Page 77 of Harvest Heat

Rhys ran to his car. How the hell had he fucked up so badly? Tessa had probably called his name several times; then she’d walked all the way in, but he hadn’t heard a thing. He’d been so lost in Caleb’s mouth, the feel of his skin, Caleb’s hand around his cock. Tessa had seen them!

Maybe she’d only realized they were kissing—maybe she hadn’t seen exactly what was going on. He wasn’t sure he could ever face her again.

Thankfully, his keys were in his pocket, so he was able to get into his car. His heart was pounding so hard, it felt like it would explode, and there was a buzzing sound in his ears. He felt like he was separated from the world, like the sounds outside couldn’t penetrate through the bubble around him. He doubted he was thinking clearly enough to drive, but he couldn’t stay there. He had to manage the short drive home.

He hyperfocused on the road and checked constantly for anything around him. He only passed two cars on the way home. Once he pulled in his driveway and cut the engine, he let his head drop forward onto the steering wheel.

The horror of the moment when Tessa caught them flooded back into his head, and his vision started to go dark at the edges. No, no, no. Not here. He needed to get into the house.

He grabbed his keys from where he’d tossed them on the console and stumbled toward his front door, fighting dizziness and nearly falling as he climbed the porch steps. He focused on the door as he crossed the porch, and somehow, he managed to unlock it and get inside the house. He slammed the door shut behind him and sank to the floor. The world was spinning around him, so he rested his head on his knees and let the tears come.

Eventually, he lost the strength to sit up, so he curled into a ball on the floor, not caring how hard the wood felt under his body. His quiet tears turned to sobs. He was angry at himself for not being able to handle things with Caleb, angry at Tessa for interrupting them, and angry at everyone in town for making things so complicated. He wished he had the courage to get up, go find Caleb, and apologize for running away again, but he didn’t.

Caleb fought the urge to go after Rhys. He wasn’t thinking clearly enough to be driving, and he shouldn’t be alone, but Caleb didn’t know if he’d survive being rejected again, so he stayed where he was and tried to remember how to breathe.

When he felt like he might survive walking out of there, he realized he had to call Tessa. They owed her an explanation, and someone needed to check on Rhys. Tessa also had a key to lock up the shop. Rhys had to have been falling apart not to even think about locking the doors.

Caleb took a deep breath before taking out his phone and making the call. Tessa answered immediately. “I’m so sorry. If I’d had any idea you were there⁠—”

“It’s not your fault. It was Rhys’s idea to keep our… whatever it is secret, but I need you to find him and make sure he’s okay.”

“What do you mean? Where is he?”

“I don’t know. He ran out the back door. He was scared and upset, and he wouldn’t listen to me. I’m still at Frost + Foam, and I can’t lock up since I don’t have a key.”

“I’m right down the street at Marianne’s. I’ll send her with the key and go look for Rhys. He probably just went home.”

“I know, but I want to be sure he’s okay. He shouldn’t be driving when he’s that upset.”

“You’re right, but I’m sure he’s okay.”

Her earlier statement just penetrated Caleb’s whirling mind. “So Marianne knows what you saw?”

“She was right behind me when I walked in on you. We’d been hanging out and decided to go check on Rhys. She admitted she already knew about the two of you.”

“I didn’t tell her. She guessed.” He didn’t want Tessa upset that they hadn’t said anything to her.

“I know. She told me.”

Caleb thought about Marianne warning him not to hurt Rhys. How angry would she be? “I didn’t mean to upset Rhys tonight.”

“We know this isn’t your fault.”

Caleb wanted to believe that, but he also knew that when it came down to it, they were going to support Rhys before him. And he was going to be alone again, isolated in this new place he’d come to love.

“Marianne is walking your way now, okay?”

Caleb wasn’t sure he was up to talking to her, but he was going to have to be. “Okay. Thanks.”

When she arrived, she didn’t say anything as she double-checked the back door, and they stepped outside so she could lock the front behind them.

Caleb tensed, expecting to be told off. Instead, she said, “Do you want to talk? I’ve got a good bottle of vodka at home?”

“You’re not angry at me for upsetting Rhys?”

She shook her head. “You didn’t do anything wrong. Rhys decided to run. Again.”

“I think it’s over between us.”