Page 34 of Meant to Be

I disconnected the phone before Kay could even respond.

****

Kayla

It wasn’t the same there without him. That became apparent as soon as I’d stepped over the threshold into Joshua’s home. The house was immaculate, beautiful, and with every luxury I could possibly want. Josh had more than made it clear to me that anything inside of his home was at my disposal should I need it, but still. It didn’t have the same appeal without his energy present.

I thought about going down to the basement to work some more on my punches and boxing, but in all honesty, it felt a little creepy down there, especially without Joshua. I remembered what he’d said about Aaron and Carter living nearby. He’d pointed out both of their homes when we’d done a tour of the neighborhood. Though I knew both men, I didn’t feel comfortable going to either one of their homes, despite my not wanting to be alone. Aaron had always intimidated the hell out of me, and Carter, though more relaxed than Aaron, still seemed more serious than I’d like. The fact that both men now had wives and children almost pushed me out of the door. Maybe I could befriend either Michelle or Patience. I would love having more friends in Williamsport. I’d given up all of my friends once I moved away because the two that mattered most—Chelsea and Joshua—were either dead or pissed at me.

“No.” I shook my head and pushed the door that I had just opened in my contemplation shut. I’d have to meet Michelle and Patience another time. The truth was, I wasn’t in any mood to socialize, though I wanted company. I just wanted to be in the presence of someone who I didn’t need to introduce myself to. As I started up the stairs toward the guest room, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out and I felt like my silent prayer had been answered.

“Hey,” I answered, casually for the second time that day.

“Hey, Kay.”

My grip on my phone tightened and I reached out with my free hand to hold onto the shiny wooden bannister of the stairwell as my legs sank to the plush carpeting of the stairs. I plopped down on my butt.Joshua.

“How’s it going there?”

“Well, the party doesn’t start until ten, but the keg and beer pong table are just arriving now,” I joked.

“Beer pong? A little immature for your age range don’t you think?”

“Are you calling me old?”

“I might be.”

“That’s rude as hell.”

A deep chuckle had me dipping my head. “I’ve said plenty worse. Trust me.”

“I bet you have,” I mumbled.

“What’re you doing tonight?” he asked smoothly.

Starting to feel comfortable, I leaned back against the stairs. “I was going to introduce myself to either Patience or Michelle but then thought better of it. It might be too late. So, I’ll just crack open a bottle of wine and eat a grilled steak and veggies.”

“Sounds fucking delicious.” The deep moan in his voice mysteriously caused my nipples to stiffen.

“I-I’m sure the luxury hotel you’re staying at has steak,” I stated.

“But it won’t be prepared byyou.”

I swallowed the saliva that’d pooled in my mouth.

“So you’re not a vegan then?”

I perked up, thrown off by the question. “A vegan … oh, because of the tofu.”

“Yeah, that.” His voice hardened but I smirked.

“It was good though.”

“I had to choke it down.”

“Liar!” I charged for the second time that day. “You ate it and you liked it.”

“There are much more interesting things I’d love to eat.”