Page 50 of What I Should Have Known

I raised a brow as I cradled Muffin into my arms and stood back up, leaning against the tree trunk and catching Kat’s gaze. Her features flashed between frustration and looking as if she was about to cry, and my heart sank.

Shit. I’d not thought before speaking. I hadn’t played a very good game of coming across as indifferent toward Wyatt and it clearly upset her. I shoved the guilt down and glanced back at Wyatt.

He opened his mouth, but I shook my head. “I wouldn’t. That wasn’t even my best shit I’ve come up with.”

He snapped his lips together and knotted his jaw, tearing his gaze away and looking at anything else.

“I’m Sawyer, Kat’s brother,” the guy who’d laughed said, his eyes sparkling as he studied a quiet Wyatt. Sawyer looked a lot like Kat, shorter than usual, blue eyes, but he wasn’t quite as stocky as she was.

I waited for another half a second before prying my questioning eyes away from Wyatt and looking at Sawyer. For the first time in my life, I no longer wanted the attention. My usual snarky attitude had hurt Kat.

I’d hurt Kat.

“Bernie.” I lifted my chin in a curt nod.

“Yeah, we all know who you are. You made quite an impression with the whole bronc ride.” He rested his elbows against his knees.

“Right,” I muttered, watching his sister through my peripherals as she closed her eyes and a single tear slid down her cheek. “Uh, I’m gonna go take a piss and hit the sack. Muffin’s worn out,” I quickly added and gestured at my sleeping cat. The warmth from her body caressed my skin as I turned around, and without giving anyone a chance to say anything more, without looking at Kat again, I disappeared into the trees.

What a fucking fool I’d been, and it sucked even more because I’d not had the best one-liners or comebacks either. I was so confused and lost. Everything blissful from hours earlier, torn away by a dickhead named Wyatt, and I hadn’t even put him in his place. Instead, I’d hurt Kat with my impulsive, immature behavior.

But he’d called her out. He’d said she wasn’t a woman. She was more woman than any other woman I’d ever come across. How he couldn’t see that, was lost on me.

Fuck, what was wrong with me? Why was this guy getting under my skin so easily?

Was I…jealous?

Chapter 17

KAT

The howl of a coyote rising to the moon pulled me from my daze. Not quite asleep, but also not quite awake, until now. Slowly, I pushed up as quietly as possible and glanced around the tent. Laying on either side of me was my mom and Emma, both of them out cold.

A soft purple glow, muted and barely there, brushed at the edge of the tent, and I groggily crawled out of my sleeping bag. Exhaustion burrowed into my bones, but I’d been unable to sleep, and there was no use in remaining still.

Maybe a crisp walk beneath the moonlit mountain peaks would quiet my mind. Slipping my boots on, I tucked my plaid pajama pants into them and ducked out through the tent flaps. Quietly meandering forward, I tugged a sweatshirt over my head and stuffed my hands in my pockets.

Restless. Angry. Embarrassed.

How dare Wyatt act like he had. And, while my father had quietly pulled me aside and apologized for letting him talk to me like that after,I’d not seen Bernie, and he was who I wanted to be comforted by. He was the one who had openly defended me, and I’d not had a chance to thank him for it.

Bernie…

The man who had swallowed my thoughts. The man who kept me up, someone who haunted my dreams. He’d protected me. He’d not even bothered to hide it behind some sarcastic jab, but instead outright defended me.

Wandering around a trunk, I dragged my fingers across the rough bark. I should’ve spoken up and said something along with Bernie. I should’ve done something more in his defense of me too. But I’d remained quiet, taking the tongue-lashing.

With a screech, I caught sight of a slumped figure leaning against a tree.

And skidded on my heels.

My heart jumped to my throat, adrenaline coursing thick through my veins as I went to turn and run.

But, for whatever reason, I didn’t.

Instead, curiosity coiled around my veins, holding me in place. I knew this was how all horror movies started, but there was something familiar about this shadedthing,and I took a couple steps closer.

The creature didn’t turn its head, a hood pulled up, hiding away its face.

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