Page 29 of Eye of the Hurricane (Weathering Doves Harbor #2)

Katherine

Sisterhood of the Traveling Rants

Audra

Ares’ Birthday is tomorrow, we’re doing something small at the house. You’re both invited.

Ravyn

Basically a family dinner but on Saturday instead.

Audra

Family dinner still Sunday though!

Luna

We’ll be there

Katherine

No we won’t. I have a thing

Luna

What thing?

Katherine

An important thing.

Ravyn

She’s avoiding Ares.

Katherine

I’m not avoiding him.

Audra

You’ll be there then?

Katherine

Fine.

“Luna, I think this was a mistake I don’t think I should be going,” I sigh, wrapping my hair around a curling iron.

“You seem so down lately, what’s going on?” she asks. I have to imagine this is related to the fun I’m no longer having. I let myself have a taste of life and then took it away. Sometimes you’re better off never knowing.

“I’m fine. I just don’t even know if he wants me there,” I admit. I make eye contact with her in the mirror as she stands behind me, gliding red lipstick over her lips.

“It’s Ares, of course, he wants you there,” she says like it’s obvious. But it doesn’t feel obvious. Not after I saw the look on his face when we walked on the beach .

“I don’t know, Luna. I think I really hurt him.” Her eyes snap to mine, waiting for me to elaborate. I never told her about our conversation on the beach. Mostly out of guilt.

“Spill.”

“I told him we had to stop whatever we’re doing. My mom was right,” I sigh. My lip quivers over the word mom. I don’t let myself cry though.

“Sorry, what was that? I couldn’t have heard you right.”

“Yeah, yeah very funny,” I say glaring at her.

“Seriously, Kat. What do you mean your mom was right? A bitch, evil maybe, but never right. What’s this about?”

“I can’t have a career and him. She’s been telling me for years and I just thought it was another one of her misogynistic ideas.” I wrap another strand around the hot iron and let the curl fall, bouncing as it drops.

“What happened?” She frowns.

I explain the situation to the girls. Letting them know about the missed email and the consequences of that. I also highlight the guilt I have over it. Luna rubs a supportive hand on my shoulder.

“Jacob shouldn’t have expected you to check your email outside of hours,” she tells me.

“That’s what Jacob said.”

“See! It’s not on you. Don’t throw away a good thing because you’re scared.”

“I’m not scared, I’m busy. It’s different. I’m shadowing with them now, I just don’t have time to play around with this.”

“Mhmm,” she hums.

We finish our hair and make-up. Luna is in a pair of overalls with a baby blue bandeau top with white stars on it. Beaten Converse and loads of jewelry to go with it.

I’m in a buttery-colored wrap dress with matching rust wedges. I know I shouldn’t be wearing yellow just because I know Ares likes me in it. Clearly, knowing doesn’t stop me from doing it though.

When we sit down in my car to drive to Audra and Roman’s house I turn to Luna to ask her one last time.

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” I ask .

“I’m sure it’s not a bad one,” she says with a shrug. It’s not the comfort I’m looking for but it’ll do.

I’m not sure Luna is the right person to be going to looking for any big comforting statements. She just lets life take her where it wants. How we work is beyond me. But we do.

“Can I drive?” she says, dangling her keys in the air.

“Over my dead body.” I scoff, snatching them from her hand and sitting them on her counter. “I’ll be driving.”

“You let Ares drive you around,” she says, wiggling her eyebrows at me.

“That’s…” I fall short of a good reason. “Different,” is all I can come up with.

“I’m sure it is.” She has a smug look on her face that I’d like to knock right off of it.

We get there late not because we weren’t ready in time, but because Luna is a believer in the power of being fashionably late. She insists on being late to every function because it makes us seem too busy to make it there on time. Some of us are too busy.

Upon walking around the back to the pool deck, I’m reminded of the party animal I met his freshman year. How am I reminded? Him shirtless, shot-gunning a beer. Not a drop spills down his body though. He manages to get every drop.

His eyes fall on me and he flashes me a smile that lights up everything as far as the eye can see. I smile back at him and he walks toward Luna and me.

“I’m going to go somewhere else, enjoy all of that.” She laughs.

“You came.” He beams.

“It would appear that way.” I laugh. “I’m sorry I don’t have a gift for you, I blame your friends for not telling me about this until this morning.”

“You being here is more than enough,” he says, tongue darting out to wet his lips. His gaze has me feeling chained to the floor. All I can do is look back at him.

