Like I’d suspected, Hudson has joined them. He’s got his back to me with Hart beside him and Kennedy side on. The three of them are surrounding someone who’s blocked from view by Hudson.
Because of course.
That brother always has to make things difficult for me.
While I’m watching, a laugh bursts from Kennedy, the tops of his cheeks patchy and red as he scuffs a hand back through his hair.
His body energy is … nervous?
Who the fuck is it?
I turn my glare to Hudson, willing him to shift out of the way. Something about Kennedy is throwing up alarm bells, and I’m cursing my stupid wreck of a brain that wouldn’t let me walk over with him.
It would have been easy. So easy. For anyone but me.
And then I’d be right in Kennedy’s line of sight, so there’s no way he’d forget about me while he laughs and blushes at someone else.
There’s a whole house between us, but I know for a fact that’s what it is.
He’sblushing.
My tongue piercing runs over the back of my teeth, and I have to hold back the urge to bite it. This is fine. I’m probably misreading everything, and any moment now?—
Hudson shifts to point at something, and my heart drops like a rotten tree branch in a storm. Torn away and then in free fall.
It’s the woman from the diner.
Her hair is out, and she’s not wearing that ugly uniform. She looks … pretty.
I hate her more than I did the first time I saw her.
I know this would be a perfect time to walk away, to go back to work and stop thinking about her and distract myself with literally anything else.
My feet are stuck though. Stuck like when all the worries kick in, but this is something different this time.
This time, it’s straight-up jealousy.
Hudson playfully pushes Kennedy’s shoulder, and I watch as he takes a step toward Caroline, then pauses. His gaze swings back this way before he leans in toward his brothers, says something, and then follows Caroline down the street.
My heartbeat is so loud in my ears, it makes my head dip out of focus.
Where. The hell. Is he going?
His form gets smaller the further they walk, and I’m so focused on him, it takes me too long to notice his brothers are heading toward me.
I hear them by the side of the house and only manage to scramble to my feet before they walk in and look around.
“Ziggy?” Hudson calls.
“Back here.” I speak without even thinking about it, but my head is scrambled. There’s this deep ache in my chest that’s got me dangerously close to throwing up. I’m trying to hide it as I reach them, but I have no idea what expression I’m wearing because when I step into view, both Hudson and Hart immediately look worried.
“You okay?” Hudson asks.
I nod, jerkily and too fast, but I’m losing the will to care.
Hudson doesn’t look convinced, but Hart buys it.
“Kennedy wanted us to let you know he’s taking the rest of the day off,” Hart said. “He had a visitor.”
