Bring It On - Kira Sinclair Page 0,57

it.

She had her own life, her own identity, and she refused to give it up. This was the right decision for her.

A tiny voice in the back of her brain said you thought that about Wyn once, too. But she ignored it.

Slipping both rings off her finger, she shoved them deep into her pocket. Past and present hidden away. She probably should give the band back to Marcy, but she wouldn’t.… Couldn’t. Picking up the envelope, Lena tucked it under her arm and headed for the dock and the journey to the rest of her life.

Whatever that might hold.

14

SHE’D BEEN HOME FOR A WEEK. In that time, she’d managed to avoid her family and had formally quit her job. Mr. Rand had tried to get her to stay, and part of her had been tempted. Fear of the unknown almost made her accept his offer.

It felt wrong to be cut adrift with no real direction. She’d worked so hard to become successful. She’d even held two jobs to put herself through college.

For the first time since she’d turned sixteen, Lena had no responsibilities. No boss waiting for her to come in. No rush projects that would require all-nighters.

And she almost wished that she had. Being busy might have helped keep her mind off Colt. She wondered what he was doing and if he missed her. Probably not, he was out in the middle of the rain forest living his dream.

She slept late and unpacked. Once or twice she wandered the city like a tourist, seeing the sites she’d never made time to visit. Finding another job was high on her list of priorities, but she decided to put it off for a few weeks. Mr. Rand had offered her a generous severance package, which meant she had some breathing room.

Since the decision to push Colt out of her life had been hers, it seemed stupid to mope. But it was difficult not to. One day after quitting, Lena pulled out the bin of jewelry supplies she’d stuck deep in the back of her closet. Dust fluttered to the ground when she popped open the lid.

Semiprecious jewels, crystals, beads, gold wire and silver stared back at her like long-lost friends.

The first night she didn’t stop until her stomach growled and her fingers were so sore she could barely continue the next morning. But she did anyway.

By the end of the fourth day she had an array of necklaces, earrings, bracelets and rings. Things she was proud of. She had no idea what to do with them, but she’d figure that out.

She’d figure out a way to make this a part of her life. Lena was through sacrificing pieces of herself. She enjoyed making jewelry and that was all that mattered. Even if she couldn’t find a way to support herself with it, she wouldn’t ever pack it away again.

A knock on the door startled her, causing her to drop a pair of small pliers, which clattered to the tabletop, scattering a handful of the peacock-blue beads she’d been working with.

Grumbling under her breath, Lena chased after them. She was ass up with her head as far under the couch as it could go when a deep voice sounded behind her. The back of her head cracked against the wooden edge of the couch frame. Adrenaline burst through her body. Holding her splitting head, she fell into a heap on the floor and managed to spin around at the same time.

Wyn was the last person she expected to find staring down at her sprawled body.

“What are you doing here? How the hell did you get in?”

Holding a shiny gold key in front of his face he said, “I came by to return this.”

“And thought you’d use it one more time?”

“You didn’t answer.” His eyes shifted around the apartment, looking everywhere but at her. “I was worried about you.”

He’d thought she’d be inconsolable. Or worse that she’d hurt herself. She could see it in his eyes, the sheepish realization that he’d jumped to the wrong conclusion. He probably would have preferred it if she had been comatose with despair.

“Don’t flatter yourself, Wyn. I’m hardly a candidate for suicide watch because you slept with my cousin.”

He shifted from one foot to the other and Lena realized he was nervous. Or maybe uncomfortable was a better word. Good.

Pushing up from the floor, Lena dropped the few beads she’d managed to find back onto the table. She and Wyn stared at each other, both at a