Broken Pieces (Cape Isle, #3): A Cape Isle Novel (6 page)

Making my way through town I pull up in front of the bakery. She should be getting off in about thirty minutes, so I figure I'll just wait on her and we can grab a bite to eat when she's done.

When I walk in, I see she has a line of customers at the register. I sit down at one of the tables by the front window and watch as she smiles at each person, while taking their orders. I know this is probably not what Lexie had in mind for her dream job, but she's good at it. She's a people person and I don't think she's ever met someone that didn't instantly like her.

“Hey, handsome,” she calls over to me, when she finally has a break in customers.

I smile and stand up, making my way over to her. Leaning over the counter, I kiss her cheek.

“Hey, Angel,” I whisper against her skin. If anyone were to see us, they would think our interaction was normal. We've always had a close relationship and I've always kissed her cheek, but it feels different today. When I pull away and look at Lexie's eyes, I know she feels the difference too.

She smiles widely and clears her throat. “What can I get you?” she asks.

“Just a coffee. I was wondering if you wanted to go have dinner when you got off?”

She quirks an eyebrow at me and smirks. “Three nights in a row. Aren't you tired of me yet?”

I smile in return and shake my head. “Never.”

She rings up my order and fixes my coffee, before sliding it over to me.

“I'm going to walk across the street to the parts store. I'll be back before six.” I slide some bills into the tip jar that's sitting on the counter.

She nods her head and starts wiping down the counter. “Sounds good.”

Grabbing my coffee, I make my way across the street. The thought occurred to me earlier that Lexie only has one small lock on her front door. I don't know why I have never given it much thought before, but now it bothers me. She lives alone and, while our town is pretty safe, it would be very easy to kick in her front door. Also, now that I know about her ex being insane, I'm even more worried. She'll probably be pissed that I'm buying new locks, but she'll get over it.

Twenty minutes later, I'm back across the street and sitting at a table while Lexie and Jenna close up.

“What do y'all have planned tonight,” Jenna asks me, while cleaning the display case.

I shrug my shoulders and look over at Lexie. She is counting down the register and not paying any attention to our conversation.

“Dinner at Brock's Seafood probably. It's up to Lexie, but I'm sure that's what she'll pick.”

She looks at me and smiles, as she drops her voice to a whisper. “Are you finally going to tell her?” she asks.

My head snaps towards Lexie and then back to Jenna. “What?”

“Don't play dumb with me. I've only been in this town for about a year and even I can see how much you love that girl. So, tell her already because she is obviously blind.”

I rub my hand roughly across my jaw, as I contemplate her words. I mean I wasn't exactly hiding my feelings all of these years, I just never came right out and said it. It makes me wonder how Lexie never saw it. Is she choosing not to or is she really that blind?

“Maybe,” I say, trying to avoid this conversation. I like Jenna and she seems like a really sweet girl, but I need to talk to Lexie, before I talk to anyone else about us.

“Alright, I'm ready. You done Jenna?” Lexie asks, as she makes her way towards my table.

“Yep. Let's go.” Jenna grabs her purse off of the counter.

I stand up and walk towards the door, holding it open for both of them to walk through. Jenna looks up at me as she passes. “Good Luck.”

I'm probably going to need it.

The girls say goodbye to each other and Jenna walks to her car, giving us a wave over her shoulder.

“Want to just ride with me and we can pick up your car later?” I ask.

She nods her head and I put my hand on her lower back, as I lead her over to my truck opening the passenger door and helping her up.

I look over at Lexie as I climb in and notice how tired she looks. She has her head laid back against the headrest and her eyes are shut.

“Hey,” I say quietly to get her attention.

Her eyes flutter open and she rolls her head over, so they she is looking at me. “Hey,” she replies with a soft smile.

That smile takes my breath away and it takes me a second to remember what I was going to say. “We don't have to go to dinner if you don't want to. Would you rather do it another night instead?” I ask.

She shakes her head. “No, I would rather eat with you than eat alone, but I am really tired. Do you mind if we eat at your house or mine?”

“Sounds good. You still want to ride with me or do you want to bring your car?” I ask.

