Just One Kiss: A Black Alcove Novel

by Jami Wagner

  Chapter Ten

  Kelsey

  Ethan’s here, in my kitchen. Well — my parents’ kitchen, but he’s here for me. He’s making me breakfast and I just — let him. Confessing my feelings should go easier than I thought. I hear drawers open and close from inside the kitchen. I hope he doesn’t ask me where anything is; I don’t know my way around this house. I should probably start visiting my parents more. Especially with Ethan living so close to them. I glance at the hallway mirror on the way to my room and pause when I see my appearance. A gasp slips past my lips a lot louder than expected.

  “Is everything okay up there?” Ethan’s voice carries up the stairs. I cover my mouth with my hand and then quickly start smoothing out the frizz. Helen wasn’t kidding. My hair looks like a bird’s nest.

  “Everything’s fine,” I say when I reach my room. I grab a pair of jeans and a t-shirt on my way to the bathroom. Quickly, I brush my teeth and my hair, and then apply a light coat of makeup.

  Staring at my reflection in the mirror, I take a deep breath. It’s not a crime to be into Ethan. He’s smart, sexy, and still mysterious to me. The fact that he’s clearly still into me after all these years is something I can’t wrap my mind around.

  I haven’t been the luckiest girl when it comes to men. I was the other woman for my first kiss, and for my first love, I found not one, but two other woman in our bed. I’ve been the accomplice and the victim. The next man I date isn’t going to betray me. That alone is a huge reason why I need to take it slow with Ethan or stay away from him completely. What’s that saying – once a cheater always a cheater? Please don’t let that apply to Ethan.

  Crap. Maybe I shouldn’t tell him how I feel.

  Closing my door, I casually make my way into the kitchen to find Ethan pulling the orange juice from the fridge. The table is set for two, and there’s enough food to feed us for the next week. Us. That’s so cute.

  Crap again.

  Make up your mind, Kelsey.

  “Hey,” Ethan says, catching my gaze. “What do you have planned for today? I thought maybe we could go downtown, take a walk or something. You can show me everything I’ve missed the last seven years. Maybe we could even head out to the lake for a few hours.”

  “That sounds great. I can’t believe it’s been that long. It feels like you’ve been here the entire time.” I take a seat at the table.

  “Yeah, crazy, huh?”

  Ethan places a glass of orange juice in front of me and takes the seat next to me. He scoots his chair in and his leg brushes against mine. It sends a tingle that settles in the pit of my stomach. Every time he gets close to me, I swear my body forgets how to act normal.

  “So what’s new? Are you ready to be finished with college?” Ethan grabs a piece of toast and slathers it with grape jelly before I answer.

  “College is good, and yes, I am ready to be done with this degree.”

  I take a bite of bacon and look down at my plate. I can feel him staring at me so I wipe my mouth just to be on the safe side.

  “What’s your major?” he asks.

  “Accounting.”

  “Really? I would have figured you’d be a writer one day or make reading a career. I swear, you always had a book in your hands when I saw you.”

  This makes me laugh. “If you could get paid to be a reader, I’d have totally done that. And yes, I want to be a writer, but I don’t think my dad would be very impressed. I still plan to go to school for English, but not right now.” I say, shoving more food into my mouth before I share any more information than I need to.

  “Your dad…really? I always thought you got along. What did I miss?”

  Ethan turns his body to face me, resting one arm across the back of my chair. Something about his soft gaze and immediate interest in my relationship with my father instinctively tells me I can trust him.

  “I don’t know.” I shrug. “One day he was my best friend, the next, he was different. From that day on he chose my brother over me every time. Then when Conner left, I hoped things would get better, but they never did. I thought by choosing accounting and following in his footsteps, the dad I used to know would come back. I miss him, and I can’t imagine going the rest of my life not being close to him. Sometimes I wonder if my taking a semester off after graduating high school was the problem, but I don’t know.”

  Ethan nods slowly as if it takes him a while to process my answer. “I actually see why—”

  His phone rings in his pocket and he pulls it out, glances at it, and quickly sets it to silence. He grabs another piece of toast and stands. “I…forgot I had some things to do on my house today. Can I take a rain check on that walk?” He heads out of the kitchen, but turns to face me in the doorway. “Accounting major or not, your dad would be a fool not to come around.”

  Ethan

  I should really learn to take my own advice. My father is a fool too, if he won’t accept me for who I am. But like Kelsey said, she can’t imagine living the rest of her life butting heads with her father and neither can I. There has to be a different way to gain his approval.

  I know I made my decision and I chose Kelsey, but I still need to find a balance between her and my father. I can’t just straight up tell him I’m done or he’ll find another way to pull this off. The real me won’t let that happen. My cell buzzes inside my pocket a second time once I’m outside. It’s probably a follow up phone call to the text he just sent me.

  I’M SENDING ONE OF YOUR BROTHERS IF I DON’T HEAR FROM YOU IN THE NEXT TWENTY FOUR HOURS.

  Typical. He never asks how my day is or how I’m doing. He just gets right to the point. I’m about to answer the call when I look up to find Tyler Maron leaning against a blue Ford parked across the street in front of my house. He gives me a quick nod in greeting before pushing off the truck with his foot.

  “Hey, Tyler, it’s been a long time. How’ve you been?”

  “Ethan,” he says and pulls me in for a shoulder bump hug and slaps my back. “I heard you were back in town for a while. My dad told me where I could find you. What were you doing at Kelsey’s parents’ house?”

  I figure he knows Kelsey’s staying there. Back when we were kids, Sara, Kelsey, Logan, and Tyler were inseparable and they always knew where to find each other.

  “Your dad told you where to find me?”

  “Yeah, he said, ‘That Connelly boy is back in town, causing trouble across from the new Brian home. Haven’t seen him in years, not since his father and Sara’s couldn’t decide who was going to take over that old bar.’”

  Tyler chuckles once he finishes his impression of his father and I join in. When the laughter fades Tyler scratches the back of his neck and looks past me.

  “Is, uh…Kelsey really watching the house for a few months?”

  “That’s what she says.”

  “Is she home now?” He looks nervous and avoids making eye contact with me. Something is up with him and I don’t like the idea of him acting like this around Kelsey. If it freaks me out, it will definitely freak her out too.

  “Ah…no. Actually, she left early this morning. I was…watering a plant.”

  Fuck.

  I sound like an idiot. Why am I lying to him? It’s not like Kelsey and I are together. She should be able to talk to any guy she wants.

  “Oh.”

  Please don’t question anything about her car in the driveway.

  “Well, that’s okay. I’m sure I’ll see her later. Are you free tonight? We should meet up for a drink if you are,” he says and jumps in his truck, shutting the door before I can reply. I wave from the sidewalk and he drives away. A lot has changed since I’ve been here and I don’t think all of it is positive. Not with Tyler anyway.

  A flicker across the street grabs my attention before I head inside. Kelsey’s eyes instantly grab mine from behind the curtain she’s peeking around. She gives me a slight nod and then disappears. Was she hiding from Tyler?

  I don’t have enough time to wonder
about it before my phone rings once again. I don’t even look at the screen before I answer. There is only one person it could be.

  My father.