Every Little Piece - By Kate Ashton Page 0,38

and I can’t help but admire the lean strength of his chest and body. I ache for him, and emotions stir in my heart that has been numb for so long. He looks more like a man than the high school boy I remember, and I don’t like the increase of my pulse. He notices me and stares not with judgment but with question. Heat burns my face, and I feel like a hooker on some sort of street corner. I can’t help my knee jerk reaction.

“What the hell? Are you that hard up you have to spy on a girl kissing her boyfriend?” I cringe at the bitterness that creeps into my tone and words. I didn’t realize those feelings were there, laying dormant under the nice, numb surface I’ve created.

Tate raises an eyebrow, but I glare at him. He stays out of it.

Seth puts his hands up, palms out. “Sorry. I was hunting down more coffee. I didn’t realize this was a full service restaurant.”

I gasp. His underlying insult feels like a slap. Tate jumps to his feet and stands next to me, ready to protect me. He’s a little shorter than Seth but has more muscle. I put a hand on his arm letting him know I’ve got this. I bite my tongue, refusing to play Seth’s game. Instead, I stare him down, drawing upon my ability to freeze out emotion and feel nothing. I’ve had a year to become an expert.

He reacts and steps back. His fury is evident by the way he whirls around, goes back the way he came and lets the back door of the restaurant slam behind him.

A resounding ache flashes through my chest.

Tate reaches for my hand and squeezes. “Haley.” His voice is soft but determined.

I pull my hand away. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

He runs his hand through his hair, then lets his arm drop. This is a motion I’ve grown accustomed to in the past six months. Frustration with my unwillingness to delve into certain topics.

“You can’t run forever. You can’t run from him forever.”

I change my tactic and walk my fingers up his arm. I lower my voice. “Why not?”

He grabs my hand and pulls it off of him. His eyes close, and he takes a breath. “I’m sorry, Haley. I can’t be this for you. Not right now. Not unless you’re ready to deal with things.”

I know what he means by things, and I can’t believe he’s saying this. “What? Just because my past struts back into town? That’s not my fault. I don’t want him here. I want you.”

The truth in his eyes chases away my confidence. The one problem with dating someone who knows your past: I can lie to him all I want, but I’m not sure he’s ever believed me when it came to Seth. I tell him and myself that it was a high school fling and one I don’t care about anymore.

He draws me into a hug. “I care about you too much. I don’t know how much more I can handle this. You can’t live in this void forever.”

My voice sounds muffled against his chest. “You’re breaking up with me?”

He sighs. “Technically, no. But, I won’t be here forever. You need to decide.” He kisses my cheek. “Take a few days and then we’ll talk.”

I panic.

He squeezes my hand and taps the phone in his back pocket. “I’m here for you. For now. Just call.” Then he leaves.

I storm back into the restaurant. I lost my boyfriend because Seth caught us kissing? Give me a break.

Katie is at my back, asking questions. “Who is she? Why are you mad?” She won’t stop but I don’t answer any of them. I can’t. Words have left me. I thought for sure that after a year of not seeing her, of trying not to think about her, that she wouldn’t still have this effect on me. The vow I made to her in sixth grade that I was going to marry her, rooted in my heart and won’t let go. But then that night returns all over again, and the reason I can’t be with her.

Because if she ever learned the truth, she’d hate me forever.

I walk out through the front and let this door slam too.

“I thought I was applying for a job here?” Katie tugs at my sleeve.

“No way.” I take her arm and stride past all the other beach stores and inns. I don’t look. Jamie, Carter and