Keeping You Away - Kennedy Fox Page 0,62

room, I sit on the edge of my bed and brush my hands over my face.

Maybe coming back home was a mistake after all. The last thing I ever wanted to do was affect Gemma’s relationship or screw things up for her. It’s one reason I’ve kept my distance. While I want to tune out everything they’re saying, I can’t. They continue talking about the fight, and this time, they are loud enough that I can hear every word. It’s so hard for me to keep my opinions to myself, but I’m going to try really fucking hard because this isn’t my business.

Robert acts like I’m trying to swoop in and steal his woman, but there’s nothing between us except our past.

When I hear Gemma talk about her dad and what Robert said, I’m half-tempted to tell her to call him so we can fight this out like men. Jerry’s kindhearted and doesn’t deserve the belittling. He knows the truth about me and so does Gemma.

Fuck Robert. When I first met him, I got a bad vibe. Now, I know it was warranted.

I shouldn’t be listening.

I should leave, go for a walk, try to blow off the steam that’s somehow returned, but I don’t.

“Let me see,” Everleigh says. “Wow, he grabbed you hard.”

What the fuck? He touched her.

I stand and pace the room. It’s not my place to get involved, but if he lays a hand on her again, I will break every one of his fingers. Maybe Gemma isn’t mine, but I won’t allow Robert—or anyone—to hurt her.

“You should stay over tonight,” Everleigh suggests. “There’s no reason to be alone, plus you’ve been drinking. Just get up a little early and run home for a shower before work.”

“That’s a good idea. Might as well fill my glass to the top then.” Gemma laughs.

I hear Everleigh’s feet pad against the floor. A cabinet opens and closes, then moments later, the blender starts. After a few minutes, it’s silent, and I imagine them on the couch with strong margaritas so they can continue their conversation.

What I appreciate about Everleigh is she asks the right questions, the ones that make you think past your own biases so you can figure shit out for yourself—even to her closest friends.

I lie down with my arms crossed behind my head and stare at the ceiling for over thirty minutes. When my stomach growls, I decide to make myself something to eat since I haven’t eaten dinner.

As soon as my door opens, their conversation stops, which I’m grateful for. Too much anger streamed through me as I listened to how Robert treated Gemma.

“You two hungry?” I ask, glancing at the clock and noticing it’s almost nine.

Everleigh laughs. “I’m always hungry if you’re cooking.”

I look at Gemma. “How about you?”

Her cup is empty, and her cheeks are a rosy red. “Sure. I mean, I already ate earlier, but…”

Everleigh elbows her. “He doesn’t care about that. I always eat twice when Tyler offers to make something.”

“Seriously?” I laugh at her confession. I had no idea, though I shouldn’t be that surprised.

“Well, yeah. It’s the only reason I agreed to let you live here rent-free. Your food is like Grandma’s, and I could eat it every single day.”

That has me chuckling. I plan to prepare extra so she has some to take to work tomorrow. “What are you in the mood for? Wait, let me guess…pasta.”

“Bingo! Pasta for every meal. I swear, there’s bound to be Italian somewhere in our bloodline,” Everleigh says, but then changes the subject, considering we don’t know much about our father.

I take out the ingredients and place them on the counter, ready to get to work. I boil the noodles while I chop the chicken and whip up the homemade sauce. It doesn’t take long before the aroma from the spices and garlic bread in the oven fills the kitchen. My mouth waters in anticipation as I fill our bowls full of chicken Alfredo.

“Second dinner is served,” I call out, then place the dishes in front of them. We sit and wait for the steam to clear before digging in.

Gemma moans, and that sweet sound has me adjusting myself as memories of our time together resurface. I meet her eyes, and she blushes before quickly looking away.

“How’s business going?” I ask my sister.

Everleigh immediately perks up and gets super excited to chat about the boutique. “The mystery sale today went amazing. Next week, I think I’m gonna try an online pre-order campaign. Drum up