Impacted (Conflicted Encounters #2) (12 page)

An annoying high-pitch sound pierced through my heavy brain. I moaned and rolled over to muffle the sound, only to fall off the couch and land on the floor with a bang.

"Make it stop," I whined.
 

"It's your phone," a low and sleepy voice told me.
 

I grunted and lifted my head up as the sound got louder. I pried open my eyes to see Ryder was handing me the stupid thing.

"What?" I answered, not trying to hide my annoyance.

"Kallie Marie Adams! That is no way to answer the phone," my mother scolded.

"Sorry, Mom," I mumbled. I rolled to my back as Ryder sank into the recliner. "You woke me up."

"It's almost noon," she said, sounding confused. "Are you drunk?"

"No, Mother," I sighed. "That was last night. I'm hungover."

She laughed. She actually laughed at me, and I wasn't finding this funny. "What's funny?"

"Not something I thought I would hear from you," she admitted.
 

"Well, it's something I try to avoid," I whined.
 

"Drink Gatorade," she suggested. "I hear that's the best thing for it."

"Really? Thanks."

"I just called to check up on you. I can call you later."

I agreed and we hung up the phone. I stared at the screen after we disconnected. Sure enough, the caller ID said "Home". That woman was nothing like the mom I knew. I expected anger and lecturing. Although I was an adult, my parents still liked to have control and keep me in line. My line was pretty crooked right now.
 

I was still on the hard floor, so I sat up and leaned my back on the couch. Ryder held up a cup of coffee for me and I took it gratefully. "Do you have Gatorade? My mom said that helps with a hangover," I asked him.

"Your mom?"

"Yeah. Weird, right?"

He nodded. "I don't have any though. I can go get you some," he offered. I stared up at him surprised. I'm not surprised he would do it for me; I was surprised he said he would.
 

"No, it's okay," I shook my head. "Thank you." I sipped on my coffee in silence with Ryder until Chloe came barreling out of the bedroom.
 

"Shit! Shit. Shit," she said as she ran around the room in circles. Scarlett wandered out behind her with an amused look. "I am late. I have to be at my mom's in a few hours."

"Take off," I told her, crawling over to grab her purse from the ground and handing it up to her.

"You need a ride back to the hotel?" she asked me in a panic.
 

"No. Go," I waved her off.
 

"Okay," she bent down and gave me a hug. "I love you. Call me later. Sorry."

She waved and yelled her thanks to us as she ran out the door. Scarlett had her coffee and sat on a stool. "You coming to Mom's?" she asked Ryder.
 

"Nope," he said, like he always did. "I have to take Kallie to her hotel." He gave me a look, begging me not to disagree.
 

"Fine. You coming next weekend, Princess?"

"Yes," I said quietly, avoiding the look I was sure Ryder was throwing my way.
 

"Great. I'll let her know. Adam will be meeting me here tonight for dinner. You two will be here, right?"

"Maybe," Ryder told her in a tight voice. I finally met his gaze and saw the anger there.
 

"You better be," she warned her brother before going into her room.
 

We sat in silence as we listened to Scarlett shower and get ready. She finally emerged looking like she wasn't out drinking the night before. I wondered how she did it because I was sure I wasn't going to be able to pull it off today. When the door closed behind her, I braced myself.
 

"Seriously? My mom's?" Ryder growled at me.
 

I gulped. "She wanted to thank me for the wedding. What was I supposed to say? Ryder doesn't want me to meet you so go screw yourself? Even though he doesn't want to be with me, I, unreasonably, should do anything for him?"

He flinched. "Yes."

"Don't worry," I smiled at him. "I won't be nice to her."

He laughed and some of the tension in his body seemed to ease. "I don't think that's possible for you. I have a stop I need to make on the way, so let me know when you're ready to go."

Ryder left the room, and I finished my coffee. I got up and changed out of the clothes I wore last night. Today was too warm for my jeans and sweatshirt. I changed into a pair of leggings and a long-sleeved shirt that came down to my thighs. I slipped on my flip-flops and packed up my bag just in time for Ryder to come out from his room.

We drove for a short time until we came to a large barn in the middle of nowhere. Ryder parked his truck and grabbed a large box that sat between us.
 

"Coming?" he asked me.
 

I hopped out of his truck and followed him to the barn. I wasn't sure why he brought me here or what we were doing. When the doors were slid open, a slick black car sat in the center. It was a classic, dark with chrome detailing, and the top was down. I looked inside at the leather and old-fashioned gauges.
 

"Wow, it's so cool," I said. "What is it?"

"Sixty-four Mercury Comet," he told me as he placed the boxes near the hood of the car.
 

"Is it yours?"

"Yeah. I got it when I was sixteen. I thought I could drive it, but it broke down on my way home. I’ve been restoring it and fixing it up ever since."

I was impressed. I knew Ryder was a great mechanic, people were constantly asking him about car problems. Seeing something he was not just fixing, but rather making look new, was different. The leather seats were smooth and showed no wear for their age. The black paint was shiny and smooth. Ryder popped the hood and I came over to look inside.

"You're very impressive, Ryder Brooks," I smiled at him.

Ryder

Kallie walked around my baby, running her fingers on the metal. Normally, I would yell at someone for doing that, but I wanted her to. I liked watching her admire something I had spent years and all my extra money on. The car was supposed to be my ticket to freedom, but I got ripped off. I used all the money my dad had saved for my college on it.
 

