. “Perfect. I love coffee. Then we can grab lunch at that diner, maybe go for ice cream afterward? I thought I saw Rosewood has the cutest little ice cream stand. Or we could grab an afternoon drink instead?”

Hawke: Bro, didn’t you just come from there? Are you sure you’re not trying to hide your shiny new sister from me? I’ll be gentle. Unless she asks me not to be.

“Maybe another time. I gotta get back to work,” I mumble as I type out a reply.

Me: If you’re looking to play out some jealousy fantasy over a woman I share DNA with, I have devastating news.

Hawke: Don’t kill my dream, bro

“Oh, okay. Well maybe tomorrow then? I’m staying at a little bed and breakfast nearby,” Naomi says, her tone hopeful and bright.

I glance at her, my gaze squinting a little. “You’re staying here? In Rosewood?”

“Yes!” She claps her hands once, clasping them under her chin. “Isn’t that wonderful? We can spend every night together and then wake up and do it all over again.”

My mouth feels dry, my tongue heavy. I realize with a jolt that I don’t know what the fuck I’m supposed to say to that.

I stop in front of the Coffee Shop, turning to face her.

“Look—”

“Naomi,” she interrupts.

I arch a brow at her. “Look, Naomi, I appreciate you taking time to come here, but I’ve got a busy week ahead of me. So how about I reach out when I’m free.”

“Don’t worry,” she chirps. “I’ll be here all month long!”

The sun feels like a relentless force, a heavy hand pressing against my spine, urging me to get on with it and get the fuck out of this strange situation. What started out as a familial curiosity has morphed into a bizarre, unsettling reality.

“Why.” It’s not a question. Because what in the actual fuck is going on.

I watch her as something dark flickers across her expression. Lips tighten and eyes narrow.

The air around her seems to swell with emotion, or maybe it’s the fucking humidity.

But as quickly as it appears, it’s gone. Replaced with that overly bright expression.

She laces her fingers together in front of her and rocks onto her toes a few times. “Because you’re my family, silly.”

Chills scatter down my back, a stark contrast to the sun’s rays doing their damnedest to roast me.

I shake my head with a sigh, maintaining eye contact with her the whole time. “Nah, I don’t think so, Naomi. We have the same shitbag dad. That doesn’t make me your anything.”

Her lips flatten into a straight line and her brows dive toward one another in a fierce scowl. Gone is the bright, bubbly persona from a minute ago, and I have a sneaky suspicion that I’m looking at the real Naomi Bennet.

When she doesn’t say anything, I jerk my head toward the road. “Don’t come around here again. I’ll reach out if I want to talk.”

My words sound harsh, but I don’t take them back. I stand by it. And the last thing I need is to have some random woman strolling into my life and taking up all this space when I’m so focused on trying to win my girl back.

I’m so fucking close to it, I can almost taste the victory.

Sweet cherries and vanilla cream.

She doesn’t move, her gaze boring into my chest, right where my heart is. I wonder if she expected this little impromptu visit of hers going very differently.

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