An audible gasp could be heard as Seth struck the other man on the back of the head, her sympathy for somebody who appeared to be as much of a victim in all of this were, almost enough to make her demand that he give the sheet back. Almost, but not quite. At the end of the day, her concern for Richie’s well-being and their need to get out of there meant the most she could offer the stranger was a grimace and a whispered apology he’d never hear.
She glanced over her shoulder before she had to quickly look away, almost seeing more of Richie (again) than she’d ever intended to and in doing so, caught only the tail end of Seth’s words, her face a mask of disapproval at the harshness of them. She’d hoped, perhaps foolishly, that things might have improved between them since she’d last seen Seth but if anything it seemed like they were worse than ever before.
“Seth.” More urging him to go easy, rather than trying to admonish him.
Anything else she might have said got lost as Kate turned to look at Richie, words that sounded painfully familiar filling her ears. They were of course, because she’d been the one to say them and it took a moment for that to sink in before she turned her gaze back on Seth.
Kate had all but convinced herself that he’d put up with her because he felt responsible for what had happened to her family. That one of the few benefits of her sticking around had been the distraction she provided when he wasn’t checking out completely. It never actually occurred to her that he really listened to what she said, that he’d value her opinion enough to turn around and quote her to his brother.
“You said that?” Her eyebrows crawling up her forehead.
They didn’t have time for her to linger too long on that revelation, however, Richie’s words snapping her back to the more pressing matter.
There was an almost too simple solution to this problem, one that wouldn’t require anyone else getting hurt but no sooner did the thought enter her head, than color bloomed across Kate’s cheeks and she held her sheet a little tighter now before forcing the words out.
“Would one more sheet be enough?” Kate's lips pressed into a line, her gaze flickering away before she pointedly tugged her sheet as if to suggest he could use hers.
no subject
She glanced over her shoulder before she had to quickly look away, almost seeing more of Richie (again) than she’d ever intended to and in doing so, caught only the tail end of Seth’s words, her face a mask of disapproval at the harshness of them. She’d hoped, perhaps foolishly, that things might have improved between them since she’d last seen Seth but if anything it seemed like they were worse than ever before.
“Seth.” More urging him to go easy, rather than trying to admonish him.
Anything else she might have said got lost as Kate turned to look at Richie, words that sounded painfully familiar filling her ears. They were of course, because she’d been the one to say them and it took a moment for that to sink in before she turned her gaze back on Seth.
Kate had all but convinced herself that he’d put up with her because he felt responsible for what had happened to her family. That one of the few benefits of her sticking around had been the distraction she provided when he wasn’t checking out completely. It never actually occurred to her that he really listened to what she said, that he’d value her opinion enough to turn around and quote her to his brother.
“You said that?” Her eyebrows crawling up her forehead.
They didn’t have time for her to linger too long on that revelation, however, Richie’s words snapping her back to the more pressing matter.
There was an almost too simple solution to this problem, one that wouldn’t require anyone else getting hurt but no sooner did the thought enter her head, than color bloomed across Kate’s cheeks and she held her sheet a little tighter now before forcing the words out.
“Would one more sheet be enough?” Kate's lips pressed into a line, her gaze flickering away before she pointedly tugged her sheet as if to suggest he could use hers.