Impacted (Conflicted Encounters #2)

by Alyne Roberts

  Last night, I soaked in the tub and tried to let that fact comfort me, but it didn't. It didn't matter if he was in love unless he knew it. It didn't make a difference that he cared deep down but held me at arms length because he was scared of getting hurt. Secret or confined love will never make anyone feel the way open and all consuming love does.

  It was then I decided I would wait. I was here for the wedding, and we would be forced together most of the time. We would either work it out or never get over my leaving. Either way, it made me sick with nerves. Maybe I did change. Maybe I wasn't the girl he deserved or wanted to be with.

  I shook my head to clear my racing thoughts. I wouldn't sit around and wonder why and what if. I wasn't going to go out of my way to make him love me again. I spent a long time molding around my boyfriend and what I thought everyone needed from me. Ryder could have me as is or he could screw off.

  Ryder was already home from work when we got back. We shuffled all our bags upstairs and stashed them in the living room. We would need to start on announcements, invites, and flowers any day now. Scarlett hung up the dresses in her closet as Ryder came out of his room. He was still in his jeans and black tee shirt from work. He had grease on his pants and arms. I always thought he looked the sexiest when he was working or just getting off.

  I reminded myself of my pep talk from the car ride to keep my jaw from hanging open. Maybe if I kept seeing him, I would become immune to him. My body shouldn't react like this every time I laid my eyes on him. I busied myself with organizing the boxes of supplies in a corner of the living room.

  "I was thinking, we should try out that new bar they opened near the river," Scarlett called out from her bedroom. "I need a drink after today."

  "Really?" I asked. "The retail therapy didn't help at all?" I joked.

  "Oh, come on, Princess," she whined. "Adam wants to go somewhere new and that place looked pretty cool."

  "Fine," I moaned. It would give me a chance to get to know him a little better.

  "Ry?" She turned and looked at him. He seemed to give a look I couldn't read, and she glared back with warning. I hated it when they didn't that. It felt like when I’d go to get my nails done and all the nail technicians would talk a language I didn't know. The only difference here was that I knew they were talking about me.

  "I'll shower," he grunted. "But Logan is coming, too."

  Ryder disappeared in his room while Scarlett and I changed. I put on a pair of leggings with a short jean skirt over it. I borrowed a pink halter top from Scarlett and the leather jacket I loved of hers so much. After pulling my hair in a high ponytail and touching up my makeup, I was ready to go.

  I was lacing up a pair of boots when Ryder finally came out. My delusion that I would get used to seeing him was shot to pieces. He wore dark jeans with a white shirt covered by his leather jacket. I could almost smell the leather mixed with his natural scent just from looking at him. He wore the bracket around one wrist, and his dark hair was still wet.

  Logan finally arrived and we all paraded down the stairs. We all took Logan's SUV and it didn't take long to pull up the restaurant on the river. The building was a new construction, looking like a modern log cabin. It was two stories, built with a mixture of wood and brick. Neon lights shone through the dark windows and people lounged around on the large patio, smoking.

  We walked up the wide staircase to the double doors. A shadow broke away from a group of guys and approached us. I realized it was Adam when the light hit his face. He made no effort to introduce us to whomever he was talking to before. Instead, he quickly wrapped Scarlett up in a hug. Logan and Ryder gave him tight nods before leading us inside.

  The interior was as nice as the outside. Small and intimate tables filled the center of the room. High-backed booths lined the walls with low hanging lanterns lighting the room. A long bar stretched across one wall. The back shelf was accented in red lighting and held bottles of liquor and glass sculptures.

  A small dance floor sat tucked away in a corner. A band was playing some country music, but not too loud. People wandered between the high tables surrounding the dance floor, chatting and laughing. I loved the vibe of this place. It seemed young and fun, but sophisticated and calming at the same time. We found a round corner booth near the dance floor.

