“Your brother doesn’t like him.”
“Oh, and he’s the authority on relationships. He still can’t break up with Amber even though they both know it’s over.”
“Well, apparently she’s a freak in bed.”
“So am I. I sometimes read while I watch Netflix. What’s your point?”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“I know what you meant, Joshua. I just don’t want to think about my brother naked and getting it on with someone, thank you.” I wrinkled my nose up and locked my phone without replying to Elliott. I’d text him back later on when I was alone. “It’s eleven, and I have to open the store in an hour. We should break for lunch.”
Josh grunted, but he didn’t elaborate on that.
I rolled my eyes. “Or you can leave and I’ll eat a nice, peaceful lunch without you.”
It was his turn to roll his eyes. “You go get lunch and I’ll keep moving these around. I’ll mark the boxes, too.”
“Fine. What do you want?”
“Where are you going?”
“Sandwich shop.”
“Steak sub with lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and mayo.”
I stared at him.
“Please.”
“Thank you.” I spun on my heel and left him alone in the storeroom to get on with it.
I grabbed my purse and phone and let myself out of the Fort Bookworm door—I’d never be able to call it anything else now—and basked in the fresh air for a moment. It was so strange to be in such close quarters with Josh like this.
Not like we’d never spent time together before, but something had changed between us. It was back to that gray area I couldn’t pinpoint, and I knew there would be a conversation sooner rather than later.
We had to figure out what was going on so we could figure everything out, because this couldn’t continue for very long.
And for him to use Colton as an excuse for why his mood went to shit after Elliott texted me…
Well, it was at the top of the list for things that were pissing me off.
By the time I’d been in the sandwich shop, ordered, waited, collected our order, and walked back down the street to the bookstore, I was all kinds of worked up.
I’d totally thought myself into a corner. I was pissed at his behavior, pissed at his attitude, and pissed at his all-around vagueness when he was the reason I was going on these dates that he seemed to have a real problem with.
There were only two solutions to this.
He saw me as a little sister, the way I thought he always had, or Saylor was right and Joshua Carter had feelings for me.
But I would be damned if I was going to wait any longer to find out the answer to that question.
Never mind that I’d only been seriously asking it for fifteen minutes, I was done.
Ever since he’d stood at my front door and told me that he was happy my date had gone badly, I’d had too many questions I’d ignored and pushed under the rug, and I was about to pick up that rug and shake it all out.
Then, and only then, could I keep my sanity about me.
I entered into Fort Bookworm, paused to relock the door, and carried the food out into the storeroom.
“Oh, good, you’re back. The phone rang, and—”
“What’s your problem?”
Josh stilled, surprise flashing in his eyes. “What?”
“I said, what’s your problem?”
“Jesus, what happened at the sandwich shop?”
I dumped the bag along with my purse and stood with my hands on my hands. “I got abducted by aliens and thought I’d come in with an attitude problem.”
“Seems reasonable.” He put the multi-tool down and crossed over to me. “Is it still hot?”
“Why don’t I choke you with it and you can find out?”
“Whoa, whoa.” He stopped mid-stride and held up his hands. “Kinsley, what’s the matter?”
“You. You’re the matter.”
“Words no guy ever wants to hear from an angry woman,” he muttered. “What did I do?”
“Everything!”
“Well, I’m sorry?”
“Damn it, Josh!” I stepped forward and shoved his chest. “What’s your problem? Did I do something? Did I not do something? What could I have done to make you make this all so hard for me?”
Unfazed by my uncharacteristic show of aggression, he merely steadied himself and blinked at me. “I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Yes, you do. Me dating. You offered to find me dates, but you’re happy one failed and then when one goes well you’re pissed off about it. The literal opposite of what you’re supposed to be feeling. What’s your damn problem?”
His eyes darkened, and he shook his head. “Doesn’t matter.”
“To who? It matters to me, because you’re driving me insane. You don’t like the revealing dress,” I said, ticking it off on my fingers. “You were happy when I didn’t wear it. You were glad that date went badly. You were happy when I said I didn’t like Elliott. You were super pissed when I went out with him, and you were just super pissed when he texted asking for another date. So I’ll ask you one more time, what’s your damn problem?”
He said nothing. He cricked his neck, looking away from me, and swallowed so hard his Adam’s apple bobbed violently.
“Because Saylor thinks you have feelings for me. She’s adamant you do, but that can’t be possible, can it? Because I’m your best friend’s kid sister and that’s it. Nothing more.”
“Stop trying to bait me into fighting with you, Kinsley. It’s not going to work.” His jaw ticked to the contrary.
“No, I want you to fight with me. Go on. Answer me. If she’s wrong, it’s not an issue, is it?”
He said nothing.
Nothing.
Nothing.
Oh, my God.
My heart jumped into my throat and lodged itself there until I thought I would choke on it.
No. He wasn’t getting out of this.
“Tell me she’s fucking wrong, Josh!”
“I can’t!” The words burst from him in a yell, and he stared at me like I’d just sucker-punched him in the gut. “I can’t tell you she’s fucking wrong, Kinsley, because she’s fucking not.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
