Heart's a Mess by Kylie Scott Page B

eventuating.
    “Forgot my keys.” Alex wandered back into
the still mostly unfurnished room with another brief, uncomfortable smile. He
rifled about in a desk drawer.
    “You’re not living upstairs anymore?”
    “No.”
    “Oh, of course not. You’re back in your
home.”
    “Hmm?” He tucked a set of keys into his
pocket.
    “With Jane.”
    The man stopped and stared. “Violet, what
are you talking about?”
    “Ah, I mean, John said that you were back
with her. I’m sorry, we shouldn’t have been discussing your private life. It
just occurred to me how wrong that sounded.” She shut her mouth before it
wandered further afield. What a pity it didn’t stay shut. “But it’s great that
you’re happy and everything.”
    “I’m happy and everything?” he asked, as if
he were double checking.
    “Umm, yes.” Though now that she had a good
look at him, he didn’t seem all that happy after all. Beautiful, yes, but
happy? No, not really.
    “With Jane?” he repeated.
    “Yes? I mean, you went to counseling with
her and everything. Right?”
    She didn’t know exactly when he’d gotten
quite so close or so tall. The man loomed over her. Possibly she had finally
perfected the art of sinking into the floor during moments of duress. It wasn’t
completely out of the question. Since infancy she’d been trying to perfect the
act during one mistake or another. Nice to know it had finally come to
fruition. If only it would work a little faster.
    “Are you happy, Violet?” he asked.
    “Thank God that’s over.” John breezed in,
oblivious.
    “Get out,” his brother said.
    “What?” The Chef ground to a halt.
    “Get out,” Alex repeated.
    John growled. “Again?”
    “And lock the door.”
    Her shoulders hit her ears when John
slammed it as well on his way out. Meanwhile, Alex took another step forward.
She would have retreated but she already stood in the corner, trapped behind
the big old desk with her back to the wall, trying to disappear. Sadly, it
didn’t seem to be working out so well for her after all.
    “Are you happy, Violet?” he asked, his
voice very soft.
    “Sure.” Her eyelids chose this moment to go
stupid, blinking crazily.
    He set a hand on the wall to either side of
her head and leaned in. “See, I’m happy enough. But I could be happier.”
    “Oh?” Every proximity warning alarm in her
head went nuts. For weeks she’d been doing her best to steer clear of him and
now here he was, all up close and personal. It was a disaster in the making.
She shoved her hands behind her back before she got grabby. The want to latch
on and not let go nearly overwhelmed her.
    “You’re right,” he said. “I did go to
counseling with Jane. I had a lot of leftover anger to deal with and she kindly
agreed to help me out with that. We’re talking again. I doubt we’ll ever really
be friends, but I feel better for it and so does she.”
    “Great,” she said, because she needed
something to say.
    “I hadn’t really started moving on from
that whole situation but now I am. I got my own place and I’m getting myself
sorted.”
    “That’s great.”
    “Yeah.” He nodded. “So here’s the thing,
Violet. I miss you. Which is kind of nuts when you consider how little time
we’ve actually spent together. And I want you. I really do. But this is the
last time we’re going to have this conversation because I am moving on with my
life. I have made that decision. Now, I would prefer that you were a part of it
outside of work, but you need to decide for yourself if that’s something you
want. Do you understand?”
    “Y-yes.”
    “Do you really?”
    Did she? Her mind blanked. Critical mass
had been reached. “I, I, umm…”
    For a moment he waited. Then slowly, he
began to back up, moving away from her. “You can do this, Violent. You just
have to decide if I’m worth the risk. Give it some thought.”
    “I don’t know what to say.”
    His smile was bittersweet. “Vi, it’s as
hard for me to