Our Kind of Love (15 page)

A slight frown spreads across her face. “Let me
get this straight, you have a boyfriend, yet you hung out with a single man,
alone?” Accusation slices through her voice.

I perk up to defend myself, even though she has
a point. “We were just hanging out as friends. There’s nothing wrong with that.
I’m not going to get in your way of dating him, if that’s what you’re worried
about.”

“Whatever,” she says under her breath, chipping
at her silver nail polish. “I’m not interested in Micah, anyways. He obviously
likes someone else.”

He does? My mind goes ballistic, wondering who
she is, and at the same time I’m mad at him for flirting with me when he
already has someone that he likes. Guys!

Easing off the chair, I walk over to my bed and
nuzzle up beside Claudia. I can feel the breeze coming in from the ocean
through the opened window. The night is starting to get cool, or maybe it was
my bodily reaction from being in close proximity to Micah that had me feeling
so hot earlier.

“Is everything okay?” I ask her, realizing she’s
not jealous about me being around him as I initially perceived.

Claudia raises her shoulder and mumbles, “Ryan
and Kimberly are going exclusive.”

“And that’s a problem because?”

“It’s Ryan. He’s too good for that bitch. Plus
she’s a year older and there’s nothing sexier to a guy than a cougar.”

Oh, that’s right. How could I’ve forgotten that
Claudia and Ryan dated briefly in junior high school? That was the longest
relationship she’d ever had. I think it lasted four months. In fact, that’s a
record for her. She usually ditches guys by the third week, sometimes sooner.

“I’m sorry, Claudia,” I say, squeezing her arm.
“I didn’t even realize you still liked him.”

She pouts and combs back her wavy red strands, resting
her head on my shoulder.

“If you wanted to be with him again, why didn’t
you just tell him?”

“I tried to, at the bonfire,” she says.
“Kimberly was all over him. She made sure Ryan and I didn’t get a chance to
talk.”

“So, what do you want to do?”

“What do you mean? It’s over. He’s with her.
Like, in a relationship for real now. Plus they’ve been hooking up. Why would
he leave a girl who gives it up to him for a girl who wouldn’t? I never wanted
to sleep with him when we were together.”

I’m surprised to hear this. “You never slept
with Ryan? Then what was that talk about guys having needs too and if we don’t
take care of them they’ll wonder?”

She snorts, “You shouldn’t listen to me
sometimes. I mostly spew
fuckery
.”

I playfully bump her arm and lie down, resting
my head on my pillow. “I couldn’t sleep with Nate last night either,” I tell
her.

“Really?”
Claudia lies down next to me. “It’s probably for the best.”

“Why’d you say that?”

She nestles closer. “Um…I heard a girl talking
shit last night, it could be just gossip. I mean, you know how girls are—”

“What did she say?” I spring up, looking down at
her.

Claudia drifts away from my gaze and stares at
the curtain, swaying in the breeze. She has a taut look on her face.

“Tell me,” I urge.

“All right,” she caves. “She said one of her
friends hooked up with Nate a few days ago.”

She eyes me worriedly, checking to see if I’m
okay. I’m not, but I sort of am. Because even though I should be fuming, try to
find out who this girl is so I can do something childish like egg her house,
and then call Nate and interrogate him about it, I actually don’t want to do
anything. Instead, I exhale deeply, and then fall down on my pillow again.

“Reign,” Claudia says quietly. “I’m sure it’s
not true. Nate’s loyal to you.”

“It’s true,” I tell her, keeping my eyes closed.
I wonder if I even have a right to be mad at him when I wanted to kiss Micah so
many times since he started working at
Captain’s Choice
.

Turning on my side, I flick the lights off and
mutter, “Goodnight.”

Claudia doesn’t utter another word about it,
only whispers “Goodnight” as well.  

After a long pause, she murmurs, “Reign, when I
say I think Micah likes someone else…”

“Yeah?”

“I think that someone is you.”

That sentence alone will keep me up all night,
because I’m starting to wonder if I like him too.

NINETEEN

Micah

WELL, I’LL BE DAMNED! On my way out on Wednesday
morning, I spot a bicycle leaned up against the oak tree in front of the house.
My landlord’s looking to get rid of it. There’s a paper with ‘Free’ stuck to
the tree so I decide to check it out.

With the exception that the red artwork on the
crossbar is worn, it doesn’t look too bad. The tires and brakes seem to be in
good condition. I knock on his door and tell him I’ll take it off his hands. I
was planning on getting a bike anyway so this works.

As much as I like Reign offering to drive me
home and diverting to other places, it’ll make me feel less of a bother having
my own transportation. I wonder if she’ll consider riding on the bike with me.
Yeah right, that’s if she was my girl. She’s not. I need to stop making it hard
for her.

Only as I pull up to
Captain’s Choice
,
place my bike around back and walk inside, her beautiful face is the first to
greet me, sending a rush of desire all over me. Since Monday night, she’s been
evading me more.

The fact that we almost kissed plays over and
over in my head. I want it to happen so badly. I’m desperate for her touch. But
I know it’s not what she wants and I need to stop trying to wreck her
relationship.

While Reign’s getting tables ready, I walk up to
her and say jokingly, “You don’t have to drive me home anymore. I’m no longer
your burden.”

