Page 63 of Don't Take the Girl
Chapter 20
LONDON
"Shit!" I hear an all-too-familiar voice huff out with a long breath of annoyance as soon as I exit the coffee shop.
I'm never in town this time of day. I'm out in the fields, tending to crops, or busy with morning chores in the stables, but today, I wanted to pick up a new bit for Titan before we started our day. He's been swallowing differently and gnawing at his bit, which is unusual for him. However, now that I'm here, I wonder if I wasn't subconsciously hoping I'd run into Laney. I had a cup of coffee at home, so I didn't need another, but I remembered Trigg droning on about running into Asha Fairfield outside of the coffee shop with her new friend Laney after she first arrived, and wouldn't you know my feet carried me across the street to that same shop.
I watch as she tosses her head back toward the sky with a groan, and I can't help but smile. She was always cute when she got worked up. That hasn't changed. "What did the clouds ever do to you?" I say, approaching her cautiously. I wouldn't say our last conversation ended badly, but it was tense.
"This day just keeps getting better," she says sarcastically, her eyes fixed on the sky.
"That bad, huh?" I question, taking a second to let my eyes scan her body.
Her lightweight canvas jacket hangs open beneath a faded navy polo that has survived countless washings. A scuffed black belt holds up her fitted tan riding pants that disappear into her tall boots.
I know it shouldn't bring me an ounce of satisfaction, but given her attire and that she's standing on the curb, frazzled instead of commanding a field, I'm certain she's running late to work. My presence isn't the source of the storm brewing behind her eyes, and for the moment, I'm not the villain in someone else's morning.
"You could say that I'm currently standing outside a coffee shop, talking to the wrong Hale brother," she says, pulling her head out of the clouds, her brown eyes brilliantly reflecting the rising morning sun.
I roll my lips, her mention of my brother quickly darkening what had been bright. "You were meeting Trigg?"
"Yep," she pops the P. "He asked if we could talk over a quick coffee, and I caught a ride into town with Fairfield's personal chef, and now I'm stranded." She holds up her phone. "It's dead, and Trigg was my ride back."
"Why are you doing this?"
"What exactly do you mean bythis?" she questions with a furrowed brow.
"Entertaining dates with my brother. I know you, Laney, and?—"
She holds up her hands. "You know what? I just remembered Noah staying around the corner. I'm sure he can give me a ride home."
"Laney, wait." I grasp her wrist before she can run, and she freezes, her gaze quickly dropping to the fingers circling her wrist.
The connection between us feels electric, reminding us that the chemistry we've always shared is still very much alive. You'd think time and distance would have dulled its flame, but ifanything, it burns brighter. She may not want to, but I know she feels it. I can feel her pulse hammering beneath my touch, its beat mirroring mine. Her eyes finally trail up to mine, and for a second, it's as though we're different people. We're not two strangers standing on the street. Instead, we're back home in Willow Creek, two kids falling in love in the grass that stretched between their windows, but then she blinks, and we're jolted back to here and now.
"Please don't touch me," she says softly, gently twisting her wrist out of my hold.
I close my eyes, giving the sting of her words a second to marinate, because while I hate them, I love them. They made me feel, and most days, all I feel is numb. "Can you just tell me if it was a date?"
Last night, I mentioned to Baylor and Trigg that I'd be running to the tack shop in the morning to grab a new bit if they needed anything. The fact that he knew I'd be in town and pulled this shit isn't lost on me.
She turns to face me, revealing a tiredness I hadn't seen before. "London, can we not?—"
"Sorry." I know I'm messing this up, but it can't be helped. She drives me crazy. Being this close and not having her the way I want to is maddening. "Let me rephrase that. Did he mention what he wanted to talk about?"
She looks at me quizzically. "That question isn't any better. What I talk about and with whom is none of your concern. You threw away that privilege; you don't get to demand it now."
"Damn it, Laney." I toss my coffee in the trash. "I know this"—I gesture between her and me—"is hard to put aside, but I'm not prying for the reasons you think. Do I want you to date my brother? Fuck no. And just so we're clear, there is no scenario where the two of you are end game?—"
"You don't?—"
"I'm not finished," I cut her off as her face quickly reddens with anger. "I'm just trying to understand. I think he's up tosomething, and I don't want you caught in the crossfire of a war that isn't yours."
Her eyes stay pinned on mine, swirling with a multitude of emotions, all rooted in different pain. I have the urge to tell her everything. She deserves it, but right now, she's not giving me anything. I don't know if she's pushing me away out of fear, hate, or revenge. It could be all of those things, and that's fine. I'll remain the villain in her story if it keeps her whole.
"I see it now," she says, breaking the silence. "I'm not sure how I missed it before. We were never going to be end game. For that to happen, you would have to stop keeping things from me under the guise of protection and trust me." She's right. I've been so caught up shielding her that I never gave her the chance to be strong. The truth and the lie war within me as I struggle to find my words when they matter most. "I guess we're done here," she says, turning on her heel.
"If I tell you what Trigg wants with Asha, will you leave?"
