Page 34 of Beneath the Surface

By the time I was with Darryl, I was so used to laying there and going to the dark corner in my head, it wasn’t even a second thought. But there’s never been any good feelings involved. The guys I’ve been with were never interested inmypleasure.

But for some reason, Alex is different. That dark corner still exists, but when he touches me, my body sparks alive instead of cowering to hide. Everything buzzes, a live wire waiting to explode.

That doesn’t change the fact that Alex isn’t mine, and while he says he isn’t Annabelle’s either… the way she’s looking at him right now makes it feel like he is. And while I may not owe her anything, it still feels like I’m being a shitty friend.

I finish scooping the coleslaw into the ramekins, avoiding eye contact, worried she’ll be able to see the guilt seeping from my soul. “I figured you knew.”

“Nope. I haven’t even seen him since the morning I picked up your shift. I’ve called and texted a couple times, but he usually doesn’t even respond.” She shrugs, shaking her head. “Men. Am I right?”

Satisfaction trickles through my insides at her words even as I roll my eyes and agree.

She sighs. “It’s fine though. I mainly just miss his dick.”

I force a chuckle through the squeezing of my chest.

“Ricky’s back in town, anyway,” she continues.

“Am I supposed to know who that is?” I ask.

“I guess not.” She stops what she’s doing and turns toward me completely, her hip settling in against the metal table where we’re doing side work. “How come we’ve worked together for so long, and we’re only just now becoming friends, huh?”

“I don’t… uh… I don’t know.” Her question makes me uncomfortable. There are so many different ways I could answer.

Because I don’t like making friends. Because being alone is safer. Because the fewer people who know things about me means the less chance ofhimfinding me.

“Well… Ricky lives in the ‘burbs, where I grew up. We’ve been on and off since high school.”

“Why do you live in Raindale, if you’ve got family and friends so close?”

I don’t know anyone who would willingly live here. There’s a reason I picked Raindale, and it isn’t for its beauty or its amenities.

She shrugs. “Sometimes you need to get away.Ineeded to get away, somewhere people wouldn’t look, but… I’m kind of a pussy. I couldn’t make myself go too far.” She smiles. “And obviously, everyone knows now anyway, because I tucked tail and went home to my folks last year. But staying here just fits for now. Gives me some separation.” She glances at me. “How about you?”

My stomach somersaults between not wanting to tell her and wishing I had someone to confide in. But I just don’t trust her enough. My gaze flings to Alex, the colorful ink on his skin contrasting against the black of his shirt, his broad shoulders tensing while he colors with my son.

The scars on my wrist itch as I give my attention back to Annabelle. “We’ve all got things to run from.”

Her lips tilt. “That’s the truth.”

Chase giggles again, the sound light and fluttery as it floats across the restaurant and sinks into the center of my chest.

Annabelle smiles slightly. “Why don’t you go ahead and take your boys home? I’ll finish up here.”

My body stiffens at her insinuation. “I don’t—we…”

She laughs, her hand coming out to rest on my arm. I jerk away, not liking the way it feels to have her hands on me.

“It’s okay, girl. Like I told you, things with me and Alex were just a good time.”

I narrow my eyes. “You seemedsuperinto him.”

She shrugs, her eyes flicking toward him before landing back on mine. “He doesn’t look at me the way he looks at you.”

My stomach slingshots into my throat as I look down at the ramekins and shake my head. “He doesn’t look at me.”

Annabelle huffs out a laugh. “He’s looking at you right now. You make a habit of lying to yourself?”

I glance toward the back booth, my eyes colliding with his golden gaze, as they pierce through my chest and pull heady sensations from the deepest part of me.

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