I set the phone aside and hopped out of bed in a flurry of blankets and sheets. How could Cam have let me oversleep? She knew how her mother got when we missed Sunday lunch without at least letting her know we wouldn't be there.
And why hadn't Cam told her that I'd barely slept in three days and that I wasn't going to make it?
Grousing to myself, I wound my hair into a bun on top of my head and rushed through a shower. I didn't have time to wash and dry it right now, so it would just have to be a messy bun day.
The July heat was sweltering so once I was clean and dry, I slipped into underwear and a pair of light cotton shorts with an elastic waist. Since the shorts had come with a matching top, I put that on as well. The thin material and sleeveless design would keep me cooler. I brushed my teeth as I jammed a pair of black platform flip-flops on my feet. A quick swipe of mascara and lipgloss and I was as close to ready as I could be in twenty minutes.
I settled my glasses on my nose and grabbed my phone and I was out the door.
Luck remained with me and I made it to the McClanes' house with five minutes to spare.
That's the thing about luck though. She's a fickle creature. One minute she'll be smiling at you with the sun shining down and the next, she's growling and snarling with a storm of wind and lightning behind her.
I opened the door without knocking and stopped short with one foot still on the porch and the other on the welcome mat just inside.
Ben Murphy looked over his shoulder at me from where he slouched against the wall between the living and dining rooms. His expression was unreadable, but his hazel eyes were more amber than green.
One look and even though his position or face hadn't changed a bit, I knew he was pissed as hell.
At me.
The screen door slapped into my leg and I nearly stumbled when my shoe caught on the bottom edge.
Ben didn't move to help me as he normally would have done.
Oh, yes. He was angry. Very, very angry.
I swallowed hard before I managed to disentangle myself from the screen door and make it inside the house.
"Is that you, Sierra?" Colette called from the dining room.
I cleared my throat because it was suddenly drier than the desert. "Yes, ma'am."
"Good. Lunch will be on the table in five minutes."
She didn't say anything else, but I couldn't move from the doorway. My eyes were locked on Ben and his gaze still hadn't left me.
"Hey," I said softly.
His jaw clenched and for a moment I thought he wouldn't answer. Finally, he replied, "Hey."
Somehow, I made my feet move toward him. "Um, listen, I know I didn't call you this week but—"
Ben jerked his head, his jaw flexing even tighter, and he interrupted me, "I think your lack of availability says more than you ever could."
My stomach twisted at the look on his face and the chill in his words. "It's not what you thi—"
"I'm not doing this right now," he stated, interrupting me again. Okay, that was pissing me off, but I could understand why he was upset, so I bit back my annoyance. Then, he said, "And I'm not sure I want to do it all."
My stomach was no longer twisting, it was falling even though my body was completely and utterly still.
Before I could gather myself enough to speak, he set his beer on the table and disappeared into the kitchen. A few moments later, I heard the back door close and his truck roar to life out front.
But I couldn't move. I was locked in place, hurt and anger warring inside me. And just below the hurt and the anger was understanding. I'd pushed him away too hard and too long and he'd realized he didn't love me after all. I'd known, deep down, that it was going to happen. It was better that it was now rather than six months in the future, when it wouldn't just hurt but tear me apart.
I focused on breathing through the pain in my chest and looked down. I expected to see a mortal wound, blood and bone visible beneath the rent flesh, but there was nothing but skin. And the wild pounding of my heart in my ears.
A hand touched my shoulder and I looked up to find Colette staring at me with compassion and sadness in her eyes.
