Secrets Whispered from the Sea - Emma St. Clair Page 0,50

which was a whole other thing I needed to consider. I think Alec would have stayed longer if he hadn’t had plans. He’d mouthed, Sorry, to me before he left. Totally bizarre.

I never would have imagined Alec coming to my rescue. He wasn’t quite a white knight, but at the very least, he did me a huge, awkward favor that I probably didn’t deserve for my bratty behavior. For that, I could be grateful.

Ish. Grateful-ish. I could have done without hearing how my ideas for a kitchen redesign were childish and impractical.

“This place looks great,” Chuck said. He met me around the side of the jeep and offered his arm. I took it, whether for old times’ sake or not to be rude, I wasn’t sure.

Definitely not because I was feeling anything for him. That much was clear from today, no matter how muddled I felt about everything else in my life.

“Can I ask you something?”

Can I stop you? “Sure,” I said.

“How long have you known Alec? You’ve been here, what—two weeks?”

I could hear the hurt in his voice. “It’s not like that,” I said, feeling my cheeks flush more from his insinuation than from the warm night air. “We can hardly stand each other. Wasn’t that clear from today?”

“No. It wasn’t. At least, on his part.”

His words, and the insinuation behind them, made my empty stomach do flips. I didn’t know why Alec chose to stay today, or why he and Chuck had such animosity. But surely, it couldn’t be what Chuck was implying.

Right?

Chuck dropped my arm to open the door for me, and I was relieved for the separation and for the rush of AC that cooled the flush still rising in my cheeks.

Dinner was comfortable. Not exciting, not romantic. Comfortable. I was surprised at how easily Chuck and I slid into what felt like an old friendship. Emphasis on the friend part.

We laughed over small talk and he told me about his recent promotion. I shared stories about Nana, somehow managing to not tear up even once, and he died laughing over my recounting of bridge with the Three Terrors, as I had decided to rename them after that night. It didn’t have the same ring to it, but for now, it would do.

Chuck had finally let the subject of Alec drop, though I swear the man wouldn’t stop circling my thoughts. Like a vulture.

The ease of our dinner disappeared in Nana’s driveway at the end of the night. I’d expected him to want to be invited up, and to have to decline. Instead, he pressed a chaste kiss to my cheek and stepped back. Way back.

“It was good to see you, Clem. I’m sorry for springing this visit on you. I should have warned you, but …” He trailed off, then clamped his mouth closed.

“But?”

He sighed, shoving his hands into the pockets of his dark jeans. “I wanted to see you with your guard down.”

The words puzzled me. “Oh?”

His eyes searched mine with an intensity and regret that made my lungs burn, as though he’d stolen the air right out from them.

“Clem, I should have broken up with you earlier.”

Now, my eyes burned too. “Wow. Not what I was expecting, but okay. Have a great trip home, Chuck.”

I started for the steps but stopped when he called my name.

“Clementine.”

I turned back, not caring that a few tears escaped. “Why did you come here? To tell me you were right to break up with me? To dig the knife in deeper?”

“No, Clem. I didn’t mean to hurt you.” He paused, licked his lips, and continued. “I’m not sure I could hurt you. And that’s the problem.”

I gestured to my face, which I knew would be blotchy and tear streaked. “You don’t think you could hurt me?”

Slowly, Chuck shook his head. “Not the way I wanted to.”

I crossed my arms. Here, I’d thought that Alec was the infuriating one. Chuck had lapped him and was now taking a victory lap.

“You wanted to hurt me?”

“That’s not what I mean. I meant that I wanted to be able to have the power to hurt you.” Chuck groaned, running his hands through his hair. “I’m doing this all wrong.”

“What are you trying to do, exactly?” I crossed my arms and leaned back against the porch rail.

“I came here to win you back! I didn’t break up with you because I wanted this to be over. I thought it might wake you up, make you realize what we had. But that’s not