  Scarlett and Adam came back with a tray of drinks. She handed off bottles of beer to the boys and me a mojito. I inhaled the fresh minty smell and locked gazes with Ryder over my glass. He gave me a knowing smile and took a sip of his beer. He had shrugged out of his jacket and his muscular arms were on display. I watched the black designs swirl and travel over his skin before they disappeared under his sleeves.

  "Okay, cherry bombs," Scarlett announced, sliding small tumblers to each of us. "One, two, drink."

  We all obeyed, tossing our heads back and taking the drinks. It was sweet and fizzy as it burned my mouth and down my throat. My eyes watered and I chased it down with my mojito, which didn't help much. I swallowed the lump in my throat and waited for the alcohol to numb me.

  I watched the band play in the corner. They were a few guys playing some country cover songs, adding their own twist on the familiar tunes. They were good and not hard to look at either. The guitar player was sitting on a stool with a microphone lowered to his mouth. He head was hung low, his blonde hair falling over his eyes, as he plucked the strings and sang with raw emotion in his voice. Drums softly banged behind him and a guy on the keyboard sang backup. It was a popular love song, but they slowed the tempo and made it sound almost like rock.

  "Oh, that's Brent," Scarlett said, pointing across the room. "B.R.B." She slid out of the booth and skipped over to her boss.

  He caught sight of us and sent me a wave. I waved and smiled back, then turned my attention back to the table. The silence was awkward and tense. The guys all glared at each other and didn't say a word. Logan's glare was the most obvious; he was almost foaming at the mouth. I felt like the tightrope stretched between us was going to snap any second.

  "Logan, I need a drink," I said sweetly. "Would you come with?"

  He looked over at me in confusion. "Sure, doll." With that, he stood and put his hand out and helped me out of booth.

  "What is your problem?" I asked when we were out of earshot.

  "Him," he grunted.

  "Yeah, I can tell. Why don't you like him?"

  "He's going to hurt her. He isn't' good enough."

  "I know," I sighed. "But starting a fight with him won't do any good. It will just piss her off. She needs to see it for herself."

  "And how do you think that will happen?"

  "I'm working on it," I shrugged. I really had no idea how I was going to prove he was a fake, or if he even was.

  When we came back to the table, only Ryder was still seated. I took a quick look around to see Scarlett was still talking to Brent near the dance floor. Adam was gone and my interest perked.

  "I'm going to find Adam and Scar," I told the boys.

  By the time I made it to the edge of the dance floor, Scarlett had disappeared. Brent stood a few feet away with the guitarist of the band. I twirled around in a circle, looking for either one of the couple.

  "Kallie," someone shouted. Brent was waving me over. "How you been?" he asked when I approached.

  "Good," I nodded. "You?"

  "Same old shit, different day," he shrugged. "How's the tat? That was by far my favorite work of Scarlett's, and I've seen them all."

  "Thanks," I blushed, remembering Brent saw me being a complete baby. "It's good. It healed up without any scabbing, so it looks great."

  The guitarist lifted an eyebrow at me in question. "Sorry, not pulling up my shirt to show you," I joked at him.

  "I'm Ezra," he smiled, sticking out his hand for me to take.

  "Kallie," I said, taking his hand and feeling the rough skin from picking at the strings. "You guys are really good." It needed to be said.

  "Thanks, sweetheart," he said, flashing me a smile.<
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  I felt light pressure on my lower back and inhaled sharply. "Not happening, babe," Ryder whispered in my ear.

  I turned and looked up at him confused. His eyes were on Ezra, and he gave him a slight head nod in greeting. Ezra smirked back with an amused look and nodded back.

  "Anyway," I said, getting slightly pissed, "where did Scarlett run off to?"

  "Beats me," Brent laughed. "To find her boy toy, I think."

  I nodded and turned back to continue my search. She wasn't at the table and she wasn't dancing. Ryder trailed closely behind me with his hand on my back even though he wasn't leading me anywhere.

  "And what was that?" I asked over my shoulder. "There was no reason for you to get jealous."

  "Why? Because we aren't together?"

  "No," I stopped walking and turned to look up at him. "Because I wasn't interested."

  "He was. You have no idea how guys look at you."

