Page 40 of Chasing Smoke

“Will you come to my place? I think we should talk.”

The sound of boots crunching snow has us pulling away from each other. We both glance to the side and see Emelia approaching with Baylor’s backpack.

Ansel steps completely away from me, gesturing to her. “Elliott and Emelia just announced their engagement.”

“Oh my gosh, congratulations.” I pull Emelia into an embrace, ignoring her pale face and surprise at seeing Ansel and me.

“Thank you. We’re excited.”

“As you should be.” I look between the two of them. “Is Elliott inside?”

They both nod.

“I’ll be sure to give him my congratulations too. I was just headed in to pick up some takeout and ran into Ansel.” I closely watch her reaction to my words but don’t get the impression that she saw anything untoward.

“Great, I’ll come in with you.” Emelia steps over to the door, holding it open for me.

“See you later, Ansel.” I widen my eyes at him before following Emelia inside.

I find Elliott and give him my congratulations. The two of them make a great couple. My phone vibrates in my purse, and I’d put money on the fact that it’s Ansel. I resist the urge to reach for my phone while talking to Elliott and Emelia.

They invite me to stay, but I decline, quickly grabbing my takeout from Fowler at the bar and getting out of there.

Ansel is entering again as I’m leaving, and as I pass him, the backs of his fingers brush against mine. A shiver races up my arm. Not a good sign at all.

When I’m tucked inside my SUV with the heat on, I pull my phone from my purse to find a text message from Ansel.

Ansel

As soon as I’m done, I’ll head over to your place.

I draw in a deep breath and brace myself for what this will mean. A million questions crowd my mind, but I shove them aside. The pull toward Ansel is stronger.

NINETEEN

Ansel

I’m happy for my brother and his fiancée, but I couldn’t get out of the Pines fast enough.

The moment I spotted my opening, I took the opportunity, citing the fact that I need to drive to Portland tomorrow to meet with a guy who went to high school with us. It’s partially true. I am meeting up with Ryan, but he’s not the reason I’m making the trip. He’s just a bonus, with my interview being the priority.

I head straight over to Collins’s, but when I hit the brakes, Caleb’s truck is a reminder of all the reasons I shouldn’t be here. Still, it’s not enough to stop me from getting out of my car and going to the front door.

My weight shifts from one foot to the other as I wait for Collins to answer, wanting to get rid of the haunting feeling as if Caleb were in his truck, staring me down.

She opens the door wearing a pair of black leggings, big fluffy socks, and an oversized sweater that’s slid off one shoulder, revealing her bra strap. Her blond hair is pulled into a ponytail with pieces framing her face. She looks comfortable and never more beautiful.

Yeah, I’m fucked.

She gives me a shy smile and doesn’t say anything, stepping out of the way for me to walk in. I inhale a deep breath and walk through the archway, ignoring all the thoughts in my head that this is a terrible idea.

“Thanks.” I slide out of my boots and step off the entry mat.

Collins leads me into the family room, where the lights are dim and she has a fire going. The television is at a low volume. She’s watching a show that appears to be about a baseball team.

I motion toward the screen. “You like baseball?”

I don’t know why I’m asking. I guess because it’s as good a way as any to put off the actual conversation that we need to have.