Page 27 of Free to Run
“Interesting.” He leans back against the railing, waiting for me to speak.
The silence between us continues. The only sounds are those of the wildlife around us on this early Connecticut summer evening. I can hear the birds calling from the lake that Cassidy’s house is built on. Birds in my trees answer before I hear the brush of the branches as they prepare to take flight.
I turn around to confront Keene and find him standing directly in my space.
“Please step back.”
“Alison, we need to talk.”
“I agree, but I had a wonderful day today. I’d rather not taint it by ending it with someone who prefers to spend his time insulting me. My lack of response should have made it obvious whether I wanted to see you or not. You should have respected that. You didn’t, and now I’m asking you to leave.”
“I’ve done a lot of things wrong with you. Intruding on your personal moment last night was another mistake. I would truly like the opportunity to discuss all of them with you, but you’re right.” His expression doesn’t change. I almost feel sorry for him, but his apology seems rehearsed. Practiced. “This goes both ways, Alison. I come to the table with my apology, and you come to it with your issues.”
What the hell? I let out a bark of laughter.
“Are you kidding me? What table? We only have to get along well enough to suffer through family events together. Nothing more than that,” I inform him haughtily.
He steps into my space again, his hands quickly and gently clasping my cheeks. I grip his wrists to pull his hands away, desperate for him to let me go.
“Tell me you’re not as lonely as I am. Tell me you don’t wonder late at night what it would have been like if I’d stayed. Tell me you don’t wonder if we would have fought or fucked our way through our inevitable arguments. Tell me you don’t wonder if we would still be together.” He growls the words next to my ear.
“Stop, Keene,” I say hoarsely. I can’t prevent the full-body shudder his words have on me. Because I have wondered this so many nights.
“Tell me you don’t want me. Us. Tell me you don’t want my lips on yours right now. Tell me you don’t want my hands sliding all over your skin. Tell me you don’t want my fingers and my cock inside you. Tell me you don’t want any of that, Alison, and then I’ll tell you there’s nothing for us to figure out.”
He lowers his chin. I can almost feel his lips brush against mine when he whispers, “See what we could’ve been working out all day?” before he pulls away and walks through my kitchen and slams my front door.
I’m frozen where I stand, unable to make sense of Keene’s latest hit-and-run.
12
Alison
Monday morning, I’m at my desk when the inquisition begins. I’m surprised it took this long. They must have been pissed I didn’t return their calls.
I was too busy hearing Keene’s voice over and over again in my ear all night long.
Phil strides in with new customer intake forms he wants me to review, something Cassidy assigned to me ever since he failed to list some key information during Ryan and Jared’s wedding on theirs. He plops down in one of the chairs in front of my desk. “And?” His Southern drawl is as pronounced as Corinna’s.
“What?” I hope to deflect him by playing dumb.
His response is sharp. “Better start talking, Ali. There’s a line behind me.”
“For intake forms? Did you decide to add to your job responsibilities?”Keep the ball bouncing, Ali.
“Very funny, Alison. I do my job just fine,” he huffs.
The laughter from the other offices tells me our conversation is not only being overheard, but actively listened to. I quirk my brow at him.
“Shut it, y’all! It was one small mistake!” he yells out the door.
“You forgot to tell me your husband was previously engaged, Phil. That’s kind of a big deal.” Cassidy’s voice floats down the hall.
“Worked out just fine for you. You’re married to the groom’s brother and having his babies, so hush your mouth!” he reprimands her.
As irritated as I am, I manage to hold in my laughter. Phil not telling Cassidy that piece of information was a huge issue at the time.
Holly’s howling can be heard coming from her office down the hall.
