“You’re right, it shouldn’t have happened.” That’s all she managed to choke out before her chin wobbled and the first tear dropped to her cheek.
Hopping off her stool, she walked to the sink. The cake pans and mixing bowls she hadn’t cleaned yet overflowed from it. She yanked on the dishwasher, and it clattered open.
“Hallie.”
She didn’t dare turn around.
“I said something wrong, didn’t I?”
She shook her head, lifting a ceramic bowl from the top rack of the dishwasher.
His hand on her shoulder stopped her. Why was he touching her?
The seconds ticked past with an urgency that charged the room.
“Hal, what’s wrong?” he asked, his voice husky.
His gentle tone snapped the last of her willpower, and she brought her hand up to rest on his. “I’m so confused,” she said in a strangled whisper.
As Christian turned her around, she set the bowl back in the dishwasher. Cradling her head against his chest with one hand, he circled his other arm around her waist and held her tenderly. “So am I.”
Something about that quiet admission soothed some of Hallie’s racing emotions. Maybe his earlier statement hadn’t been so black and white as she’d thought.
Warmth flooded her as she brought her hands up to rest underneath his shoulder blades. But not the same kind of heat from a moment ago. This warmth spoke of belonging, like being hugged by a friend, or a sense of camaraderie in this twisted situation.
So much for boundaries.
“Feel better?” he asked, stepping back a minute later.
Hallie blew out a shaky breath. “Surprisingly, yeah.”
Chuckling, he ran a hand through his hair. “Me too. Surprisingly.”
His repetition of her word choice triggered a round of subdued laughter, quick but purposeful in dispelling the lingering awkwardness in the room. They’d resolved nothing, hadn’t really talked about the kiss, and yet, it didn’t matter right now. They could have that discussion after they’d both had time to process everything.
“I guess I’ll leave you to your baking.” He took a step toward the door. “Unless you need a break?”
Hallie didn’t miss the hopefulness entering his face. “You want to hang out?”
“Doyouwant to hang out?”
She’d been planning to visit Brad downtown once she’d finished Isla’s cake, which gave her an idea. Christian had all but confessed yesterday that he wished he’d had a chance to clear the air with him. And Hallie knew her cousin well enough to predict he’d want the same.
“Actually, how’d you like to run an errand with me?”
He arched one of his brows. “What kind of errand?”
“You’ll see. I’ll grab my keys and we’ll be on our way.”
She placed Isla’s cake in an airtight container, then pulled a glass Tupperware of leftover lasagna from the freezer. Her cousin knew how to cook, though he’d admitted the last time she’d visited that he’d been mostly avoiding it since the smell of raw meat made Cassie even sicker than usual. After living on cold cereal and sandwiches for weeks, Hallie figured he’d appreciate a home cooked meal—even from the freezer.
“Shoot,” Hallie said when she and Christian stepped onto the porch. “I didn’t realize Beej parked behind me. Hang on while I go look for her keys. Hopefully, she didn’t bring them on her date.”
Christian grabbed her arm before she could retreat into the house. Would she ever become immune to his touch? “We can take mine.”
“Only if you can trust me. Do you?”
His eyes narrowed. “Are you planning to lure me into a dark alley to finish me off? Because I told my mom I’d pick the girls up tomorrow morning.”