"Does it run?" she asked me. Her eyes were excited, and I loved they way they were sparkling at me. I never really thought she would care about the Comet.

"Not yet," I told her, and her shoulders sagged. "I think I finally found the right carburetor for it, then it should," I said gesturing to the boxes I dropped off.
 

"I love it. Suits you," she said.
 

"Suits me? How?"

She smiled at me from across the car. "Sexy."
 

It didn't take me long to get around the long body of the car. I pulled her by the back of her neck and kissed her. I couldn't resist her most of the time, and she made it harder when I knew she didn’t want me to. Her small hands were on my chest and I broke away. I looked into her eyes and wondered why she let me do this to her.

"You deserve better," I told her.
 

"Than what?"

"Me. You should have someone that loves you, that isn't going to hurt you and push you away."

"I'll wait."

My throat closed up and my chest ached. She was stubborn and naive. Before I could argue more with her, she pulled away and was walking back to my truck. I closed and locked up Hank's barn before joining her. Kallie had turned on the radio on as I headed back to her hotel. She stuck her hand out the open window and sang along softly to the music on the way.

"What's Adam's last name?" she shouted over the music, startling me.
 

I turned down the volume, "I'm not sure. Why? You gonna run a background check on him?" I joked.
 

"Yeah." She leaned forward and turned the volume back up.
 

I didn't ask her anymore about it. She was probably serious. She was becoming protective of my sister. I knew she would do anything for her, but I just hoped Scarlett didn't find out what she was up to. She would be pissed that we didn't like him and were secretly trying to unearth some kind of damaging information.

"Do you know where an ATM would be?" Kallie asked when we reached the main strip of shops. "I want to go back to that antique store."

"Um, yeah, up here."

I pulled up to bank and pulled up to the machine. She handed me her card and gave me her pin. I withdrew more than enough for the jewelry she wanted. She shoved it in her purse and we were soon in front of her hotel.
 

"Thank you for the ride," she said. "I'll see you later tonight?"

"Yeah, I'll be there."

She grabbed her bag, and I watched her go into the revolving doors. I almost followed her up, but I needed my distance. When she was around, she flooded my senses. She was all I could see and smell. I always wanted to touch her, feel her skin, taste her. I couldn't think straight when she was around me.
 

After only a day of being with her, it ached to drive away from her. What would it feel like when she went back home again? I needed get my head back on and clear my mind of her. She was slowly wearing me down the more she was around. I could no longer keep from taking her whenever she begged.
 

I pulled up to Hank's barn again and opened the doors. I would bury myself in my work. It worked while she was away. It had kept me busy, and my mind off of her. I hoped to work on my baby, and maybe when I saw her again, I would l remember how she broke my heart. Hopefully I could keep my resolve and not crumble. If I was strong enough, I would come out of this whole thing alive.

I popped the hood of the Comet and went to work on pulling out the old parts. There wasn't much in the car that was worth keeping after it broke down seven years ago. I replaced almost every piece of the car and hoped to have it up and running any day now. I dreamed of the day when I would take her out on the road. I pictured the top down, the roar of the big block engine, and the wind blowing in my face.
 

Several hours went by without me even noticing. I stepped back and examined my work. I double-checked everything and sat in the front seat, hand on the key. Then I lost my nerve. She should be ready to start up. Everything was in place and brand-new or refurbished. If she didn't roar up at the turn of the key, I would be pissed.
 

I stepped out of the car and closed up the barn. Looking back once more, I left her waiting for me. I didn't think I was ready for the disappointment if it didn't start. Years and thousands of dollars would be down the drain. I couldn't take the heartbreak.
 

Working on the car did its job, though. I forgot about Kallie for the few hours until I was back in the truck. I could smell her shampoo mixed with the smoky smell that had clung to her this morning from the fire. I would be seeing her shortly, and I wasn't sure I wouldn't kiss her like I seemed to every time she was around.
 

Scarlett and Adam were mixing a salad in the kitchen when I walked in. They were giggling and throwing lettuce at each other. I grumbled and picked some pieces off the floor to throw away. Adam gave me a big smile that could only be fake. I waved back and jumped in the shower to wash the day away.
 

I came out to the living room just as Kallie was coming in the front door. I froze, mid-step, and took her in. Her face was pink, like she was out in the sun all day. Her hair was down and had streaks of black and teal mixed in under the blonde. She wore a pink, lace summer dress and flip-flops.
 

"Damn," Adam said. "You look hot."

"You do," Scarlett agreed. She was never the jealous type, but I wanted to punch him.

"It's gone," she huffed, dropping her bag to the counter.
 

"What?" Scarlett asked.
 

"The turquoise jewelry from Marie's in town. I went back for it, but it turns out she sold it."

Oh. "Did she tell you who she sold it to?" I asked her.
 

"No," she said, slumping on the stool. "Old quack was like a damn vault."

Scarlett and I laughed at her. She got even more worked up the more we laughed at her outburst. She was practically fuming by the time we calmed down. I walked up behind her and rubbed up and down her back, soothingly. I hated seeing her upset over anything. She pulled out the notebook they were using for the wedding planning and flipped through the pages. Doodles and lists flew by. Every page was full of drawings or writing.

"To make my day even better, I was informed that I need to attend that stupid event I was planning before I quit. My parents think it’s important I make an appearance. It's on Saturday and we leave the following Monday for Hawaii," she rambled. "I don't have time for this shit."