Free Finding June by Caitlin Kerry Page B

long day for you.” Always so considerate. Damn him.
    “Yep,” was my single note reply. I didn’t say anything else as I stacked glasses.
    “Well, luckily for you I’m a super quick and efficient closer, so we should be out pretty fast. Hey, maybe want to grab a drink after work? Worked up a bit of a thirst after that dance,” Reece said with an upbeat tone in his voice.
    “No, I’m good.” I kept my tone as even as possible. I grabbed the glasses and walked away, for once leaving him standing there with nothing to say.
    It died down pretty fast and soon the one table in the restaurant left as I finished cleaning. After Steve locked the doors, I cashed out and realized I had made a ton of money. Even for my shitty attitude, I was still able to fake it. I grabbed my purse and my car keys; it was almost midnight and I was ready to be home. I heard Reece behind me as Steve finished turning off the lights.
    “Here, let me walk you to your car,” Reece stated as he grabbed his coat. All I wanted was to escape the tension he was oozing.
    I spun around. “No, I’m fine. I can get to my car perfectly fine by myself.”
    Reece gave me a slightly annoyed look.
    “You just made a ton of money, I am not letting you walk to your car alone with all that cash. Anyone could come and take you out.” His considerate ways, for some reason, were really starting to get to me. I didn’t need to be looked out for. I was a big girl who could take care of herself.
    I sighed, knowing I would lose this battle, and figured the quicker I got into my car the faster I could get away from this weird ass night.
    “Fine,” was all I said as I went out the back door, not waiting for him. He quickly caught up and we both silently walked to my car across the parking lot. I unlocked it as he stood there, staring at me. “With you walking me, I made it to my car unmugged. I guess this is the time I praise you with thanks for being my prince charming?” I said with slight anger in my voice. I wasn’t even sure where it was coming from, but there was no way to take it back now, so I went with it. He simply smiled and there was a slight pause.
    “What?” I asked as I turned to face him.
    “Just want to make sure you get in your car and started.”
    I grew more annoyed as each second passed and he stared at me with those intense green eyes. I got in and started the ignition; Lana Del Rey’s “Summertime Sadness” boomed out of the speakers.
    He had a smirk on his face when he said, “Even your car is mocking you.”
    “What the hell does that mean?” I was done with being annoyed and had moved to full out anger.
    Reece sighed. “June, we had a great night. Suddenly you get all pissy toward me and I didn’t even do anything. We were having fun, doing something in the moment, but then you got angry about it. Why are you pushing me away?”
    I gave him the most evil glare I could muster after working a ten-hour shift. I was seriously on my last thread and he was pretty damn close to making me go off the edge.
    “Who gives you the right to pass judgment on me?” I spat out.
    Unfortunately, he wouldn’t let me off easily. I was standing in the doorway to my car when Reece put both of his hands on either side of me, caging me in. “Why, June, why are you pushing me away?”
    I gulped as I tried to make eye contact. I had to do something about this situation; I couldn’t have Reece thinking this was anything more than friendship. I knew the words I was about to say were going to be a lie and I needed him to believe it. “I don’t want you.” I had no idea if I thought saying the words out loud would make me believe it, but for the sake of myself, I had to say it.
    Reece leaned in further. “You need to admit it.”
    “Admit what?”
    “Admit it, June. You’re scared, and not just of me, but of what we could become. You’re scared of the unknown, and you cover it with sarcasm or acting like you don’t care. Don’t let fear be