Something beyond him creaks and groans.
His brows furrow together as he turns to look behind him.
I glance the same direction as the sound intensifies, and then I watch in disbelief as a large pine tree crashes to the ground just beyond where our cars are parked.
No.
No no no.
That didn’t just happen.
The pine branches wave in the wind as the tree settles itself more firmly across the edge of the driveway, blocking the road.
“Oh, fuck,” Cash whispers.
I look at his car.
It’s a hatchback. No monster truck wheels that’ll go climbing over a downed tree.
My rental is a Kia coupe.
It’s not climbing a downed tree either.
The wind blows again, sending another blast of ice droplets at my face and chest.
Making a decision I’ll likely regret, I open the door wider. Like I have a choice now. “Come in. Get out of the weather. I’ll see if I can reach the owners.”
He studies me warily. “You’re not mad?”
“About anything that happened at the party? No.” Conflicted about having him here right now? Yes.
I like Cash.
Cannot deny it.
I also know better for so many reasons, and I won’t let being attracted to him derail any of my life plans.
Been there, done that. My hormones don’t control my life. I control my hormones.
“But you’re mad that I’m here,” he says.
“If you’re not going to come inside, you should leave, though I have no idea how. Pick one. I’m closing the door in ten seconds.”
He doesn’t answer immediately.
“Nine…eight…”
“Which do you want me to do?”
I want him to come in.
And I want him to leave so I can keep hiding from the world in peace.
Hence I’m making him decide what to do. “Five…four…”
He makes a soft noise somewhere between a growl and a grunt, and then he steps into the doorway. “If you want me to leave?—”
And make him hike down off the mountain? There’s no way his car is fitting between the trees along the side of the road, and it’s certainly not going over the tree now blocking the road. “I’ll say so.”
