The Do-Over (The Rooftop Crew #5) - Piper Rayne Page 0,61
looking for her, watering that seed of doubt inside me. Is Knox really over Leilani?
Chapter Twenty-Six
Knox
After searching the entire bar, I question whether Kamea really saw Leilani. How could she vanish that quickly? Returning to the table, I take the chair next to Kamea. Thankfully, the conversation is on Blanca and Ethan’s wedding, and since they’re all distracted, I can ask Kamea what happened.
“When did you see her?”
She sips her drink. “A minute or so before you wrapped your arms around me.”
I note that she’s not looking directly at me. “And what did she say?”
She shrugs. “Just that these girls aren’t real friends. Made me feel like shit about her running away in high school and me not going with her.” Her eyes flicker across the table. “Evan heard everything.”
I glance over my shoulder where Evan seems to be recounting the entire conversation to Seth. He shoots me a look to say “fuck, man.”
My thoughts exactly. Because if it was only a minute before I arrived, that means Leilani now knows I’m with Kamea. And although I don’t give a shit what Leilani thinks, it could be why Kamea is presently a damn ice sculpture.
“I told her to keep the money and we’re even.” Kamea sucks back a large part of her drink.
“You what?” I yell. The group looks at me, so I lower my voice. “Why would you do that?”
“Because I don’t care about the money. All I care about is that she’s out of my life.”
I reach for her hand and she allows me to hold it, but even after I squeeze it, it lays limp. “True. That’s true. We want her out of our life.” I slide closer and kiss her cheek.
“I do, but do you?” she asks.
“Hey. Come with me.” I stand and tug her up by her hand. “Grab your jacket.” I look at our group. “We’ll be back.”
They all nod as if they weren’t eavesdropping.
I never let Kamea go as I guide us out of the crowded bar. Once we’re by the riverfront, I lead us down the path away from the bar, hoping like hell Leilani doesn’t show up. If I’m going to make progress with Kamea, I need Leilani far, far away.
“You ran after her,” Kamea says before I have a chance to say anything.
“Because we’ve been looking for her. You need your money.”
“Your face. Your eyes. You wanted to see her.” She sits on a bench as though she doesn’t have the energy to continue on.
“I don’t want her. I only went after her because she owed you money and I was going to get it back for you.”
Her stiff body language says she doesn’t believe me, and I have no idea how to convince her. I fist my hands at my sides.
Kamea says, “I’ve never had the self-confidence I should, but being with you, it was growing. But every time her name comes up or I have to hear how heartbroken you were over her, all those doubts creep in.” She stands and goes to the concrete ledge that overlooks the river.
I follow and place my hand on her back. Leilani fucked with my life long enough. I’m not going to allow her to fuck this up for me. “I like you. I’m with you.”
“Out of default?” She looks at me for a moment before looking back at the river.
“How could you think that? I wasn’t planning on falling for you. But everything about you—”
“Is it because I look like her?” she spits out before I can finish.
“God, no. And you don’t, by the way. You don’t look like her at all. But if you have to know”—she opens her mouth and I put my finger to her lips with the hopes she doesn’t snap it away—“let me finish this.”
She nods.
“I fell for the woman you are in here.” I place my hand over her heart. “Don’t get me wrong, you’re beautiful, gorgeous face, a total knockout, but it’s the way you are with people. Your kindness. The fact that you’ve allowed my friends to bombard their way into your life. How you let me snuggle close to you when we sleep. The way you run your fingers through my hair and down my cheeks. That you ask me how my day was and actually remember the things I told you. How you were ready to let my mom feed you olives and cheese and act like it’s a damn meal.”