Reservation (Preservation Series), page 15
“Why the hell are they here?” I demanded, my arms crossing defensively.
“Um...because I invited them?”
“Why would you do that?”
“Why wouldn’t I?” Her puzzled gaze shifted from left to right. “Wait, you’re mad? I thought you might like to see Ian, that’s why I offered for him to come when I ran into him this morning. I didn’t think you’d mind.”
“You don’t even like Ian! You said he’s a punk and that he was a bad influence on me.”
“That’s because he is a punk and he was a bad influence on you,” she scoffed, “but he was also your best friend for a long time and hell, I dunno, I just thought you might want to catch up, maybe make amends or something. You said you hadn’t heard from him. I didn’t think you’d go mental!”
“You have to make them leave.”
“What? I can’t do that, Ry, it’s rude!”
“Since when do you care what the hell people think? You and Jess never worry about being rude. I don’t need to catch up with him. I ran into him the other day. It didn’t go well.”
“We speak our minds, yes, but we’re not rude and without manners! You saw him? You didn’t tell me.”
“Well, consider this me telling you. He’s an asshole and I have zero desire to be associated with him.”
“Whoa, baby, slow your roll. Bitter much?”
“Yes, Sam, I’m fucking bitter. He’s still the same, hasn’t changed a bit. He was already cracking jokes about me screwing around on Kate and starting shit, running his mouth like he always does.”
“Oookkayy...well I can’t ask him to leave. I told him to bring a date, and it’s downright rude to kick them both out.”
“Amy can’t meet Kate. You have to get out there and stop this from happening, please, Sam.” I reached out and grabbed her wrist, imploring her.
Sam’s eyes squinted, her head tilting to the side in a please-don’t-tell-me gesture. “Ryan...”
“Yes, I know her.”
“Like know her, know her?”
“Yes, and I have no idea why she is here with Ian. I don’t even remember the last time those two spoke, and she’s here, on his arm. Fuck!” I started pacing, my fingers gliding frantically through my hair.
“Was she a student? Kate knows you slept with your students, you told me she’s aware of your past—”
“Amy wasn’t just one of my students.”
“What was she, then?”
“I mean, she was...just one of my students, but she wasn’t like the others. Kate knows about my past but she doesn’t know about the part that involves Amy, and I’ll do anything to spare her the fucking details, so please, Sam, kick them out. Make an excuse, do something!”
“Ry, calm down, baby! You’re going to give me a heart attack.” She started pacing with me, her eyes jumping about as she mentally worked to devise a plan. It wasn’t long before Jess was calling to us from the living room. “Shit!” Sam scrambled, reaching for the oven mitts to grab dinner from the stove. “I’ll think of something, just get out there.”
“Fine,” I huffed, pushing through the wooden door. I seriously needed to get my shit together and find a way to kick them out. Amy Mercer was one dirty secret I didn’t want Kate exposed to—ever.
“Dinner’s on its way out,” I said, approaching everyone. Crystal was seated in Dean’s lap on the armchair, feeding him olives, while Carter and Kate admired the view from the patio balcony, talking something about Florida. Jess hustled into the kitchen with a smile, leaving me with Amy and Ian.
“I think you should leave now, before this gets worse,” I said to Ian under my breath, keeping my eyes on Kate. Figured I might as well try and extinguish the fire before Sam or Jess had to make a very public display of asking them to leave.
Ian locked his arm tightly around Amy’s shoulders. “No can do, Ry. Sam invited me, and I have no intention of passing up a good meal. If there’s anything I remember about her aside from her mad tattooing skills and the way she can drink me under the table, it’s that she’s an awesome cook. Besides, I want to meet this beautiful fiancée of yours.”
I turned to face him, my glare stone cold. “Don’t you even fucking look at her, you understand me? I mean it, Ian. Leave her alone. And you, Amy. So help me God if you say anything to her, I’ll toss you out on your ass before you can blink.”