  I laughed humorously. "Look, we had this conversation once before. I won't have it again. You can get jealous all you want, and I don't care the reason. I really don't. But I'm not interested and I don't care how anyone looks at me but you. Now, where the hell is your sister and that scumbag of hers?"

  I turned and walked away from Ryder. I wasn't going to fight with him and tell him he had no right to interfere with my conversations or stop someone from flirting with me. I wasn't going to tell him that I wasn't his to stake claim on either because that would be a lie. A glance at our table showed it was now empty and Logan was gone. I sighed and went to the long hallway leading to the bathrooms and kitchen.

  I stopped dead in my tracks on my way to the girls' room. Adam was leaning against the wall talking to someone. That someone had huge boobs falling out of a tank top and fire red hair. He was leaning into her as she giggled and looked at him through thick, glued-on lashes. It sure didn't look like an innocent conversation to me.

  I turned to go get Scarlett, and possibly start a scene, but slammed into a solid wall of muscle. Large hands grabbed my shoulders to steady me. I gained my balance and looked up at Brent's face. I stepped back quickly, putting space between our bodies. I really didn't know him enough to press against him.

  "Think about this first," he whispered as he glared at the side of Adam's head.

  "What?" I squeaked. "I have to find her before he moves."

  "She won't believe you," he sighed, finally looking down at me. "Jen, a girl we work with, said she saw his flirting with some other girl at a party we all went to together. Scarlett got pissed at her and just about ripped her hair out."

  "She'll believe me," I urged. I turned around, but Adam and the bimbo were gone.

  "No, she won't and she will hate you. I ended up having to fire Jen. Scarlett is convinced Adam can do no wrong. You have to do better than this."

  "I could have gotten her in time," I huffed.

  "No, you wouldn't have. Do you even know where she is?"

  "No," I admitted.

  "Front patio. Arguing with Logan."

  I pushed past him and saw Ryder leaning on the wall just within hearing distance. He turned and walked with me out to the front porch.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Ryder

  I followed Kallie as she stalked out the front doors. Brent was right, Scarlett would never believe us, and after seeing Adam sneak out the back door with that girl, I doubted we would find him. I would guess he was a smarter dickhead to avoid getting busted by his fiancée or her nosey friends.

  The air was cool and welcoming as we exited the bar. I glanced around and found Logan and Scarlett leaned against the railing at the end, talking in harsh whispers. His jaw was tense and his whole body looked strained. Scarlett had her arms crossed over her chest in a defensive stance. She was ready to fight, and he looked ready to strike.

  "There you guys are," I called to them. Both heads snapped to us and they stepped away from each other. "Ready to go?" I knew the night would only go downhill from here. We should leave now before shit really hits the fan.

  "Yeah, I'll go find Adam," Scarlett said as she brushed past Kallie and me.

  "Good luck," Kallie mumbled under her breath. I tugged gently on her ponytail. She huffed and threw herself in one of the oversized wicker chairs. "What? She's gonna need it."

  "Be nice," I warned her. She bit down on her lip to physically keep herself from saying anymore. The move was innocent but sparked something inside of me. "Please don't do that," I begged her.

  She popped her lip out of her mouth and crossed her arms, pouting like a little kid. Logan sat in a chair next to her and we waited for Scarlett to find her boyfriend. She appeared a short time later, towing Adam behind her. They said goodbye in the parking lot and he went his own way, supposedly to his car. Scarlett got in the backseat with Kallie, and Logan drove us back home.

  Kallie insisted she didn't drink more than one drink and wanted to drive back to the hotel. Scarlett and I convinced her to stay with us for the night. I know she never finished her first drink and didn't even get to touch her second one, but I hated the thought of her driving so late into town to stay at a hotel. I really wanted to tell her to check out and stay here for good, but thought better of it.

  Kallie changed out of the sexy outfit she wore out and into yoga pants and a tank top. I always thought she was hotter in the clothes she wore to lounge around in than when she got dressed up to go out. She gave me a smile and a small wave before she slipped into Scarlett's room to sleep with her. Scarlett apparently had enough to drink and was insisting that Kallie "snuggle with her" tonight.

