Zenith in Love (Zenith Series #5) - Leanne Davis Page 0,66

a good sign that today went so well. Opening the door to his apartment, he nearly groaned in relief when he saw Kayla was already there.

He didn’t say anything but marched up to her, grabbed her and hugged her tightly to him, burying his face in her hair. Something he wanted to do all day. He hugged her. At last.

Jim opened the door three days later and his entire life blew apart. Or else it came full circle. He wasn’t sure which occurred. He dreaded the event and never really believed it would happen. Yet it did. After all these years, and all the distance and the name changes and the moves, Jim was finally located.

By his father.

There he stood at the door.

Jim closed his eyes and let it all sink in. What he feared the most in dating a rock star’s daughter had come to fruition, but not in any way he foresaw.

“You saw the footage or photos from the church shooting.” Jim’s tone was hollow.

“Jim Zavarian. Stupid choice. Yeah, Jim Sylverton, I saw some photos.”

He opened the door and waited for his world to end.

His job. His church. His standing in the community. His reputation.

And worst of all, Kayla would know.

Dropping his head, his heart broke. He never escaped. It was all an illusion. His quest for a more righteous path? His need for redemption? Not with his history. His origins. His DNA.

And the irony wasn’t lost on him that another crazy, violent psycho was the very vehicle that brought his past right there to his doorstep.

Chapter 11

KAYLA DIDN’T HEAR FROM Jim the rest of the week. She didn’t know where they left off last Sunday but she thought significant progress was being made. They seemed to cross a threshold in their relationship that he still wouldn’t label or claim. His reaction at seeing her sneak into the church scared her at first. He literally quit talking right in the middle of the sermon when he spotted her. She feared he would ask her to leave. He made a nice save by pretending his emotions were what choked him up, not her. But still…

She also feared he’d be furious. But as it turned out, he was happy to see her and have her there in the audience, in every sense of the word.

As soon as he touched her, he relaxed and fell into her like she was a lifeline. A much wanted and long deserved lifeline. There was no sex. Just talking and holding, and the quiet got deep and wonderful, but after that?

Nothing.

Not even a phone call or an answered text. Kayla sent a few cute ones. Nothing too serious or suggestive that anything special existed between them. But she got no answer of any kind and it bothered her. She thought things were going great between them. He gave her a kiss goodbye and plenty of smiles without the weird hesitation that he often struggled with.

So what could possibly be going on?

Annoyed, after days of complete silence following their best day yet together, Kayla dared to show up at his apartment after dinner. She did it before, right? When she lost the internship. She planned to play it off as simply being in town and casually dropping by to say hi. She didn’t have to advertise her rising insecurities, which were already heightened and on edge. This kind of anxiety never before happened with a guy and Kayla detested the merciless feelings that reflected her reality. Pushing the button on the elevator down hard, she pictured it being Jim’s glass lens and poking her finger through his eye just to alleviate her annoyance.

But he still didn’t answer. Setting her ear to the door, she heard nothing. Then again, he was a man who lacked a TV, and didn’t like or want any background noise. No music or podcasts for him. Too busy burying his nose in books.

She tried the doorknob but it was locked. Biting her lip, she finally reached up inside the light that was halfway down the hallway where she watched him hide the key once before leaving. Sucking in her breath, she doubted he’d like this unexpected breach of privacy and new level of intimacy. Pulling her shoulders back, she bristled at his treatment of her as if she were not even the least of his friends. She was also tired of being called a mistake in his life of perfection. She felt she’d given him enough time and understanding to figure everything