Chapter 15 - Part 2

                                    

                                          
A knock at the door startled her.
"I'm nearly done," she mumbled, and she quickly tried to cover up her mini meltdown. 
She opened the door and found Karsyn waiting outside. 
"Sorry." She made a move to walk past him, but he stepped into her path. It felt like no matter where she was, he was always there.
"You okay?" he murmured, reaching to touch her cheek. 
She moved back to stop him from touching her. "I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?"
There was no way she was going to admit to him that she had cried a little over his little brother.
"I can tell when you've been crying."
She swallowed, refusing to look up to his inquiring gaze.
"Who made you cry, Jess?" His voice was so soft and concerned that she looked up at him.
"Girls sometimes cry for no reason at all." She shrugged. His hand reached to touch hers, but she moved it away. "Don't."
She had too much going on to add him into the equation as well. Besides, what did it matter? Once she revealed the secret she held, it wouldn't matter anyway. 
"It's difficult to be around you and not feel the way I do," he whispered. 
She crossed her arms, refusing to allow him to draw her back in. That was what he did—he would tempt her back only to push her away again. It had happened so many times it was like a reflex. Maybe he even did it without realizing.
"When it counted, you didn't feel enough," she shot back, determined not to allow him to walk all over her like a doormat. 
He surprised her by smiling, the type that typically would have made her go to mush, but this time it didn't have the same effect. "You're right." He ran his hand through his hair. "I'm not on form tonight and being here just seems to be pissing my brother off."
Myles was being complicated, and she didn't know how to do deal with him. Their friendship and closeness had always been easy, but this moody side of Myles wasn't something she was used to.
"Same." She sighed, dropping her arms to her side. "If I could have, I would have left earlier."
He cocked his head to the side and studied her. "I can take you home."
She frowned at him.
"No, not in that way. Just a lift back to the house." He held his hands up in surrender. "I promise to behave."
She should say no, but she didn't. The last thing she felt like was going back outside and dealing with Myles. She was emotionally and physically tired. 
"Fine, as long as you keep your hands to yourself," she told him, and he nodded. 
He followed her down the passage and to the kitchen. She hesitated when she saw Myles through the window talking to the same girl who had been flirting with him earlier. Any intention of telling him she was leaving vanished and she turned back to Karsyn, who was watching her carefully.
"I'm ready to leave when you are."
He raised an eyebrow but nodded. "Let's go."
She followed him out, determined she was doing the right thing. She would message Myles on the way back to the house.
Karsyn opened the passenger door and waited for her to get in before he closed the door behind her. He jogged around the front and got into the driver's side as she got her phone out of her purse and began to message Myles.