Free 0986388661 (R) by Melissa Collins Page B

Kelsey’s tirade. “You’re obviously busy.”
    Kelsey steps in front of me, a smug look of satisfaction spreading across her face. Over her shoulder, I see Grace moving further away from us. My good conscience is momentarily torn between the two of them.
    I can’t leave Kelsey here. She’s too drunk to take care of herself and it’s too late to leave her to get home safely.
    I can’t let Grace walk home alone.
    And the truth is, I don’t want to let her go.
    “Grace!” I yell out, making her stop in her tracks. “Wait,” I add, jogging toward her. Glancing backward, I see Kelsey standing there, arms pitched to her hips, toe tapping a furious beat in front of her. “It’s most definitely not what it looks like,” I defend even though she hasn’t accused me of anything. “She’s drunk. I can’t leave her alone. Give me five minutes and I’ll walk you home.”
    Grace scans my face, searching for some hint of truth, some sign that I’m not bullshitting her. “Fine,” she relents. “I’ll wait over here though.” Grace walks over to a table and chairs set up outside the bar.
    Gathering my thoughts, I walk over to Kelsey, who still hasn’t cooled off much. “What is she still doing here?” Like a five-year-old throwing a tantrum of epic proportions, she points a finger over at Grace, who’s doing nothing more than sitting there minding her own business.
    “She’s waiting for me to get rid of you,” I ground out through clenched teeth. Pulling her toward the curb, I hail a cab. Luck is most definitely on my side when one slides up to the curb almost as soon as my hand is in the air. As I open the door, I say, “You need to get home. Sober up.”
    “What the hell, David?” she shrieks.
    “Look, Kelsey,” I say, keeping my eyes fixed on hers. “I said it inside before. This”—I gesture between us—“is not going to work. It never worked before. And yeah, it was wrong of me to lead you on, but I’m not doing that anymore.”
    With an angry huff, Kelsey points over my shoulder. “Because of that slu–”
    “Don’t go there, Kelsey,” I admonish sternly. “Stop yourself now, before you say something you regret.” Ushering her into the cab, I add, “Get home safely.”
    The door slams with a loud thud and as the cab pulls away, I catch a glimpse of Kelsey sitting in the back seat, her face contorting in all sorts of anger.
    Taking a deep breath, I make my way back over to Grace. I can tell she’s trying her best to avoid looking like she’s been watching the entire exchange. Kelsey puts on quite a show and Grace isn’t sitting too far from where we were. I know she had to have overheard some of it.
    “Hey,” I say, sliding into the chair next to her. “I’m sorry about that.”
    Waving her hand in front of her, she says, “Don’t worry about it. I shouldn’t have–”
    “Don’t.” Reaching for her flailing hand, I stop short of actually touching her. The realization that I have no right to touch her halts my movements. The knowledge that I want nothing more than to touch her hits me with a force so strong, I fear I might fall out of my seat.
    Her hand drops to the table and she looks at me. Her eyes show her confusion, and maybe more than a touch of anger. “Don’t what? Think I was a fool for coming here?” Shooting up from her chair, she mutters, “I’m going home.”
    This time, I can’t stop myself from touching her. “Grace,” I call out, wrapping my fingers around her tiny wrist. Her skin is so soft, silky even. It takes more strength than I would have thought not to run my hands up the length of her arm, even if only to see how quickly I could cause goose bumps. Her eyes search my face yet again. Instead of anger, this time all I see is embarrassment. Wanting nothing more than to erase what she’s just seen, I admit, “I’m glad you came here.”
    “You are?” Her voice takes on this hushed yet surprised quality.
    “Yeah, look,” I explain. Extending