Page 45 of Entangled

My lips twitch and I tilt my head back and forth in consideration for a moment. “Nope. I think I’ll shock him a little and go get mine.” I slide on my Converse. “Payback’s a bitch.”

A soft laugh leaves him as he reaches down to pull on his jeans. “This I gotta see.”

I throw him one last smirk and reach for the door, not waiting for him to get his shirt on before walking out. Itching for some space after everything despite the lightness his presence seems to bring. I walk out of the cabin and see Zane leaning against the railing of the deck, lifting a cigarette to his mouth with a tattooed hand. My shirt draped carelessly over the railing beside him. His eyes flare with surprise when they land on me and he starts coughing up the puff of smoke he just inhaled.

I cock a brow at him and reach for my shirt, feeling Jace come up behind me. “That’s a nasty habit.”

He stems the tide of his coughing as I pull on my shirt, his eyes filled with curiosity as they flick between Jace and me. “That’s what my girlfriend tells me.”

“Is that what your fight was about?”

“Yeah.” He brings the cigarette to his lips again, drawing in harshly. “Says she’s not going to stay with someone who’s going to die of lung cancer by the time he’s forty.”

I give him a shrug. “She’s right. You should at least vape.”

“How very LA of you.” He grins and my lips twitch, Jace’s soft laughter sounding at my back.

“We’re all about that clean living,” I joke, taking a step and turning to meet Jace’s eyes. “I’m going to head out. Thanks for coming with me today.”

“Of course.” He looks down at me with searching eyes while reaching up to tug at the end of my hair. “Remember what I said, okay?”

“Yeah.” I give him a small smile before turning, nodding goodbye to Zane and ignoring his curious gaze as I make my way off the boat.

The urge to flee rides me hard as I walk hurriedly down the dock. I don’t regret what happened between us. I had wanted it, needed it to heal some part of me. But it was that feeling of more that left me twisted up inside.

I didn’t think I was capable of it. Not anymore.

Chapter 11

One Year Ago

We’re an hour into the four-hour drive to Cahuita and so far, I’ve been making Coop listen to Taylor Swift the entire time. I’m actually starting to run out of songs at this point. Shame. Guess I was going to have to start repeating my favorites soon.

After the hike yesterday that had ended with me coming apart under his tongue and agreeing to go to Cahuita with him… I had desperately needed some space. Sure that I had just sealed myself into the worst kind of fate. So I had made the excuse of having to pack and get some things in order to give myself some time alone to get my thoughts in order.

And despite the feeling of panic working its way up my throat, I had been outside my hotel at eight a.m. this morning as planned, suitcase in hand when Coop had pulled up in an old Bronco. I had left him to get my suitcase and hopped in the car. Quickly plugging my phone into the aux and powering up the music. When he had joined me in the car and arched a brow at the sight I had told him this was the first rule of our little arrangement. I got to pick the music on any road trip.

I needed the nonstop music to stem any conversation for a bit and drown out the thoughts of doubt racing through my mind. My choice of Taylor Swift was purely to make him suffer alongside me. I was guessing he had sensed my mood because he hadn’t put up much of a fight and there wasn’t even that signature narrowing of his eyes as the first song came on. Or the second. Or the tenth. But now I was definitely starting to see some tension on his face, faint lines bracketing his mouth as if he was having to physically work to keep the words of insult inside.

I, on the other hand, was having to work really hard to keep the laughter working its way up my throat contained. This was just too much damn fun. The tension bled from my shoulders as I relaxed into the game.

I was going to have so much fun fucking with him for a few weeks.

“You doing okay over there?” I ask, making sure my tone is the epitome of politeness.

Coop gives me a sidelong look that says he knows exactly what I’m up to before his gaze returns to the road. “Wonderful.” He scoffs. “Pretty sure I’ve been thoroughly educated on every emotion a girl experiences between the ages of fifteen and thirty at this point.”

“Ah. Don’t worry.” I laugh lightly. “There’s still a few left for you to learn.”

“Can’t wait.”

“So is this car yours?” I’m curious to know more about him despite my nerves and since I am going to be spending the next few weeks with him it’s probably best to do at least a little due diligence.

Although maybe I should have thought of that before I got in the car.

Oops.

“Yeah. I keep it with a guy in San Jose and pick it up when I fly in there.”

---