“Fine by me. This place is giving me the creeps. Not to mention that Uncle Ted is going to kill me for taking an extra day off.”
I cringe. “Lewis will be the same way, maybe more so since I borrowed his tools without asking.” I slam the door a little too hard when I hop out. This trip isn’t going as planned.
It takes a few tries, but Tristen is able to back in semi-straight. As he sets up everything outside, I work on getting everything into place on the inside. Once we have power, I plug in the coffee maker and pour us both a mug. For his, I add in a splash of almond milk as a surprise and bring it out to him.
He swipes an arm across his brow as he frowns at the sewage hose. His eyes meet mine and he sighs in delight at the steaming mug in my hand. “It’s like you read my mind.”
Lifting the mug up to his lips, he blows on the surface before taking a sip. His head jerks back, his nose scrunching. “Good gracious. What’s in this?”
“Coffee and almond milk, like you said. Do you want sugar or something else?”
“Almond milk?” His lips twistbefore he stiffens. “Oooh.Almond milk.Yes. Thank you.” He takes another tiny sip, gagging as he forces it down.
I cross my arms. “You don’t seem to like it.”
“Nope. It’s delicious.” He winces through another sip.
“Tris.” I grab the mug from his hand and dump it on the ground. “If it’s gross, don’t drink it. I’ll make you another.”
He glances away. “I mean, if you want to.”
Shaking my head at him, I go inside and make him a fresh cup of black coffee. “You know you have to explain the almond milk thing, right? Why would you say you drink it if you don’t?”
“You put me on the spot before. I didn’t know what to say.”
I hand him a new cup, careful not to spill it. “How about the truth?”
“Hmm.” He blows on the dark liquid. “About what?”
“The almond milk. Why did you lie about it?”
“Because I didn’t really need groceries.”
“Then why were you going into Denver? Audiobook stuff?”
“Well, um, there wasn’t a reason.”
I blink at him, confused. “Is this a thing? Joyrides to Denver?”
“No, I... I wanted to take you to the bus station. To spend time with you.”
My heart skips a beat as I meet his heated gaze. The attraction between us grips me like a hook, and I can’t stop myself from stepping closer.
“I don’t know what happened between us, but we used to be friends. Good friends. The more time passes, the more we drift further apart. I don’t understand it. I thought maybe if we spent time together, I could fix us... but it’s like no matter what I say, I upset you. Is there something I’vedone?”
I suck in a breath through my teeth, hating the answer. “No, it’s me. I’m a walking disaster that destroys everything.”
“That’s not true. You’ve had a hard time?—”
“I don’t need excuses.”
“Maybe that’s the problem. You’re trying to do this alone. When is the last time you’ve prayed about it?”
Pinching my lips, I turn around, not liking where this is heading.
“Reese?” He places a hand on my shoulder. “Don’t block me out.”
“Des has already grilled me about this. You’re wasting your time.”
