“You know exactly how long it’s been since you’ve seen her.”
It was true, so Jace said nothing, just stare down his brother, willing him to leave the subject alone. “It was just a fucking tow, Andrew.”
“Maybe. But you and I both know how easily you could get caught up in her again.”
It hurt to hear those words spoken aloud, even if they were accurate. All the giddiness from kissing Selena had dissolved. He already knew how their story ended. In the end, she left.
These thoughts were exactly why the subject of Selena was not up for discussion.
“This conversation is over,” grumbled Jace. “And don’t fucking mention this to anyone.”
Andrew had the nerve to chuckle. “I definitely won’t ruin Mom and Dad’s day with this bit of information. But beyond that, I’m not promising anything.”
Chapter Six
The next evening, Jace parked his pick-up in front of Selena’s house and turned off the engine. The rain pounded on the windshield, echoing inside the cab. Andrew was right. He knew Andrew was right. But he’d spent the entire drive coming up with reasons why he still should check in with her in the middle of a storm. Because she was alone with no car, and the storm was getting worse. Because Andrew and Mary Louise had sent him home with too much food, and it shouldn’t go to waste. Because he’d forgotten to get Selena’s phone number for the car repairs. Because she had left three packages in the back seat of her car, including one from her parents, all the way from Mexico, which she probably wanted to open.
But all of these reasons were excuses. The truth was he just wanted to see her again, now that he had had a little time to digest their first meeting. No expectations, just deliver the packages and the food and head home. Though getting everything to her doorstep in good condition would be a challenge.
The neighborhood still looked empty, though a couple houses glowed with soft lights. Next door to Selena’s place, a car was parked in the driveway. A Hummer. Who the hell drove one of those things? The kind of guy that owned a beach house in this rich-ass neighborhood, apparently.
Jace peeked up at Selena’s house again. The chains of tiny white lights glowed through the house. And then he saw her in one of the windows, hunched over something. He was too far away to see much more than just her hair and the shape of her face, but it didn’t matter. His heart jumped in his chest, and he closed his eyes.
Her teenage bedroom had faced the street, right on the porch that stretched across the front of her house, and there were nights when he’d drive by and see her, studying at her desk. Sneaking in was out of the question, and she’d never sneak out, despite the fact that she was only a few feet from the ground. But he’d park out of sight and tap on her window, and they’d talk in whispers for hours. And kiss, too.
Nine years had passed, and if he was in a reasonable mood, he could understand her choice. Her parents had left their home country behind and moved to the United States. They had pulled long hours, her father as a migrant worker and her mother cleaning houses. Neither of them had more than a basic education. For most of Selena’s life, her parents had given up any semblance of comfort to make sure their only daughter had opportunities they hadn’t. And it weighed on every single choice Selena made. Including her choice of men.
But even if he could sympathize with her dilemma, he was not—and never would be—a consolation prize. Why the hell was he still thinking about this? Andrew was definitely right. It was too easy to get caught up in her again. Maybe he should just go home.
Jace rested his fingers on the ignition and glanced once more at the window where she sat. Sleet streamed down his truck, and he had to lean across the cab to get a better view. This time, she was looking out into the darkness, right at his truck.
Damn.
It was too late to drive off, not if he didn’t want to look like a stalker. Besides, it was better this way. She was out here alone, and if he had driven off, he would have spent the night thinking about her, wondering if she was okay. Now, he would probably be spending the night thinking about her in much different ways.
The image was there before he could stop it. His body over hers, her fingers digging into his arms as he—
Shit. He swiped a hand over his face and shook his head. Enough. He’d deliver the packages and the food and get his ass home.
Jace grabbed the bag of Tupperware dishes and stacked the boxes on top of each other. He took a deep breath and opened the truck’s door. A gust of rain hit him in the face, but he pushed forward, balancing the teetering load under his chin as the door slammed shut. He dodged the puddles that were pooling at the base of her driveway and headed up to the house. The awning above her porch did nothing to stop the icy water from pelting at his back. This delivery idea was looking worse by the minute.
He knocked, and Selena’s face appeared in the frosted glass. She opened the door and stared at him.
“Jace?”
“Yeah, me,” he said roughly. “I just wanted to drop off—”
“Get in here,” she said, tugging on his arm. “You’re letting the rain in.”
He stepped inside, and she pushed the door shut and locked it. They stood in the muted quiet of the little entryway, the storm pounding at the door. Close enough to touch. Selena blinked up at him, her eyebrows raised in question.
“I, um, brought the packages you left in your car,” he finally said.
She blinked.
“Oh, right,” she said quickly, reaching for them. Her warm hands brushed against his, and she looked away. “Thanks.”
His gaze drifted down her body slowly, taking in the oversized Christmas sweater, her red-and-white striped leggings, and a pair of red socks. He fought a smile. She definitely wasn’t expecting company tonight. His eyes drifted back up a bit. The candy cane pattern hugged the curves of her legs... Damn, he was ogling her. Jace’s gaze snapped back to her face.
