“I’ll take care of the sink before she comes over. Ok? Plus, I’ve got some laundry in there I need to grab. I’ll lock everything up for you,” Justyn offered.
He wrapped his arms around Blair and pulled her against his chest. She knew this was coming. Blair held on tightly, willing the tears not to form. They had agreed—no messy good-byes, no drama, no teary scenes in the driveway. This was the deal. It was always the deal.
He kissed her on the forehead before opening the car door for her. “Good luck in Dallas, Carolina girl.”
Blair slid into the seat and turned the keys in the ignition. She rolled the window down as Justyn propped his arms on the frame. Smiling, he leaned through the car and kissed her. For a second, she let herself forget this was a good-bye kiss and pressed her mouth against his, tasting the saltiness of his lips. Maybe if she could hold on to him a little longer … There wasn’t anything else to say.
His eyes flashed open and he looked at her with the gray-green eyes that shook her soul. Blair exhaled and put her foot on the break. It was time.
“Bye.” She put the car in reverse as Justyn backed out of the window.
“Bye.”
Nine
Justyn
Justyn shoved his hands in his pockets as the blonde steered the car out of the driveway and onto Island Road. Oh hell. This must be what those summer girls feel like when I cut them loose. He reached down, picked up one of the rocks from the driveway, and tossed it toward the pier. Clutching the keys in his hand, he walked up the steps to the porch, glared at the swing rocking in the breeze, and ducked in the house to pack up his week’s worth of clothes.
“Dammit,” he muttered to the empty house. The dryer was still running with a load of his T-shirts. “I’m not doing this.”
He reached in his pocket and pulled out his phone. “Man, before you give me any excuses, I don’t want to hear ‘em. Put down your spreadsheets and meet me at Ruddy Ducks. I need a drink.”
Sometimes it was good to have a cousin who knew when not to argue. “See you there,” Reid said.
Justyn shoved the phone back in his pocket and slammed the screen door behind him as he rushed to get off the house as fast as his legs would carry him.