Page 6 of Invisible String (The Underground #1)

RAINEY

W e shout from balcony to balcony. Okay, well, I am.

His gaze trails my body. The day we kissed was magical, and I wanted more of him.

Three months of being around him felt like a year.

I was so eager to see him the following day of school.

He never showed, and my heart sank. No one spoke of him.

It was like he didn’t exist, but to me, he was everything .

“I moved. It was sudden. It’s not like it matters. This was seven years ago,” he says nonchalantly.

My heart cracks as he shrugs it off, as if the kiss we shared was nothing—as if it never happened. Maybe to him, it was nothing.

“You’re right. It was seven years ago. After the kiss we shared, I thought you would at least say goodbye. Like you said, it doesn’t matter.” I shrugged, just as he did.

Upon meeting Max, I felt an inexplicable attraction toward him. Despite his quiet and antisocial nature, I was unfazed. I cherished the fact that he let me touch him, something he seemed to avoid with others. I never questioned the reason behind it.

“My dad got a new job,” he mumbles, looking away.

“Oh, well, sorry to interrupt your game. See you around.” I spin on my heels and run into the house.

I’m unsure what I expected from him, but maybe a hello from the beginning.

He’s right. I ran faster than a scared chicken.

I didn’t know it was him jumping in the freezing water, and before I knew it, I yelled at him and ran when I saw it was him. He makes me lose brain cells.

I peek out the curtain, and he is back to watching a game.

Boxing, I think. He’s grown into a handsome man.

I wonder if he still hates being touched.

Now, it pisses me off. I’m wondering if he’s let others touch him.

Oh God, Rainey. Stop . He licks his lip, staring into the screen.

It happens in slow motion. He turns toward the window, and I panic, shutting the blinds closed.

What a coincidence, he’s here, next door.

Have his parents always owned it? It’s been a vacation rental for a while.

I suddenly have the urge to bake. When my nerves are skyrocketing, I need to keep busy. I came here to relax and get away from family drama, but I ended up running into the boy, now a man who’s always drifted on my mind.

Once I’ve kneaded the dough for cinnamon rolls, I set it aside to rise, then proceed to red velvet cookies. In one mixing bowl, I mix the dry ingredients and then the wet ingredients.

“Hello,” I answer my mom’s phone call.

“Honey, I thought you were coming down this summer, then your sister just said you’d be going to the cabin.” Her voice is sweet and soothing.

“Yeah, Mom, sorry for not letting you know.”

The clatter of metal banging means she is at the bakery.

“That’s okay. Can you at least tell me why my daughter didn’t stop by to say hi?”

The apartment is only thirty minutes away from home. I feel guilty that I should have seen her and my sister more often.

“I’m sorry, Mom. I’m going to be real with you.”

“You can tell me anything, honey.”

“After what Dad did to you, I don’t want to see his face. He’s called, and I’ve denied his calls. But, Mom, I’m so angry. I hate that he hurt you.”

She sniffles. “Rainey, baby, I’m hurting, but all wounds heal in time…he’s been begging for another chance. I don’t know if I can. I’m trying to keep the family together.”

I shake my head. “Mom, no one would blame you if you didn’t want to try again. Honestly, you shouldn’t if you don’t want to, but we’re here for you.”

“Thank you, Rainey, and I can come visit, you know. You shouldn’t feel like this is not home anymore.” She clears her throat. “Enough of that. So tell me, how did finals go?”

“Great, passed all my classes.”

“Oh, wonderful. I’m so proud of you.”

“Thank you, Mom.” I miss her sweet scent.

“So, how’s the cabin?”

My brows rise. If she only knew who my grumpy neighbor is. I’ve never spoken to her about who my first crush and kiss were.

“Cozy. I love being out here. I bought a butt load of books to keep me busy and, you know, unwind. I’m making your famous cinnamon rolls, red velvet cookies, and cupcakes.”

She hums. “Sounds like a great summer break: baking, books, and cozying up while eating treats. Sounds like a great idea. You don’t have a boy with you? Because if you do, remember safe sex?—”

My throat vibrates with a groan. “Mom…no, I don’t have a guy here.” I peek out the window. Max is still out there, sipping on a beer. “Not yet, at least.” Maybe I should be pushy like I was when I was fourteen—very persistent with what I wanted.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing. Anyway, why are you at the bakery so late?” She’s never stayed past five, and it’s close to seven.

