I brace for her comeback, ready for fiery, feisty Eve to make an appearance. But when I look up, I’m greeted with nothing but her retreating back, and an astronomical amount of guilt hits me in the chest.
Good job, Reid, keep pushing away every single person who cares about you. See how that works out for you.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
EVE
“You’re quiet today,” Ruth says, sitting down next to me at Snow Roast, a rare lull in the crowd giving her some time to take a break.
“Yeah, not having the best day.” I shut my textbook and stare out the window toward the harbor.
“I’m sorry.” Ruth reaches out and presses her hand against mine. “Is there anything I can do?”
“I don’t know—do you have a secret decoder in the storage room that tells you exactly what the Knightly boys are thinking?”
She chuckles and leans back in her chair, folding her hands over her stomach. “If I did, I’m pretty sure life would be much easier . . . for all of us.”
“Still crushing on Brig?”
Ruth’s eyes pop open as she glances around the empty shop. Rylee, the romance novelist, is the only one left besides us, but she’s tucked into her usual corner, headphones on. She can’t hear anything.
“What did I tell you about that?” Ruth whispers. “That was a drunk slipup, and you are not to repeat it to anyone.”
“Oh, Ruth, I’m pretty sure Brig is the only one in town who doesn’t see it.”
“Is it that obvious?”
“Pretty sure heart beams shine from your eyes whenever he walks in here to get coffee. It’s quite obvious.”
“Great,” she says, her cheeks reddening. “That’s so embarrassing.”
“It’s sweet.”
“It really isn’t. I’m sure I’m the laughingstock of this entire town.”
I wave my hand through the air. “No, I think that would be me. Thanks to Reid’s lovely public displays of affection, the entire town knows about us, and they must think I’m absolutely delusional. Besides the curse that everyone’s obsessed with for some godforsaken reason, Reid is the most temperamental, unpredictable, and surly Knightly. No one in their right mind would even attempt dating him, even with all the rumors about his unspeakables. I’m the laughingstock—not you.”
Ruth blushes even deeper. She knows exactly what I’m talking about. “So I’m going to take it things are rocky with you two?”
“Yeah, you could say that. And he won’t talk to me. We were doing so well, like really, really well, and then he goes and has a talk with his dad—”
“About the restaurant.”
“Yeah about . . . wait, what?”
“The restaurant that Mr. Knightly’s starting.” At my confused look, Ruth’s face blanches. “Oh dear, oh no, he didn’t tell you, did he?”
Does this look like the face of a girl who knows anything about her boyfriend? Nope.
A restaurant. That’s what this is all about, and he decided not to tell me.
How many other people know?
Am I the joke of the town?
I run my tongue over my teeth and shake my head. “No, he didn’t, but now everything’s making way more sense. Why he’s basically in crisis—and so hot and cold with me all of a sudden. Can I ask you something?”
“Sure, I’m sure my big mouth would repeat it anyway.”
“Don’t be upset at yourself,” I assure her. “Any sane person would have assumed a boyfriend would tell his girlfriend about this. But lucky me, I’m dealing with Reid, the most closed-off person in Maine.”
“He does seem like he would be difficult to talk to, but he also has a sensitive side, and I’m sure it’s lovely to be around.” Ruth is so sweet, always trying to see the best in everyone, while I’m about to go on a warpath.
“It is,” I admit, humoring her. “It’s so nice. I don’t mind his asshole tendencies. I grew up with that, but when I get to see the sensitive side . . . God, Ruth, it does something to me. Like I can’t get enough of him.”
“I can understand that. So what’s your question?”
“Do you know if Mr. Knightly asked Reid to help with the restaurant?”
“I don’t know much, but Ren did mention that Mr. Knightly was looking to go into business with Reid.”
“I see.” I look away, not wanting Ruth to see the hurt in my eyes. I can’t believe he didn’t tell me. He was presented with this opportunity, this huge opportunity, and it’s clearly tormenting him, but he didn’t think he could discuss it with me.
What does that say about our relationship? I know he says we aren’t just fuck buddies, but in this moment, it feels like we are.
This is a huge piece of his life, but he kept it from me. Does he not value my opinion? Does he not trust me enough to confide in me?
The feeling of being discarded eclipses me once again, just like when Eric didn’t come to me when Bar 79 closed. Reid is treating me the same way, keeping me in the dark and not letting me help.
If I know one thing, it’s this: I feel damn foolish for being patient and not pressing him for details now that it seems like the entire town knows.
And where the hell did he go the past few days if this was the reason he had to leave town?
Millions of questions float through my head as the gravity of this omission hits me.
“Are you okay?” Ruth asks, pulling me from my thoughts.
I nod but start packing my things. “Yeah, thanks for being honest with me. I really appreciate it.”
“You’re upset. I upset you. I’m sorry. Please, let’s talk about this.”
I pause my packing and look her in the eye. “This isn’t on you, Ruth—this is on him. I have to get going.”
“I don’t like that you’re going to leave upset. I feel terrible.”
“Don’t.” I pat her hand. “You actually helped me.”
“You’re not going to break up with him, are you? You two are so cute together.”
“No, I’m not; I don’t think I have that in me, but he owes me an explanation. That’s for damn sure.”
I give her a quick hug and take off for my apartment right as I shoot off a text to Reid.
Eve: My place, tonight. We need to talk.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
REID
Dead man walking.
Yup.
Whenever your significant other texts the words We need to talk, it’s never fucking good.
Ever.
With the way Eve stormed off the dock and has been ignoring my texts, I can feel our relationship’s impending doom. And to be honest, I don’t even think I’m going to fight her over it. She deserves better; she deserves more. Not some guy who’s fucked up in the head with no future to speak of. She deserves a man who can actually communicate and who’s going to be there for her when she needs a cheerleader or a shoulder to cry on. She doesn’t need a man who’s going to test her limits—or keep secrets.
I lean against the hood of my truck and stare at the small basement apartment window that faces the parking lot. My breath floats like a white cloud into the air as I let out a long sigh. Hell, maybe I am cursed with broken love. Here I was, lucky as shit to even have Eve look my way, and then I fuck it all up because I can’t seem to get my head on straight.