She swivels and stares at me with her forehead
creased. “You’re not a burden, and did you get a car?”

“No, I got a bike instead.”

“Oh, I see. Okay.” She turns and continues what
she was doing before.

“Reign,” I mutter at her back.

Rotating again, she waits for me to say what’s
on my mind.

“I’m sorry I’ve been making you feel
uncomfortable. I was only joking around at the bistro. It won’t happen again. I
promise.”

“Okay.” She plays with her hands and looks down
at her feet as she utters, “Thanks.”

“So, does that mean we’re cool now? No more
avoiding me?” I smile.

Reign smiles up at me. “We’re cool. It’s nice
you’ve gotten a bike, but you weren’t a burden to me. I told you, I don’t
mind.”

My grin expands. “Does that mean you want me to
get rid of the bike and keep letting you offer me rides then?”

She angles her head to the side. “Gosh, you’re
just—”

“Charming?” I cut her off, “Irresistibly
gorgeous?”

She can’t fight back her laugh. “We should get
some work done, Mr. Charming.”

I nod.
“Yes, ma’am.”

Aislin strolls in the second I turn away from
Reign. She slows to a stop, studies us, and then rolls her eyes as she waltzes
off. I guess she’s remembering how close Reign and I were that time out back.
She’s a cool girl, but damn her for interrupting us.

Throughout the day, dark clouds fill the sky and
I hear rumbling now and then. But just my luck, it chooses to rain when the
restaurant closes.

I look out the window, waiting for it to ease up
when I glimpse Reign at the corner of my eyes. She has a sneaky smirk plastered
across her pink lips as she waits by the door.

“What?” I ask.

“You want a ride?” she offers smartly, crossing
her arms at her waist.

“That was the point in me getting the bike,” I
tell her, drawing close.

“Well, a bike isn’t convenient in these
conditions. By the way, I checked the forecast, there’s a hundred percent
chance that’ll it continue to rain until tomorrow morning.”

“Shit.” I fold my arms, studying her face. “Why
are you grinning?”

She straightens. “I’m not.”

I give her the ‘really?’ stare and she bursts
out with a laugh. After a few seconds she composes herself. “I’m sorry. Look,
just leave your bike here for tonight and I’ll drive you home. It’s not like
you can ride in the morning either.”

She does have a point, and who am I kidding? I
love being close to this girl. “Okay, if you insist,” I say.

We run out to her car and hurry inside. Her
hair’s damp. It looks darker, sexier too. I turn away fast when she catches me
staring. I have to try and remember to stop doing that. She has a boyfriend.
I’m making her feel uncomfortable.

Tonight we actually go straight to my house. It
sucks, but Mother Nature has other plans and I’m not so sure Reign wants to
hang out with me alone anymore.

I take my keys out of my pocket and get ready to
run for it. Before I slide over to open the passenger door, she asks, “Can I
see your apartment?”

Surprised and excited all at once, I turn and
meet her gaze. She has no idea how much that question tickles my stomach.
Having Reign inside my place makes me feel like a kid on Christmas morning.

I swallow my sudden burst of nerves and say
calmly, “Sure. I’ll head out first and unlock the door so you can run in
after.”

She waits for me to do just that, dashing
through the rain and inside the building. I lead her up the stairs to the third
floor, and let her inside my spot. She looks around, taking it in.

“I like the layout,” she says, glancing back at
me.

“Yeah, it’s all right,” I say, shutting the
door. I consider locking it and hold her my prisoner for the night.

“Want something to drink?
Water?
Soda?”
I ask, walking over to the kitchenette.

“Oh, water, please.”

I open the refrigerator and take out two bottles
of water, bringing one over to her. She takes the cap off, gulping down a few
drops before going back to check out the place.

“You know, if you do leave in August, I could
take this off your hands,” she suggests. Facing me again, she adds, “Did you
have to sign a lease or anything?”

“Yeah, for the three months, but I’m considering
extending it now,” I tell her, gesturing for her to have a seat.

“So, you’re staying in Newport then?” she asks,
drinking some more as she sits down on the couch.

I sit across from her in the armchair. “I said
I’m considering it, haven’t made up my mind as of yet.”

She bobs her head slowly. “Okay. Well, I’m glad
you like it here enough to consider staying.”

“Yeah, I have you to thank for that,” I say.

“It’s the least I can do for a friend.”

Friend
?
As
much as I hate that word, I have no choice if it’s all she wants to be. I know
once I’m in that zone there’s no coming out of it though. But yeah, she has a
boyfriend. Jeez that’s hard to remember, especially when she’s smiling at me
like that.

I look around and swallow hard, trying to bury
the lust from taking over because, shit we’re so alone. This is the perfect
opportunity to continue what started Monday night. But yeah, she has that
boyfriend of hers.

“What are you thinking about?” Reign asks.

“Hmm?
Oh…” I
snap out of my dirty thoughts and stand up. “You should probably get going.
It’s really coming down out there.”

“Oh wow, Micah, you sure want to get rid of me,”
she jokes, getting off the couch. “Was it something I said?”

It’s just you. You’re so damn hot. It’s killing
me that I can’t touch you.

“Not at all,” I reply. Frustrated, I comb my
hand through my hair as I add, “I’m worried about you driving in this weather.”