Page 56 of Redemption

“I’ll, uh, take a raincheck,” I mumbled. August followed my gaze and her features softened. I stumbled from the kitchen with Leo shouting after me but my chest was tight and my heart pounding.

“Jack?” I heard Kat call but I didn’t stop. I needed to get out. I shouldn’t have come in the first place.

I wasn’t welcome here.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Katarina

Hepulled away fromme.

We were moments away from a kiss that I knew would have destroyed me, and he pulled away. The fact that I was willing to kiss him, but he wasn’t willing to kiss me hurt. In a way I hadn’t expected it to, but I guess it was the right thing. I shouldn’t have wanted to kiss him in the first place and the shame I felt at that was still heating my blood even now. It was all I could think about during dinner, which Tilly was strangely absent from.

I glanced around the table. “Anyone seen Tills?”

“She’s at a friend’s house tonight,” Leo mumbled round a mouthful of food.

“And Maddy?”

“Another date,” he said, slightly less cheerful this time.

“She’s sure having a lot of dates at the moment,” Daisy mused, smirking at Leo, who flipped her off.

“Shame Jack couldn’t stay for dinner. I like having another guy around the house,” Leo said.

“If you’re sick of the estrogen then go home, bucko,” Daisy grumbled.

“Naw, you like having me here too much,” Leo grinned, pulling her into his armpit and rubbing his knuckles across her scalp. I lost myself in their back and forth, pushing any thoughts of Jack from my brain.

I cleared up after dinner and took some wine out onto the porch, settling myself in my usual chair and watching the sky, picking out constellations. When my brain couldn’t push Jack away any longer, I grumbled, “Why him?” The words echoed in the night and hung there, annoying me.

Then suddenly I saw a shadow coming down from the hill. I recognized the gait, the height and width of those shoulders. I wasn’t going to draw attention to myself, just watched him, as usual, hoping to go unnoticed. I was riled up, volatile and I didn’t want to lose it on him again.

I thought he hadn’t spotted me. He was so close, and I was nearly home free but then his stride faltered and he looked up, glancing around wildly until he spotted me in the chair.

He pushed out a breath as he approached the side of the porch. He didn’t climb up, just watched me through the wooden slats of the railing.

“Katarina,” he greeted me.

I scoffed. Just the way he said my name pissed me off.

He sighed. “I wanted to speak to you earlier.”

“But you took off.”

“I didn’t feel comfortable in the house.” The wordsseemed to just spill from him and it shocked me that he was so open. He bit his lip and looked away quickly before his gaze flitted back. He opened his mouth but then snapped it shut.

“Goodnight Katarina,” he said and tapped the porch before walking off.

That’s it?He pulled away from kissing me, even said he wanted to speak to me and now he was leaving again?

I shoved myself out of the chair and hopped over the porch like I was a teenager again. My back cracked from the exertion, but I ignored it.

“Wait one second!” I shouted after him, but he sped up, almost jogging towards the cabin.

“Jack!” I shouted, running after him. I climbed the porch and found him trying to jimmy the door open. “You don’t get to walk away from me!”

“Just trying to save you from being in my company any more than you have to,” he growled and shoved the door open, stalking inside. He tried to shut the door but I blocked it with my foot and pushed it open.

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