Page 19 of Tangled Up

Which is entirely irrational. I realize it, but it doesn’t make my feelings any less visceral.

Beck comes around the truck with a smile on his face, that dimple in his cheek, carrying a white paper bag and a small plastic tray. He has my order, and it makes me even more furious. Why won’t he leave me alone?

I quickly drink the last of my beer and stand up fast. “I’ll catch up with you later, Jess.”

Meeting him between the truck and the tables, I take the bag and sandwich. “Thanks, I’ll just take this to Aunt Viv now.”

Sliding the items from his hands, I attempt to step around him, but he catches my arm. “Are you mad at me?”

“Of course not,” I answer too fast, and even I can hear the lie in my voice. “I have no reason to be mad at you. I never even think about you.”

“Okay.” His voice changes from cocky to quiet. “I’m leaving tomorrow, so if I don’t see you again…”

“I think we can stay out of each other’s way for twenty-four hours. I didn’t come here to see you.” God, I hate that I sound like the same wounded teenager he left here so long ago.

“Why did you come here?” His eyes are intense, and I jerk my arm out of his grasp.

“Not for you.” My voice trembles, and I drop my sandwich in the bag with Aunt Viv’s chicken salad before heading to the road at a fast pace.

Aunt Viv might go to bed early, but she doesn’t go to bed this early. I only hope she has alcohol.

CHAPTERSIX

BECK

She’s angry with me. Or is she hurt? I watch her sexy legs move as she practically runs away, back to her aunt’s house. I want to run after her, but I don’t.

She didn’t come here to see me. I didn’t come here to see her, but now that I have…

“Hey, you okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” Libby puts her hand on my arm again.

She’s a sweet girl, but my insides are in knots after my interaction with Carly. “Yeah. That was an old friend.”

“She’s more than that.” Jessica’s voice cuts me as she passes us on the way to the trash, dropping her paper in the bin and her beer in the recycling. “How long are you in town, Dr. Munroe?”

“’Til tomorrow.” My voice is quiet, and I glance at Libby again, who’s now watching me with an arched eyebrow.

I don’t know if she’s surprised that I’m leaving tomorrow or if she’s surprised that I’m a doctor. For whatever reason, my profession is always a conversation starter.

What field are you in? How long have you been a doctor?If it’s an older person, I look so young. If it’s a younger person, they want to tell me all about their latest Google diagnosis.

“Drive safe.” The way Jessica says it sounds like she means just the opposite, which stings.

She’s treating me like I’m the bad guy, which isn’t really fair, considering how everything went down.

“I’m sorry, Libby, I’ve got to call it a night.”

She holds up a hand, giving me a little smile. “I get it. We all have our baggage.”

Baggage. That’s a word for it. “Maybe I’ll see you around sometime.”

“I’ll be here if you get tired of carrying it.”

I’ll never get tired, but it’s a lie. I am so tired of carrying this.

She rises onto her tiptoes to kiss my cheek, and I’m surrounded by green apples and cinnamon. It’s all wrong. It’s not the scent that haunts my dreams.

I pat her shoulder and walk away, headed down the beach path towards the Pearl. The sun is setting over the ocean, and several clusters of tourists and a few residents stand watching the spectacle.

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