“I'll ride with you. We can get my car sometime later.”

I nod my head and crank my truck. “Mind if I stop and pick up Lady on the way to your house? She’ll probably enjoy playing with Duke.”

“You know I don't mind,” she responds with another soft smile.

Shit.

I have to stop looking over at her or I'm going to wreck the damn truck.

* * *

We walk into Lexie's house and Duke comes bounding towards the front door. Lexie gives him some attention before letting them both outside into the large fenced-in back yard.

“Let them run off some energy,” she says as she walks back towards the refrigerator.

“Beer or wine?” she asks.

“Beer for me, please.”

She hands me my drink before uncorking the red wine and pouring herself a large glass.

“Busy day?” I ask, walking towards her.

“Yeah. With Summer on her honeymoon, it's just me and Jenna.”

I walk up behind her and set my beer down on the counter. I place my hands on her shoulders and rub. I dig my hands into the tight muscles, trying to get her to relax. She moans and drops her head forward.

“Oh, that feels good.”

I keep going until I finally feel her start to loosen up.

“Better?” I ask, as I drop my hands away from her and pick up my drink.

She nods her head and turns around to look up at me.

“Yes. Thank you.”

She boosts herself up on the counter and swings her legs back and forth.

“Dinner?” I ask.

“I'll make pasta, if you will talk,” she responds.

“What do you want me to talk about?” I ask.

“Why you wouldn't have sex with me last night and what in the hell we are doing here,” she says bluntly, motioning between us.

Well, shit. I guess this is going to happen sooner rather than later.

Chapter Seven

Lexie

I
WATCH AS
Z
ACK RUNS
his hand along his scruffy jaw. He does this when he's nervous, but why is he nervous to talk to me? We've always shared everything with each other. Why do I get the feeling that's not true now?

“Alright, you start on the pasta. I'm going to fix your door and then we'll talk,” he finally says, after a long moment of silence.

“Fix my door?” I ask, raising an eyebrow in question.

He takes a drink of his beer and nods his head. “You need more locks.”

“What? I need more locks?”

“Just let me do this. Please?”

Whatever. If putting more locks on my door is what he wants to do, that's fine. My dad has been on me about that since I moved in over a year ago anyway.

“Whatever you need to do,” I say dismissively, waving a hand in the direction of my front door. I jump down off of the counter and start getting everything I will need for the pasta out of the cabinet and I hear him sigh before he walks away.

I'm not mad. I'm frustrated that he just won't talk to me. I know he can feel my frustrations, but all he has to do is freaking talk. I start filling the pot up with water when I hear him come back into the kitchen. I watch him as he lays a paper bag down on the counter and walks towards me.

His hand covers mine and he turns the water off, before picking me up off of the ground. I squeal and hold on to his shoulders, as he carries me towards the living room.

“What are you doing?” I ask in shock.

He sits down on the couch and places me in his lap. He pulls me close to his body and wraps an arm around my waist, while his other hand moves the hair off of my face.

“The locks can wait. I don't like it when you're mad at me, Angel,” he says with a serious expression.

I squeeze his shoulder and shake my head. “I'm not mad about the locks. I'm frustrated because you won't talk to me.”

He stares into my eyes for a second, before taking a deep breath. “I'm not sure how this is going to go and I don't want to screw us up,” he whispers.

He sounds so vulnerable. I've never heard him like this before and I don't like it—I don't like that I've made him feel this way.

“Just trust me,” I respond.

“Oh, Angel, I do. I trust you more than anyone in the world.”

I continue to stare at him. I'm not going to make him open up to me. That's his decision.

Finally, after what feels like hours, he opens his mouth and begins to talk.

“I love you, Lexie,” he says quietly.

“I love you too, Zack,” I respond. It's true, I love him. It's not the first time I've told him that.

“No,” he shakes his head. “Listen to me. I'm in love with you, Lexie.”

Wait, what? I open my mouth to respond, but nothing comes out, so I snap it closed.

He studies my face and nods his head. “Yeah. I've been in love with you for as long as I can remember and I still fall for you more every day.”

