Bad Company (Seven Deadly Sins #1) ✅ Completed

Chapter Eleven: Root Beer Floats and Nails

We pulled back up to the shop right around two o'clock in the afternoon. The last hour of the drive back was the longest hour of my life. The knot that had settled in my stomach only loosened as I spotted the town sign outside my passenger side window. I'd never been so glad to see something as I was the town marker.

When Dante parked his truck, I couldn't jump out fast enough. I didn't care that he had a truckload of boxes to unpack, or that Aunt Celeste was probably expecting me back at the store to do something somewhat productive (though I could make an argument over the productivity of dusting, as that was just an exercise in futility in my opinion). I just needed to get away from all of it - from all of them.

There was nowhere to really go, but I didn't care at the moment. I just needed to be alone to think. I couldn't even begin to guess what had motivated Dante to kiss me, but his motivation wasn't the real reason I was having a mild freak out.

It was my reaction to his kiss that was doing that.

I wasn't the kind of girl that ran around kissing every cute boy she met. Nor was I the kind of girl that kissed back the way I had with Dante. It was like every single nerve in my body had lit up like a Christmas tree. My skin had grown so hot, I was sure he must've felt the heat of it through his clothes. I'd wanted him to kiss me harder, to touch my body, to do things I would never let anyone in their right minds even think was going to fly with me. I wanted to beg him not to stop, to keep kissing me, to do more. My reaction to him was so scary in its intensity that it actually robbed me of my breath for a little while. How would he ever think I wasn't everything he thought I was when I reacted like that?

What was wrong with me?

I took off down the street, not bothering to tell anyone anything. I could feel Dante's eyes on me as I walked quickly away from him. He didn't say a word, which for one of the first times ever I was really thankful for. I was sure Aunt Celeste would start hollering for me sooner rather than later so I made sure to turn at the nearest corner. As I rounded the corner of Main St I ran smack dab into Chase. He was walking with Brady.

"Hey! I was just coming by to see you," he grinned, happy to see me.

He was dressed for work, in a grey t-shirt, worn jeans, and his green apron. Brady looked like he'd just come from the gym, dressed in basketball shorts and a tank top cut along the sides to show off his muscular body. Brady grinned at Chase and gave him a quick fist pound before running across the street into a small, homey looking café.

Chase turned back to me, his earnest green eyes searching mine. Whatever he was hoping to see in my face wasn't there because his face grew concerned as he stepped a little closer.

"You okay, Eliza? What's wrong?"

I shook my head, unable to tell him anything. What was I going to say? I think I may be turning into some kind of slut because I kissed Dante for no other reason except for the fact that he kissed me first? Or worse, that I really wanted him not to stop because I was really getting into it? Oh yeah, that would go over well. It wasn't like we'd gone out on a date or anything. Oh wait. Sure we had. It was the reason why I was feeling incredibly guilty and miserable right this very second.

Stopping my internal torture for a minute, I managed to smile a little as I shook my head. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little tired I guess."

He was looking at me like he really didn't believe me, so I decided to serve some truth along with my lie.

"I've been stuck inside a truck with Dante all morning. That really doesn't make for an easy start to the day, if you know what I mean."

Chase laughed, but I could see a hard gleam come into his eyes. "Yeah, I could definitely see that. Where did you and Dante go this morning?"