Amy gently grasped my elbow, letting Ian hold her close. “Oh, Ryan, no need to get all worked up. We just want the pleasure of meeting the woman who tamed you.” She whistled, turning her focus on Kate’s back, eying her like she was a luscious filet. “She’s quite delectable. I bet she tastes just as good as she looks. That body is something else.”
“Amen to that.” Ian bit his lip, doing his own once over.
I stepped in front of them, blocking their view of Kate. To hell with worrying about being rude to them. They clearly weren’t worried. “Get out. Both of you, right now. I don’t know what you’re up to or why you’re here together, but you’re not welcome. Do I need to make it any more clear?” I moved forward, pinning Ian with searing daggers. “Leave. Right. Now.”
Ian ignored me, glancing over my shoulder with that grin of his. “Ah, here she comes.” My whole body shuddered when I spun to find Kate approaching us. I didn’t miss the way her step faltered slightly when she clocked the way Amy was looking at her, as if she might devour her on the spot..
“Hey,” Kate said quietly, moving to my side. When I found I was still stunned with anger and words weren’t making their way to my lips, Kate looked to me, then to Ian and Amy, clearing her throat. “I’m Kate, and you are?”
“Amy Mercer.” Amy extended a hand, her smirk pleased and utterly challenging. “Ian’s date. I’m an old friend of Ryan’s.” Her eyes flicked to mine and I flinched, feeling Kate’s chocolate pools turn on me at the mention.
“And I’m Ian. Ryan’s best mate.” Ian’s dimples puckered and he leaned forward, bowing dramatically as he took Kate’s hand. “You, my dear, are one fine sight. Ryan is a lucky bastard.” It took two seconds for him to undress her with his eyes, and my ability to find words returned.
“Back off, Ian,” I spat, pulling Kate back to my side.
“Ry,” Kate hissed in surprise, sending him an apologetic smile.
Before any more poison-infused exchanges flew between the four of us, Sam and Jess joined us with trays of food, gesturing for us to meet at the dining table. Carter, Dean, and Crystal floated in from the living room to sit with us, and I made every effort to make sure Sam noticed the desperate daggers I was throwing her way. My attempt to get rid of them wasn’t getting us anywhere. Maybe she had a better idea. Like tossing a hot cup of coffee on their laps.
Yeah, that’s something Sam would do.
“They’re already here, let’s just get on with it,” Sam whispered under her breath as she set a dish down next to me. “You have a lot of explaining to do later, my friend.”
“Whatever,” I mumbled, pulling out Kate’s chair for her. I made it a point to seat her as far away from Ian and Amy as possible, but the way the two were looking at her, it was clear they had no intention of leaving her be.
Damn it, why couldn’t they just cooperate and leave when I asked them to?
Tension around the table was momentarily delayed while everyone talked about the summer’s upcoming Bumbershoot Festival and who was looking forward to seeing which bands. We passed food around and listened to Carter and Dean tell us about their hopeful adventures to England, but even the crazy duo’s animated faux British conversation couldn’t distract me from the looks Amy was shooting Kate. They weren’t bitter looks. They weren’t jealous, even. They were looks I knew all too well, screaming she was on the hunt, and I wanted Kate as far from them as possible.
“So have you two lovebirds set a date?” Ian asked in between bites of potatoes. His friendly act wasn’t fooling me, but I doubted the others even noticed the phoniness radiating from his presence. Even Sam seemed oblivious to his fake charm, which made me even more uneasy. Was she really buying this act of his?
Kate dabbed her lips with her napkin, swallowing before she spoke. “We’re hoping for June, when I get back from St. Lucia, but we’re not really sure yet. We’re not doing anything big or fancy. Just a small, simple dinner and some vows at one of our favorite restaurants on the waterfront.”
“How romantic,” Amy cooed, sipping her wine and smiling sweetly. “Have you found a dress yet? I bet anything will look lovely on that killer physique of yours.”
Kate shifted in her seat, setting her fork down. “Um, thanks. Yeah, I just found one today, actually.”