“But you've dated other women. Why have you never told me how you felt?” I ask on a shocked whisper.

“Do you see how badly you're freaking out right now? Imagine me just telling you this out of the blue. I may have taken other woman on dates Lexie, but think back. Have I ever had an actual relationship? I can promise you that there hasn't been a day that I ever stopped wanting you and you haven't gotten out of my head at all since I first met you.”

“I'm not freaking out,” I protest, but I am. How have I never noticed that he treated me differently? I thought we were just really close friends. God, I feel stupid.

“You are,” he replies.

“Zack, we were ten when we met. It has been almost twenty years.”

He gives a solemn nod and watches my face closely.

Shit. I'm going to cry. I never cry, but right now I'm going to cry. He must see it coming because he cups the back of my head and lowers it to his shoulder. I bury my face in his neck and let a few silent tears fall.

“Angel, please don't cry. I didn't tell you I love you to hear you say it back. I just needed you to know,” he whispers into my ear.

“You never said anything. Why didn't you tell me? You are my best friend.”

“And that is the exact reason. I don’t want to lose you. I didn't know if you could or did feel the same way. I couldn't risk not having you in my life, even if it was just in a friendly way.”

I kiss the side of his neck softly and breathe in his scent. I can feel his heart pounding under my hand where it is resting on his chest. I lift my head and look at him.

“So, what changed now?” I ask.

He reaches up and wipes my tears. “Like you pointed out, it's been almost twenty years. I figured it was time. If you don't feel the same way that's fine, but one way or another, I have to move on, Lexie. I can't keep living my life like this. I've wanted to tell you for so long, but it was never the right time.”

I stare into his beautiful eyes. He looks so nervous. I know telling me this is hard. I take a minute to really think about how I want to respond. There isn't a reset button in life. You can't take anything back, and you can't undo anything. All of your actions have consequences, and the things I say or do right now will have a lasting impact on my life. Either way, my friendship with Zack is going to change. I think back on all of the years we've known each other. How did I never see how he really felt?

I run my hand up his chest and rest it on the side of his neck. I touch him so easily. Nothing has ever been forced with us. I decide right then to stop thinking so much, and just go where my heart takes me. My heart choses Zack and I think it has for a while now. I just never knew that it was an option.

“Okay,” I whisper.

His eyes widen in shock for a second before closing in relief. He pulls me closer to him and kisses my neck. He pulls back and opens his eyes, staring into mine. “Okay?” he asks.

Instead of answering him, I lean forward and lay my lips against his. He quickly takes over, his hand moving into my hair and holding me against his mouth. My lips part on a sigh and he slips his tongue inside as he tilts my head and takes the kiss deeper. Our mouths move together in sync, his tongue meeting mine stroke for stroke, and I can feel his hardness growing under me, my own wetness between my legs. He breaks away from my mouth and kisses down my neck.

“Do you really want this, Angel? Do you really want a relationship with me?” he asks. His voice comes out raspy and I can hear the need in his questions. Zack not only wants me, he needs me, and I need him just as badly. How long have I been pushing away my feelings for him, without even knowing I was doing it?

When I don't answer him, he pulls his head back and studies my face. “I will never force you to be with me, Lexie. I want to spend my life with you, but if you don't feel the same way, I will respect that.”

I give his shoulder a squeeze and shake my head. “I was just wondering how long I have felt the same way and never realized it. You aren't forcing me into anything. I am coming willingly. Take me to bed, Zack.”

His eyes flare with heat, before he picks me up and carries me towards my bedroom. He gently lays me down, but instead of joining me, he continues to stare down at my body. I sit up and lift my shirt over my head, tossing it towards the corner of my room. Sitting up on my knees, I face Zack as I start to unbutton my shorts.

“Stop,” he says, his voice sounding pained. My eyes snap to his in disbelief. Is he really stopping me right now? I tilt my head to the side in confusion. “Zack?”

I'm sitting on my bed, in a bra and shorts, ready to take this to the next step, but he's stopping me. Something about that doesn't make any damn sense. His hands were down my panties last night and he stopped us then too. I reach for him and slide my hands to his sides, holding on tight.