Needing Her (From Ashes #1.5)(16)

Maci Price: All things considered, it’s not your place to tell me who I should and shouldn’t be with . . . or to give an opinion on my life at all. Watch yourself, Detective. We wouldn’t want people thinking you’re jealous or give a shit.

I gripped my phone in my hand and started storming out of my apartment, grabbing my keys on the way.

“Where are you going?”

“I’ll be right back,” I answered, and avoided looking where she was changing Ben.

As soon as my door was open, I kicked the box of oatmeal bath packets sitting there out of my way and went next door. When Maci’s door didn’t immediately open, I unlocked it and let myself in to walk through the apartment as I called her name. Nothing. Pulling up her contact in my phone, I pressed on her name and ground my jaw when it went straight to voice mail.

“It’s Connor. We’re talking about this when you get home.”

I locked her door behind me and walked back into my apartment. Amy was standing there holding her son, a confused look on her face that slowly started changing.

“I’m sorry, I just had to—”

“What is going on between you and Maci Price?”

My eyebrows shot up. “Nothing, she’s just driving me insane right now.”

She hitched Ben higher up on her hip and pursed her lips at me. Ah f*ck. She was in mom mode. “I know you’re lying to me, and why do I have a feeling she has something to do with the difference I’m seeing in you?”

I sucked at lying to my sister. Especially when she went into mom mode. Throwing my hands out to the side, I let my keys fall to the floor before bringing my hands back to grip my hair. “She’s a Price, Amy. They would fu”—I glanced at Ben and tried to filter myself—“freaking murder me.”

Amy gasped and a massive smile crossed her face as she dropped to the couch. “How long has this been going on?”

“That’s just it,” I laughed humorlessly. “It hasn’t been. Nothing’s happened between us.”

“Connor.”

“I’m being honest. Nothing has happened, and nothing will. She’s my best friends’ sister, I can’t touch her.”

And apparently I’d done something to f*ck up anything that could have happened between us . . . and I had no idea what exactly that was.

Maci

AFTER HOURS OF shopping, then decorating Amber’s apartment and my own, we were finally done. I had a smile on my face that only this time of year could put there, but there was still something missing. Christmas was my favorite holiday, and I loved decorating day more than anything, but I still hadn’t gotten Connor or his words out of my mind.

Amber flopped down next to me on the couch and admired our work. “We did good.”

“That we did.”

“Hey”—she elbowed me—“what’s going on? You’re usually bouncing off the walls and I can’t get you to stop playing Elf or singing Christmas music. You’re just kind of . . . blah today. Is it still what Bryce said?”

“Kind of.” I shrugged. Barely. I couldn’t forget his words if I tried. But it was Connor who was ruining my day, and I hated that I let him have that much power over me.

“Fuck him, Maci. He’s a douche, and I think he did you a favor by finally showing his true self. Now you can move on and find someone else.”

Was it sad that I couldn’t figure out if she was talking about Connor or Bryce, even though I knew she didn’t have a clue about Connor?

“I don’t want to find someone else . . . I just want to forget about him.” Forget the words he’d said. Forget that I’d let myself think he might feel something. Forget the other girls in his apartment. Forget it all.

“Then let’s do it! Let’s forget the bastard!” Amber shouted and jumped off the couch, jolting me from my thoughts. I hadn’t realized I’d said any of that out loud and was glad I hadn’t said Connor’s name.

“Should I be worried?” I asked when Amber held a hand out for me. I let her pull me up and push me toward my room.

“Hell no. You want to forget about the dick, that’s what we’re gonna do. So slut it up, get yourself looking hot, and let’s go shout from the rooftop that your vagina is finally free!”

I laughed and shook my head. “You’re disgusting, you know that?”

“You love my kind of disgusting though. Hurry up, I want to run home and change too.”

Turning around, I pointed at her. “I just want to go have fun, I don’t want to find another guy.”

“Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Let’s get a few shots in you and see if you feel the same.”

Note to self: Buy a chastity belt and wear it whenever going out with Amber.





Chapter Five



Connor

I SHOOK MY head and drained my beer as Dakota leaned over far enough that he was about to—oh, never mind. There he went. Dumbass fell out of the damn chair leaning over to watch the girl leave with her friend.

“Shit, Kota, you already got her number, you don’t need to look like a f*cking loser wishing he’d had the balls to talk to her.” I signaled the waitress for another beer and held out my hand. “Keys. You’re not . . . driving.” Shit.