Chapter Fourteen
“Second Sunday in a row I’ve found you with that frowning face. What’s on your mind now?” Caitlyn squeezed into the booth opposite her.
“Jeez. What is this? Sunday confessional?” Reena laughed but the sound came out rough, edged with hysteria.
“Nothing better than confessing over a shot of Jameson,” Caitlyn said as Ailis put a bottle and two shot glasses on the table between them. “Thanks, Ailis.”
They stayed quiet while Caitlyn poured and they downed the amber liquid. Reena winced. God that burned.
Refilling their glasses, her friend waited her out. She’d always been able to do that. Get Reena to spill her secrets just by sitting quietly, ready to listen to whatever crisis had come into Reena’s life.
Needing the courage, she knocked back the second shot and shuddered through the burn, settling when the warmth hit her belly. “He asked me to go with him.”
“Rush?”
“Yeah.” She nodded. “I said no.”
“Why the hell would you do that? You’re in love with the guy.”
Reena’s gaze snapped up, collided with the blue eyes of the woman who had been her lifeline through so much in spite of their age gap. In spite of the fact she’d started out as Reena’s babysitter, a teenager taking care of a scared, orphaned little girl barely surviving the loss of her parents.
She trusted Caitlyn. More than she trusted herself, it seemed.
Reena thought she loved him. But having never had sex, she’d wondered if those emotions could be put down to the starry-eyed confusion of a virgin giving her heart to the guy who popped her cherry.
Heat flashed through her. God, had he popped it. He’d blown that thing apart with a load of C-4. It had been the single most spectacular thing to ever happen to her. Until he’d done it again and again and again—
“I’m going to assume that flushed look on your face means you’ve sunk deep into some super-hot memories of how much ‘love’ went on between the two of you.”
Reena glanced at the smirk on Caitlyn’s mouth and more heat burned her cheeks. “Sorry.”
“Oh, no. Don’t be sorry. Never be sorry about amazing sex.”
“How do you know it was amazing?”
“Other than the flushed face, we’ve got dilated pupils, short breaths and a pair of extra-perky boobs.” Caitlyn laughed when Reena crossed her arms over said perky.
“Do you really think I’m in love with him?” she asked, apprehension dropping her belly low.
“You don’t think you are?”
Reena shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve never…”
“I get that he’s your first, and sometimes girls—women—get starry-eyed and confuse sex with love, but you’re not the type. You’re the most levelheaded woman I know. Mature beyond your years and smart. So very, very smart. Love is often blind and stupid, but take it from someone who’s been there, or thought she was a few times, you’re in love with Rush.”
“We only met last month.”
“It only takes a second to fall.”
“We don’t know each other. Not really.”
Caitlyn arched one eyebrow.
“Okay. Fine. We know enough about each other. I guess. Maybe.” Reena chewed her thumbnail. “But I live here.”
“So move.”
“I can’t—”
Caitlyn held up a hand. “Let’s try it this way. How’d it feel when you woke up alone this morning? How do you think you’ll feel when you walk into your house tonight—when you finally get up the nerve to go home to your empty house?”
God. How did Caitlyn know?
Caitlyn smiled, leaned over and covered Reena’s hand with hers. “Imagine that empty feeling for the rest of your life. Imagine not seeing him every day. Not touching him. Hearing him. Kissing him.”
“Oh god.” Reena dropped her forehead the table. “I’m in love with Rush and I let him leave.”
Caitlyn patted her head. “There you go. I’ll tell Mom you’re quitting.”
“What?” Reena snapped upright. “I can’t quit.”
“Didn’t we just have this argument?”
“It wasn’t an argument. It’s Sunday confessional, remember.” Reena smiled. The emotion welling up inside her was all consuming. Could she really do this? Uproot her life and move hundreds of miles away to be with a guy she’d only known a month? “What will I do about the house?” she murmured.
“Sell it. Rent it out. It’s a minor detail.”
God. She couldn’t believe she was thinking about doing it. “I’ll need to—” Her words were cut off by her phone. Glancing down, she saw the silly picture Rush had taken of the two of them down by the harbor lighting up her screen. “Oh.” Reena fumbled the device, almost dropped it on the floor before she managed to hit accept and bring it to her ear.
“Hi.” Her voice came out a squeak.
“You okay? Did I catch you at a bad time? I thought you were off work now?”
“No. I’m fine. I am. Off work, I mean.”
“Are you sure you’re all right?”
God, it was good to hear his voice.
Reena closed her eyes and imagined him sitting next to her asking that question. Warmth flowed through her. The heavy feeling she’d had in her chest since yesterday morning eased.
“Sabreena?” Rush snapped in her ear. “Talk to me.”
“I miss you,” she whispered.
“I miss you more, baby. God. This sucks. I’m on shift in a few minutes and all I want to do is jump in my truck and drive back to you.”
Reena smiled. “I have some good news.” She glanced over at Caitlyn.
“Tell me it’s that you’re coming to see me soon.”
“It is. How does weekend after next sound?” Could she pack up everything in that time? Probably not, but she could organize some things long distance. Like selling or renting out her house.
Caitlyn leaned over the table and whispered, “I’ll help you.”
“Is that Caitlyn?” Rush asked. “Are you still at work? I thought you said you were off now.”
“I’m still at the pub. Didn’t want to go home yet.”
“Don’t go home. Go to the airport and get the first plane up here.”
“As much as I’d love that, I can’t…but I’ll see you in less than two weeks.”
“Tell me when your plane gets into Albany and I’ll be there to pick you up.”
“Okay. I’ll let you know as soon as I confirm the details.” She had so many details to deal with.
“I gotta go.” Rush sighed. “The next two weeks are going to fucking drag.”
“I know.”
“Message me when you go to bed. I’ll take my break then so I can call and wish you good night.”
“I will. And Rush…”
“Yeah?”
“I…ah, can’t wait to see you.” She’d wanted to tell him she loved him. The words were on the tip of her tongue, except it would be better to wait until she could say it in person. “Bye.”
“Bye, Reena. Stay safe.”
The call disconnected and she lowered the phone from her ear.
She stared at Caitlyn. “Oh god. Am I really doing this?”
“Yes!” Caitlyn held out Reena’s refilled shot glass. “A toast.”
Reena took her glass and waited.
“To the wild rush of love.” Caitlyn grinned at her creative use of Rush’s name.
Reena rolled her eyes, clinked their glasses and threw back the shot. The whiskey burned, shuddering warmth spreading through her chest as it made its way to her stomach. God. That was number three. She’d have to eat something before she attempted to walk home.
The last thing she needed was to stumble home drunk. Then again, it might not be the alcohol giving her this giddy feeling. Maybe Caitlyn was right. Maybe it was the wild rush of love.