Page 110 of Accidental Blind Date

“And what if I don’t know what that is?” he asks, his eyes red and angry.

I choose my words carefully. Because even if my brother is showing a softer side, he is still Kai. And Kai is complicated. “I think that once you stop trying to replace the memories with something else and focus on yourself, you’ll figure that out.”

He nods once before turning to look at me. “And what about you?”

“Well,” I sigh, looking around at the store. “It’ll start with cleaning up the glass and replacing the window. But other than that…I don’t know.” My eye well with tears again. “I thought I found something that would make me happy.Someonewho would make me happy. After my marriage with Shane, I didn’t think it was possible. And now I’m realizing it was too good to be true.”

“Now see, I don’t buy that,” he shakes his head. “So, he lied. Big deal.”

“It is a big deal!”

“But he didn’t do it to hurt you or take advantage of you. You said yourself you were there to get laid,” Kai shudders before going on. “And he was there because he was hurting. He was lonely, you got blown off and he took a chance. Cut the guy a break. Also, this Jax guy sounds like a dick. Even I haven’t ghosted a date before. Walk of shamed more times that I can count but never ghosted. If anything, Dax did you a favor.”

“Again, he could have done it without lying.”

“Coulda, woulda, shoulda,” Kai shrugs with a grin and just like that he sounds like my brother again. “But for real, Libs. As much as it makes me throw up in my mouth, he’s happier than he’s been in a long time. And the girls are too. I think it’s real.”

“So…are you saying you’d be okay with me dating your best friend?” I ask. Not that I’m ready to make that decision right now. My heart is still a wreck, much like my store.

“Hell no. It’s fucked up. But there’s not much I can do about it, is there?”

Kai offers to give me a ride, even to stop at the all-night diner. But crazy enough, I’m not hungry.

“I’m going to hang out here for a bit,” I tell him.

“Alright. Well. Be careful.”

We don’t hug or say I love you. The conversation we just had is about as emotional as it gets with us. And despite the fact heisn’t really someone I go to for advice, I do find myself replaying his words.

I don’t want to believe Dax used me. But considering our entire relationship started with a lie, a lie he never intended to tell me, it makes me wonder what else he would lie about. Or who he really is.

Chapter 40

Dax

“There, good as new,” I cross my arms while Kai and I both stare through the new window at the shop. We had to close the store for three days for the repair (turns out these old shops need custom-made windows). On the upside, I don’t think Libby was ready to come back to work anyways. Between everything that’s happened and the fact the girl truly never takes a day off, I think she hit a wall. And I hate that it’s my fault.

“Yeah…the window looks great,” Kai agrees, sipping on a coffee. “Too bad your face still looks like shit.”

I shoot him a look but his shit eating grin, a signature Kai grin, makes it hard for me to glare at him. “Yeah well it feels like shit too,” I say.

“Good,” he says, staring back. “Because so does my fist.”

I crack a smile and my stance softens. “Look at us, getting in fist fights.”

“And still getting shit done,” he nods at the window.

“And to think it was over a girl,” I say and his attention whips back to me.

“It wasn’t over a girl. It was over you hooking up with my sister.”

“I hate to break it to you, Kai. But your sister? Is a girl. And a very lovely one at that.”

“Do I need to pop you again?” he snaps.

“Can your fist handle it?” I toss his grin back at him.

We both deflate a little and make our way outside. I lock the door behind us a look down at the golden key in my hand. “So, I’ve been thinking,” I say.