“You’re my friend. Of course, I’m going to be here.” He crinkles his nose and sticks his tongue out like a disgusted child.

“Hate that word,” he grumbles.

“What word?” I ask.

“Friend.”

“You talk about your friends all the time,” I counter.

“I hate that word when it’s coming out of your mouth,” he corrects. I don’t argue with him or entertain the conversation because he’s drunk. And because I think he could convince me to never use the word again.

Ravyn brings out a cake with a sparkling twenty-three on top of it. Everyone gathers around the table to sing Happy Birthday to the birthday boy.

We’re already standing by the table which leaves me standing next to him. We all sing to him and he’s smiling ear to ear before he blows out his candles.

“You make your wish?” Audra asks. His eyes flick to me then back to her. My cheeks burn at the implication.

“Yeah I made my wish,” he says softly .

If I had one wish it would be more time. Time to pursue him and pursue my career. Time to not have to choose. Time to have my cake and eat it too.

I know what I’m doing is right for us and for my career. Why doesn’t it feel right? It feels wrong like I’m stabbing both of us with a double-edged sword.

Work doesn’t feel the same when I know I have to see my mother tonight. It feels more like a secret mission I’m on. One I’ll have to minimize later when I talk to my mom about it.

I hate that she gets to steal the joy I have with my career. That she gets to show up in my town and make me feel like there is no space for me here.

I came here to get away from that feeling. And so far, it’s worked. I feel like I belong here in Doves Harbor. It’s somewhere that I can take life at my own pace. Somewhere that I can pursue a career in athletics despite being a woman.

I’ve lived here for four years now. In those four years, my mother hasn’t made an effort to visit me once. Now with the wedding, she’s coming into town. I can’t help the feeling that she’s going to taint it in some way. Leave some mark on it, making it so that it’s not my safe place anymore.

I’m beyond lucky that Mateo understood that I had this wedding on the books before I agreed to shadow him in the weeks leading up to the interview process. So tonight is my last night working until my family heads home .

“Katherine! One of the boys tells me you’re close friends. Why didn’t you mention it to me?” Mateo asks.

His tone is lighthearted but I can’t help fearing I’m in trouble for not disclosing that Sebastian and I know each other. Maybe it wasn’t safe to assume that because our relationship is platonic it didn’t need to be disclosed.

“He’s a friend of a friend. We’ve grown a bit closer this year, our mutual friend has a dinner every Sunday that we both attend.” Okay, I’m way over-explaining this. “There is nothing romantic about our relationship,” I defend. His brows pinch together and a smirk blooms on his face.

“I was just going to say that he put in a good word for you. He also made it very clear that there was no conflict of interest here.” He laughs.

“You’re not in any trouble here. I just wanted you to know that Sebastian Riley is very respected here on the team and a good word from him will go a long way.

” I try not to read too much into what he’s telling me.

It feels a lot like he’s telling me I’ve got a leg up.

“Oh, okay. Sorry, I guess I’m just a little nervous,” I admit. I shouldn’t be, I’m very familiar with working with the team on PR matters. I’m used to being around the boys as well. This just feels more serious, maybe because this could be the team I’m with for my entire career if all goes well.

This isn’t my first day shadowing with Mateo. It is however the first day shadowing with him that we’ll be working with the team. I follow him out to the ice and the team is skating around, waiting for us.

One of the tallest men on the ice skates by and slows next to me. His gear covers most of him but I do catch piercing blue eyes and scruff on his chin. It does nothing for me but he would drive Luna wild. “Hi, I’m DJ,” he greets, offering me his hand .

“Katherine,” I reply, shaking his hand. His eyes drag down my body, snagging at my hips on the way back up to my lips, not my eyes.

“Can I give you my number?” he asks.

“I’m here to work,” I tell him. I straighten my posture in an effort to be taken seriously before continuing.

“And I have a boyfriend.” The words come out so effortlessly that it has me stunned at myself.

Not so much because I said I have a boyfriend to get a man to leave me alone.

But because I had a specific man in mind.

Before the conversation has a chance to go any further, I’m saved by the bell. Sebastian Riley being the bell in this case. He intentionally slips his body between me and DJ.

“He’s not bothering you, is he?” he says slinging an arm around me.

“No I’m okay, thank you,” I assure him.

“You and Riley?” DJ asks, looking shocked. I burst out laughing.

“Sebastian is just a friend.” Sebastian is laughing too and DJ looks like we’ve made him feel about two feet tall with our laughter.