“Have you planned your bachelorette party yet? If you need any recommendations, I know just the place for you to have a little fun. In fact, I bet Ryan could recommend quite a few locations.”
I nearly choked on my rice and reached for some water. “Thanks anyway. I’m sure Kate can make her own plans.”
“Well, what about you?” She leaned forward and crossed her arms on the table. “I can make some suggestions for your bachelor party. Although...you already know most of them.”
Kate straightened, deadpanning me.
Oh, shit.
The cogs in my mind began spinning, mentally begging for someone to change the subject and divert attention away from what was unfolding here, but I didn’t have a chance in hell. The others were immersed in a conversation about sustainable materials for furnishing and something about a tattoo festival, passionate exchanges flying across the table while Amy and Ian prepared to fire.
“I’ll pass, thanks.”
Ian piped up, laughing. “Oh, come on, Ry. Let some old friends throw you a bachelor party. The three of us go way back, we might as well make a celebration of it, right? Ah, to hell with tradition. It doesn’t have to be just the guys. I’m sure Amy can invite her friends, and Kate is welcome to tag along.”
“That sounds like a fabulous idea,” Amy agreed, eyes shimmering in delight. “Would you be interested, Kate? I’m a generous hostess. You won’t be disappointed.”
Kate moved her plate away and set her napkin down, her hands landing gently on her lap.
She didn’t have to say a word. I knew she could sense the ice running through my blood and the hairs that were standing up on my arms.
I had to speak up, or this was all going to blow up in my face. Ian and Amy were egging me on, and it was only a matter of seconds now. The bastards.
“We better get going.” I lifted my gaze to Kate before she could respond to Amy’s question. “I’m feeling sick.”
“Oh? Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m just ready to go.”
Kate rubbed my back, sliding her chair back to stand. “You’ve barely touched your meal.”
“I lost my appetite.”
Amy’s and Ian’s pleased expressions sat fixed on me and Kate, but they remained quiet, chewing and drinking as I worked to make our escape. I hated giving them the satisfaction of knowing they’d run me off, but the fact was, I wanted Kate as far from them as possible, and it was clear they weren’t interested in having an innocent, civil meal. They were out for cold, sneaky blood, and I wasn’t going to sit around and wait for the slaughter, especially when it was at Kate’s expense.
“Oh, okay. Let me just grab my stuff.” Kate turned for the hall. Carter and Dean slid curious glances down the table, but quickly returned to the conversation, falling back into heated discussion. I stood to follow her, not bothering to trade any more words with Ian or his partner in crime. We apologized to Sam and Jess for cutting the evening short and they thanked us for the cake, making us promise to come back another time when I was feeling better. Sam gave me a knowing look, going along with my excuse like a pro. Dean, Carter, and Crystal all decided to stay, waving us away with plans to take a cab home.
As I turned to follow Kate out the door, Sam gestured for me to call her, and I nodded in agreement before I made a swift exit. “Sorry to drag you away, baby.”
“It’s not a problem,” she said, letting me guide her to the car. “I’m sorry you don’t feel well.”
“Must be something I ate.”
“Everything tasted great to me.”
“Sam’s one hell of cook.”
“She’s fantastic.”
I ushered her into the passenger seat and slipped inside to start the engine, sighing in relief when we coasted out onto the highway. “Thanks for coming with me tonight. I’m so glad you got to meet her. Jess is great, too.”
“I recognized Amy from somewhere.”
My fingers gripped the steering wheel, and I tried in vain to relax the tension in my body.
“From your class, I think. You slept with her, I take it?”
Damn it all. “Yes.”
“It seems Ian has, too.”
“Yes.” Shit, where was she going with this?
“Just once?”
“No. Kate, can we not talk about this?”
“Why?”
“Because I don’t want to talk about my past.”
“I already told you how I feel about your past, Ryan. Who you were doesn’t matter. I care about who you are now.”
“Then why discuss this?”
