Page 21 of Kissing Chaos
At Jace’s second nudge, I glance up from where I’d traced a pattern in the Coke can’s condensation and slowly refocus on my surroundings. As I turn to follow his gaze, I catch sight of Jett by the community bulletin board. The farmhand follows his sister and immediately spots me, his face turning to stone. Reece’s dislike of me is just one more reason to avoid seeing my brother in person any time soon.
“Ah. Her.”
Jace snorts but doesn’t say anything else as Reece makes his way to the bar.
The tension in the room intensifies by ten. Reece hesitates for only a second, but it is enough for Jett to notice me, too.When her green eyes find me, she gives a little wave before turning back to the board. Her hand reaches up, quickly snatching an index card off. Before hope sets in—because I’m fairly certain that was my rental card she grabbed—Reece appears beside me, blocking his sister from view.
“Your kind just can’t leave well enough alone, can you, man?” he says. “She’s off-limits.”
Any semblance of patience and desire to be civil for Jett’s benefit catapults out the window. Before I can stop it, I feel myself slip into the person I am everywhere else. Outside of Havenwood. The asshole elevator mechanic.
“My kind, huh?”
Reece steps into my space, crowding me. Wrong damn time for him to bring up Trace. I shift to my feet, the bar stool skidding across the wood floors.
“Talk shit about my family. I dare you.” Even if my brother is a jackass, no one else gets to hate on him.
Reece takes another step forward, and my shoulders tense. I’m itching for a fight. Throwing a punch or two would alleviate some of the pressure, both mental and physical.
“Stay away from my sister. She’s too good for you,” Reece says, his voice low as he glances to make sure she isn’t approaching yet.
I can’t stop the laugh that slips out. “No shit, Sherlock. But it seems like you’ve done a shit job protecting little sister from scum not worth her time. That girl is beautiful inside and out. And yet she thinks she isn’t worthmytime. Tell me, hot shot, how a girl like her could possibly believe that?My kindwould convince her that she iseverything.”
Some of the anger seeps out of Reece’s eyes, but I’m too keyed up now to stay put. Stepping around Reece, I lock eyes with Jett, certain she heard at least some of that and not caring that she did. I hold my fist out, and she bumps it, a slight grin on her face.
“Later, chaos.”
Jace stops me before I can get too far. “You goin’ to Drew’s?”
“I’m going to lay someone out in your bar if I don’t.”
He nods, glancing back at Reece. I can feel the daggers shooting into my back, but I refuse to acknowledge him any more than I already have.
“Touch base later, yeah?” Jace says.
“Will do, brother.”
***
The sun is already sitting low as I walk through the door of Drew’s gym. The guy lives in the upstairs loft apartment, but I’m surprised to see him downstairs. Last I heard, he still wasn’t cleared to do much of anything outside of his physical therapy sessions.
As I step closer, I take in the pallor of his skin and the coating of sweat. A new tension sets into my shoulders, this one fueled by panic. I quicken my steps across the gym floor to the bench near the stairs that lead up to the loft.
“Drew, man. You okay?”
His head tilts in my direction, but his eyes aren’t focusing on me.
“Hey.” I snap a finger in his face.
His eyes slide to mine this time.
“Pain or withdrawal?” I hate that I even have to ask.
“Both,” he pants before looking away. The strain is visible in each breath he takes as he tries not to move his torso or arms.
“Back or shoulder?”
As Drew tells me it’s his shoulder, I’m already shooting off a message to his brother, knowing Declan can get here faster than Jace can.
