Chapter 13
Sydney
Lady balls were so freaking overrated.
So was snow.
I used to love the snow, but right now I hated it, because it had me trapped right here. And this was officially the last place on this planet I wanted to be.
The temps had dropped even more once evening crept in on us. I paced the length of the living room, arms folded across my chest in spite of the heat from the fire. Three more days with Kyler. I couldn’t make it.
I heard his footsteps coming up the stairwell from the basement, and I froze in front of the fireplace. My heart thumped as loudly as the wind outside. He appeared, carrying a bundle of blue tarp. Our eyes met for the briefest second, and then he headed for the door at the opposite end of the room, toward the sunroom.
“Can I help?” I asked, wincing as my voice cracked in the middle.
Surprise flickered across his stony face, and I wasn’t sure why. Sure, I was embarrassed and pissed, and “confused” should be my middle name at this point, but what had Kyler really done? I’d thrown myself at him—more than once. Asked him to fuck me like a cheap date, and he was a guy—a guy who was probably used to having sex just about every other day. Of course he was going to act on it in the heat of the moment. He hadn’t done anything wrong. If anything, he was the only one in this situation trying to do the right thing. Apparently he valued our friendship more than I did.
It was all on me.
Kyler looked away, shaking his head. “I got this. Just stay in here and keep warm.”
I watched him close the door behind him, my chest squeezing. As soon as I heard it latch, I smacked myself on the forehead. “God. I suck.”
Turning from the door, I tugged my hands through my hair and winced at the slickness. There was a good chance that his head had cleared once he’d realized I hadn’t showered this morning. The whole conserving hot water thing sucked. He’d taken a cold one this morning, and I figured I could probably take a quick one that would get the grime off.
And it would also serve as the perfect distraction.
Hurrying upstairs, I ignored the chill in the air and stripped off my clothes in the bedroom. Before I went into the bathroom, I laid out a pair of sweats and the cream-colored sweater I’d fallen in love with. I’d wanted to wear it out here, with tight jeans and boots. In the store, I had hoped that when I wore it, it would somehow trigger something in Kyler that flipped the friendship switch to “let’s get it on.”
What had my mom always said? If wishes were fishes…
Sighing, I went into the bathroom, ignoring the way my entire throat burned. I wanted to rewind the last couple of days, start all over. I couldn’t change the way I felt about Kyler. That was a lost cause, but I could’ve stayed away from the liquor at the lodge, and I could’ve kept my mouth shut afterward.
Too bad there wasn’t a rewind button on life. I’d be pressing the hell out of that.
Adjusting the water so that it was lukewarm, I stepped into the shower, wincing at the coolness under my feet. I figured keeping the water temp down would help. Without wasting time, I grabbed my shampoo and lathered up. The little cuts on my chest and stomach stung, serving as a reminder of what had happened.
Did someone really shoot out the window? Had someone been aiming for us? I shuddered as I grabbed the conditioner. I slathered it through my hair and immediately started washing it out as I grabbed the body wash and loofah. Suds were everywhere, sliding down my stomach and thighs, pooling in the basin of the tub.
I wanted to go home.
Tears filled my eyes and I squeezed them shut. I wanted to go home so bad and forget these days, but I knew how pointless that was. I would never forget those moments with Kyler.
Fuck you like a one-night stand.
That’s not what I wanted, but I would’ve accepted that. I wasn’t sure what that said about me—that I could love someone so much I’d accept whatever scrap they tossed my way. It wasn’t right. It was the epitome of weak. I knew that, but it didn’t change the fact that, if Kyler climbed into the shower right now, I’d let him do whatever he wanted. My chest hurt in a way I was slowly growing accustomed to.
Icy water sprayed me suddenly, forcing out a surprised shriek as I jumped a good foot in the air. I scrambled to the back of the tub, my feet slipping out from underneath me.
Oh no…
I lost my balance. Arms flailing, I grabbed the first thing my fingers came into contact with. The shower curtain caught my weight and for a second relief washed over me, then the tiny hooks snapped. The curtain tore and my legs went out from underneath me. I hit the slippery, soapy tub on my ass. Brittle pain spread across my tailbone as I sucked in a breath. The curtain fluttered around me, creating a weak shield against the frigid water.
The small vent in the bathroom wall stopped rattling and whatever little heat had been coming out, keeping the pipes unfrozen, disappeared.
The bathroom door swung open, slamming into the wall, and I had a wicked sense of déjà vu as Kyler burst into the room. “Sydney, what…?”
I smacked at the faucets, turning them off as I tried to keep the plastic curtain around me. Of course, it was practically see-through, because why would I expect anything else? I was going strong on humiliation.
The water trickled to a stop as I lifted my head, peering through wet, cold hair at Kyler. He was crouched by the tub, his eyes wide. “Are you okay?”
I clenched the curtain to my chest. “I think…I broke my butt.”
His lips mashed together as he looked to the side, grabbing a towel from the stack across from the toilet. “Here,” he said. “Let me help you.”
Little bumps spreads across my skin as I knocked his arm away. “I’m okay.”
“What happened?”
I shot him a withering look. “I fell.”
“I got that part.” He held up the big, dry towel.
“The water went ice cold, and I wasn’t even in the shower that long. Not even a minute,” I grumbled, trying to figure out how to get the towel without exposing everything.
Brows knitted, he reached over to the vent and put his hand in front of it. I took that moment to snatch the towel and scoot out from under the curtain. Wrapping it around my chest, I stood on shaky legs. My backside really did hurt.
“Shit,” Kyler said, standing. “I think the damn backup generator is out. Fucking great.”