“Because it obviously bothers you. There was no mistaking the stress rolling off of you back there. You looked as if you were about to explode just being at the same table as her.”
“I just wanted to protect you.”
“Protect me from what?”
“Amy was never one to mince words.”
“So?”
I shifted, adjusting my foot on the gas. “She doesn’t hold back. She’s manipulative and bold, and I just didn’t want her to say anything out of line to you. I could tell she was about to.” There, I said it. The truth. Well, at least partially.
“If you think some trouble-making bimbo you used to screw is going to scare me away, you’re sorely mistaken. Don’t you know me better than that?”
Of course I knew her better than that, which was exactly why I didn’t want Amy digging her claws into her. It was no secret that Kate had trust issues. She had a whole slew of them, and while I believed her when she said she didn’t care about who I was before her, I didn’t doubt for a second that the minute she caught a glimpse of just how morally bankrupt I’d been with Amy, she’d think twice about trusting me. Hell, I wasn’t sure I trusted myself. What if I was operating on some invisible switch? What if it snapped some day and all I’d worked so hard to change backfired in my face? I had this sinking feeling that I was defective. Permanently broken. What if all it took to blow that gasket was one little crack in my already-shaky foundation?
This was what Kate didn’t seem to grasp.
My foundation wasn’t the only shaky one here. Hers was still shaky, too. As much as she loved me, a few reminders of my past habits would thrust her running shoes right back onto her feet, and I couldn’t risk that happening. I couldn’t risk losing her.
“Look, I just want my past to stay in my past, okay? So can we talk about something else?”
She glanced out the window, going quiet. Finally, she spoke again. “Melanie Carpenter is very beautiful. Was she a good date?”
“Kate.”
“Ryan.”
“We talked about this. I already told you everything about that night.”
“I know that. I want you to understand that we can talk about these things, Ryan. I’m not going to freak out. I understand women like Amy are a part of your past, and that women like Melanie are a part of your career right now. You have to trust me to trust you. I won’t run from you again. I made a promise and I intend to keep it.”
“Thank you.” I smiled and squeezed her knee, keeping my gaze on the road ahead. It was a good thing she had so much confidence. Maybe she’d have enough to carry the both of us.
***
“Ryan!” Kate’s voice powered through the apartment, waking me from deep sleep. I jolted upright and rubbed my eyes, looking around to get my bearings. A mild hangover was already brewing across the back of my skull. It must have been from the bottle of champagne we drank when we got home the night before. I squinted and studied the floor, my eyes landing on a trail of clothes. Kate’s dress, bra, and panties from last night. Oh, yeah, I smiled, remembering my favorite part of the evening.
The boots never came off.
“In here.” It came out as a dry croak.
She appeared in the doorway, her eyes brimming with tears and hands shaking. “I can’t believe you.”
Her trembling expression sobered me up immediately, and I rose from the bed, moving toward her. She backed up. “Don’t touch me right now. Just don’t.”
“What’s wrong?”
“I just had breakfast with Carter. He told me about your talk, told me everything.”
“What talk?”
“The talk I told you to have with him, to ask him to stay in Seattle.”
Oh, damn. Carter tattled on me? It was his idea to keep the conversation between us in the first place. “Baby, calm down and tell me why you’re so upset.”
“You know why. I get that leaving Seattle is his decision, Ryan. But you lied to me. You told him to go for it. Just like that.”
“I didn’t lie to you, Kate. I told you what you wanted to know. I told you what he told me, why he was thinking about leaving.”
“You didn’t even try to convince him to stay.”
“I told him he’d be leaving a lot behind here. What else was I supposed to say?”
“You’re threatened by him, aren’t you?”
“What?”
“Don’t lie to me, Ryan. Just tell me!”
“Where is this coming from?”
“He told me.”
“Told you what? Fuck, Kate, you’ve lost me, here.”
“That he loves me.”
My arms fell to my sides and I stumbled back an inch. The back of my neck suddenly felt cold as I recalled Carter’s confession.
