Page 13 of Kissing Chaos
She lets out a short laugh at that, but the humor doesn’t reach her eyes. “Wasn’t expecting it to bemyelevator man when I jokingly asked if there were any around here.”
I shake my head, but I can’t keep the sheer satisfaction at her innocent claim from affecting me. “Yourelevator man, huh?Andyou think I’m sexy. My ego thanks you for that boost.”
That earns me a slightly more noticeable grin, but she tucks her chin and snags a fry from the basket Jace set in front of her.
“Noah,” I introduce before fighting the urge to smack myself in the face.
She knows your name, dumbass.
Still, I hold my hand out to her. She hesitates for a second before dusting salt from her fingers and placing her hand in mine. Such tiny, soft hands.
“Jett.”
“That’s different.”
“I’m different.”
That you are, I think.
Before I can say more, Jace interrupts. His eyes burn a hole into mine as he says, “You eating this here, Jett, or you takin’ it back to Reece’s house?”
She blows a piece of hair that has loosed itself from her braid and sighs heavily. “Brother bear already called looking for me?”
“Yep,” Jace says, popping the P.
“Guess I’m heading back there, then. Can you pack it up for me, please?”
I’m not used to the heavy feeling of disappointment pressing down on me simply because someone is leaving. I look out the door and curse to myself as I realize how late it’s gotten. “You good to drive there? It’s getting dark out, and I just watched you down two doubles like they were nothing.”
“My brother’s place is right down the road. It’s lighted all the way there, and I never even have to step off the sidewalk.”
Try as I might, I can’t keep the exasperation out of my voice. “You’re walking home? It’s forty degrees out and the sun’ll be down before you get off Main Street.”
“What’s the matter, elevator man? Worried you won’t get to see me again?”
A playful look creeps into her eyes, drawing me in. I do not want this girl to walk out of here. Not because the people ofHavenwood aren’t trustworthy—this town is built around family—but because I know how quickly things can go from safe to tragic when the sun goes down.
And maybe she is right. What if I don’t see her again?
I refuse to dig deeper into that thought.
“Let me walk you home?” I ask, seeing the steely determination within her. The playfulness is still there, but something else sits on the edge.
“I don’t even know your last name. How could I possibly trust that you aren’t trying to lure me away to a remote location to have your way with me before offing me and positioning my body to fill some crazed murder fantasy of yours?”
A chuckle rumbles through my chest, even with the tension I feel at the thought of her walking out of this bar alone. “You definitely have an active imagination, chaos.”
Although, part of her statement is spot on. I’d love to lure her away to fulfill a different type of fantasy if I wasn’t more worried about her on the sidewalk at dusk.
“I appreciate the concern for my safety, Noah. It’s been a pleasure running into you, and while you are a fine specimen to behold, I’ll let you in on a little secret. I am a total shit show and not worth your time. Hot mess central right here.”
She stands from her stool, hands gesturing to herself as Jace appears with the bagged food and a comment about her brother waiting out front for her. Her fists clench for a moment before she lets out another heavy sigh, like the weight of the world is pressing down around her.
Her eyes hold gallons of pain in this moment, and stress lines marring her beautiful face. Gone is the girl who was dishing out novel-worthy plot lines moments ago. In her place is a crumbling shell of the spirited spitfire from the elevator. The urge to touch her, to comfort her, is almost too much.
What the hell is going on with me?
“Let me walk you out, Jett,” I offer, removing the bag from her hand and offering her my other arm.