“Marlin has been feeling sick, so I’m prepping for tomorrow morning. It gives me time alone. If I get a chance, I’ll stop by and visit.”

“Okie dokie, Mom. I’ll let you go. I need to start the mixer.”

Ending the call, I go back to baking. Maybe I’ll drop some treats for my neighbor.

Isn’t that the neighborly thing to do? He said his dad had gotten a new job.

If that’s true, then I understand. For seven years, I was so hurt.

Lana said that maybe I became attached to him in those three months.

Perhaps I was. We never finished The Thorn Birds .

It’s a good thing I have it on my Kindle. I never finished reading it.

Today involved me dusting the place, then making a late breakfast since I woke up after eleven.

After cleaning the kitchen because of my mess from last night.

The amount of sweets I baked is ridiculous.

You would think I’m opening a home bakery.

My brain has been in a battle debating if I should drop some off with Max.

What am I supposed to say? “Hey, Max, would you like some cookies?” or “Hi, I over-baked. Would you like some desserts to sweeten your life?” Oh, gosh, I sound like a damn Girl Scout.

Instead, I grab my purse and keys to take a walk downtown. I’m not a fan of gambling, but I can always do some shopping, and tomorrow I can go tubing.

“Dammit, woman, do you ever pay attention when you’re backing out?”

I slam on the brakes. Max is standing behind the trunk of his car in a tank top and shorts. My Rover idles, and my heart races. I was so close to taking him out. How had I not seen him?

“Sorry. You just popped out of nowhere.”

No smile on his beautiful face, but his brow rises lightly. It’s still the same broody man.

“I’ve been standing here when you skipped out and backed into me. Maybe it would be a good idea to get your review mirror fixed. Better yet, your eyes.” His voice is gruff, and there is no humor behind it.

My lips form a straight line. I’m not offended at all. On the other hand, I want to laugh at how serious he is. I guess I would be serious if someone almost ran my ass over.

“You’re right, I should wear my glasses, but I lost them. Soo, next time, just holler, and I’ll hit the brakes.”

Max runs his fingers through his hair. “You’re a reckless driver,” he mumbles, going through his trunk, then slamming it shut.

“Oh, I know. Everyone tells me that.”

His gaze meets mine. Those eyes are beautiful.

“Well, I’d better go.”

He nods, mumbles something, and gets into his car. I back out, double-checking my surroundings.

My hair flows in the breeze from the open windows.

The music plays, and I sing the whole ten minutes to my playlist. The street is rolling with tourists, so it will be tough to find a parking spot.

After a horrific incident, I was close to hitting a cone while trying to park.

Although I live forty minutes from campus to Tahoe, I hardly come here.

The shops are so busy I can barely walk in, so I try the next one.

And it’s the same. I’m not used to being alone.

Lana is always with me, if not her, my sister, brother, or Mom, and I guess my dad.

I was once a daddy’s girl, not that I wasn’t close to my mom, but I leaned more on my dad because I thought he was the example of the type of man I needed in my life.

Anyway, I don’t mind the quietness at the cabin, just not shopping.

My feet ache, and my stomach growls. I probably walked for an hour.

A live band plays at the bar of an outdoor patio. The sound of the man’s voice is astonishing. I take a seat on the outdoor bar stools and listen to the humming of his voice.

“What can I get you to drink?” the server asks, handing a menu out.

“Iced tea, please, with a lemon, and I’ll have today’s burger special with a side of onion rings.”

She writes it down. A mixed drink would be nice after the morning I’ve had.

The last thing I need is to drive drunk when my driving skills are not that good though.

“Great, I’ll put the order in for you.” She spins on her heels.

“I’ll be right with you, hun,” she says to someone at the table behind me.

I pay no attention to who she’s talking to.

The guy singing starts a new song, playing the piano this time.

Music fills my heart with emotion. “Baby, Can I Hold You” by Tracy Chapman is the song he sings.

This song stirs up emotions in me. Over the years, I’ve regretted not telling Max how I felt about him.

The thing is, my feelings for him were strong.

Lana would laugh when I would follow him around, especially at lunch.

She never minded me sitting with him. Perhaps it was because we saw him sitting alone under a tree, and from that day on, I sat with him, enjoying our lunch.

The connection I felt was innocent, young, but beautiful.

Max never complained about my rambling. His lips twisted—never into a full-blown smile.

There was something about Max that led me to believe something had happened to him for him not to share a smile with the world.