  I spent the night restless, barely sleeping. Like any other night, I woke up with the flashbacks. It didn't matter how long she was gone, my first instinct was always to reach for her. I was plagued with the stress of worrying over my sister and then the confusion over Kallie. I tossed and turned, begging for sleep to take me. I was to get up for work in a few hours and was exhausted. With only three hours left until I had to get up, I was desperate.

  I threw the covers off of me and tiptoed out of the room. I slowly opened the door to Scarlett's bedroom and snuck over to Kallie's sleeping form. I gently rubbed her shoulder until she started to stir and rolled over to me in a panic.

  "Sleep with me?" I whispered in the darkness.

  She slipped out from under the covers wordlessly and grabbed my hand. My body instantly relaxed with her touch, and I led her through the maze of clothes and shoes on the floor and to my bedroom. I crawled under the covers and held the blanket up for her. She slid in next to me with her back to me. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her close.

  I heard her soft sigh as I held her tight to my body. She fit perfectly against my chest. I inhaled her scent, and finally, my body let me fall into a deep sleep.

  I turned off the alarm quickly to avoid waking Kallie. She barely moved when I reached to the night stand and silenced my phone. She looked so peaceful and young with her blonde hair sprawled across my pillow and arm. She pushed herself back into me and I kissed the back of her head. As much as my body missed having her naked and underneath me, it mainly missed just having her close.

  I snuck out the room and made my coffee before work. I checked on Kallie once more before heading to work, letting her sleep in. I spent another day trying to keep busy and stop thinking. Travis loved when I got like this, which was a lot lately. Around lunch, I tried to text Logan. I wanted to know what the fight last night was all about. He never responded.

  I knew the boys cared for Scarlett. She was as much of their little sister as she was mine. We all looked out for her and became overprotective. When my dad bailed and abandoned his family, Logan, Caleb, and I stepped up to plate to make sure no boy ever hurt her. We would never allow anyone to hurt her and treat her the way we treated the girls that visited our beds.

  I made it through the whole day and was relieved to get in my truck to go home. I knew Scarlett worked tonight, so I wasn't surprised to see her car wasn't in the lot. I was, howeve
r, surprised to see Kallie's BMW still there. I walked in the apartment, and she looked up from her computer on the couch in surprise.

  "Oh, hey," she rushed. "I didn't realize it was this late already."

  "What are you doing?" I asked her, looking at the notebook opened on the coffee table and the papers scattered on the floor and couch.

  "Some wedding planning and stuff," she said, starting to pack up her things.

  "You leaving?"

  "Well," she started, playing with her bracelets. "I was wondering if you were going to work on your car today."

  I actually did plan on it. I wanted to finally try to start it so I could quit worrying if it was ready for the road or not. I nodded, unsure why she wanted to know.

  "Can I come with you?" she asked quietly. "Scarlett's working and I need to do something other than this," she said, indicating all the work laid out in front of her.

  "Sure," I told her. I didn't really think I would be very entertaining but seeing how stressed her face was, I couldn't deny her a break away from it all.

  I usually didn't bother to change when going to work on the Comet, but I hoped that I would actually be done today and shouldn't be under the hood. I showered quickly and changed into fresh clothes while Kallie waited in the living room. She closed her notebook when I came out and stuffed it into her purse.

  The drive to Hank's barn where I stored the car was quick. Hank owned most of the land in the town. He didn't use the barn for much more than storage, and had allowed me to work on the car here. Despite my reputation as no good, Hank always looked out for me and was nothing but nice. He cockblocked me quite a bit at the bar, but he never cut me down or kicked me out.

  I helped Kallie out of the truck and opened the barn. The musky smell washed over me in the breeze and I smiled. This was my place, my zone, and I always loved coming here. It was the one place I never worried, and I was able to immerse myself in something I wanted to do. Kallie pulled herself up on a dirty workbench and craned her neck to look inside a box of junk.