Page 75 of The Rogue

Chapter Sixteen

Rue had spent the next three days making cookies. It was overkill and she knew it. She also knitted four cow leg warmers just for Bix. She figured if anybody could find a way to get them on the animals it would be her, and she knew that it would make Bix’s whole month.

She felt like she was trying to atone. For everything that had been done for her, and for her own somewhat vile behavior that night at the bar. Even though Justice was acting like everything was normal, there was an unbearable tension in her stomach. And at the worst possible moments it was his monologue that played in her mind, over and over again.

FirstI’d touch you...

She squeezed her knees together. This was outrageous. He had been mad at her. Furious, honestly. He’d been pushing her the way that she’d been pushing him.

And yes, for her, dirty talk like that felt like a revelatory experience, but it didn’t mean anything tohim. It was probably a script. He probably said that to all the women all the time.

Do you really think so little of him?

No. She thought so little of herself. He couldn’t have actually meant that. She was Rue. She didn’t inspire that kind of raw animal magnetism in him.

She was... cute if anything. And also, they were Rue and Justice. Their friendship was the most defining relationship in her life. And...

She looked across the counter in his kitchen, at all the cookies there. Was that an appropriate apology?I’m sorry that I made things weird and was dismissive and insulting to you, have a bunch of cookies.

It made her frown deeply, even to herself.

She had been such a brat. She reflected, for a moment, on the way he had picked her up. Picked her up and carried her to the truck, then picked her up differently to carry her into the house. He haddefinitelypitied her by the time she had gotten around to vomiting on his shoes.

He was so strong. The way he’d held her had made her feel like she didn’t weigh anything. She realized that was how she felt about their dynamic usually. The way he carried her, even if it wasn’t physical, actually made her feel like she wasn’t a burden at all.

It was why he mattered so much.

He really did matter so much.

Her stomach was a tangle of feelings, and she found it best to just focus on the cookies.

She carefully packed all the cookies away for easy transport, then went into her temporary bedroom to try to find an outfit. She opted for some thick tights, a pair of boots and a sweater dress she had knitted a couple of years ago. It had taken forever. She could remember feeling lost in the endless repeats of color work, and she thought of it every time she put it on. Knitting was a great way to spend a ridiculous amountof time on something you could’ve bought for half the money. But it was a hobby that her grandmother had taught her to love. One that had shaped her life. She had imagined sitting in that house where she had once knitted beside her grandmother on the couch, watching old movies, sitting with Asher and...

Except when she imagined it now it wasn’t Asher she saw. It was Justice, with13 Going on 30playing.

She shook her head. Violently.

She emerged from the bedroom right when Justice arrived.

“You’re bringing all these?” he asked, gesturing to the trays of covered cookies.

“Yes. It’s been my sole focus the last couple of days.”

“You’re definitely making me look good.”

“I try.”

They had worked so hard to pretend that everything was normal. They almost managed it sometimes. But it felt different, and she was angry with herself about that. She didn’t want to acknowledge that.

She didn’t want to let them know that she still felt wrong.

“Well, let’s get it all packed up. Denver is going to be asking for more funds today, so that should be fun. But he’s also got some more business opportunities up his sleeve. A couple more buildings he wants to renovate.”

“Why are there so many buildings on King’s Crest?”

“Oh, because our great-great-grandfather was involved in illegal gambling. Among other things. So I believe some of them were brothels, and rooms where people could go get busy. There was a lot of gold rushactivity out here in the day, so there were temporary swells of people that would come out to mine. He was good at taking advantage.”

“No way. So you guys are outlaws from way back.”

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