Savage Collision: A Hawke Family Novel (Hawke Family #1)(64)

“Like I don’t know that,” I snap, glaring at him.

“Hey, man, I’m your best friend. It’s my job to call it like I see it.”

“Yeah, well, right now, I need you to be my best friend who shuts his trap and helps me burn off all this crap I have built up right now, all right?”

He nods his agreement, shaking his head in disbelief shortly thereafter. “Hope you’re ready to get your ass kicked.” The door slams and he moves around the back of the car.

An ass-kicking sounds good right now.

“I deserve it.”





My phone rings just as I stumble into my apartment, grocery bags hanging off my arms. Who am I kidding? I might as well call them liquor bags, since all I bought was three bottles of Prosecco and two of Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey.

Thankfully, Caroline is on her way over. Otherwise, I might feel like an alcoholic.

I set the bags on the counter and scramble for my phone, digging in my purse until I find it. I groan when I see the caller ID.

Why did I give Skye my number?

Because Savage thought maybe there was a chance to smooth things over that has never come.

She’s the last person I want to talk to right now. Well, that’s not true. Savage probably is. How can I want to hear from him so badly, yet dread it so completely?

Maybe because we the way we left things yesterday felt so cold and final. When I managed to drag myself up off the bathroom floor and take a quick shower, I returned to find the bedroom, and the condo, empty. Even Princess was MIA, and I still haven’t heard from Savage.

The ringing stops and I let out a sigh of relief, setting my phone on the counter to unpack my bags and get the Prosecco chilled. No sooner do I close the door to the fridge when the shrill ringing starts again.

She’ll just keep calling.

“Hey, Skye.” I try to put some cheer in my voice, but it sounds fake, even to my own ears.

“Danika, what the hell is going on?”

Crap. What did Savage tell her? Time to play dumb. “What do you mean?”

“Savage says he’s not coming to family dinner tonight. He sounded off, but not sick. Something is going on and Gabe is keeping his mouth shut. I figured you’re the only one I can get the truth out of.”

The truth? The truth is not something I want to discuss with Savage’s nosy little sister. “Everything’s fine. Savage is fine. He’s probably just tired.”

She sighs loudly. “Whatever. I know you are all keeping something from me. Savage never misses Sunday dinner. I’ll figure it out sooner or later. Thanks for nothing.”

Click.

I look down at my phone. Her abruptness and attitude shouldn’t surprise me. Not after that family dinner and her warning.

A knock at the door startles me. I almost drop the bottle in my hand.

Geez, I’m jumpy.

“It’s open,” I yell, popping open the bottle of Stranahan’s. Caroline makes her way to the kitchen. When she sees the bottles on the counter, she frowns. She hasn’t even seen the ones in the fridge. Maybe I shouldn’t mention the Prosecco. She doesn’t say a word, just walks to the fridge, opens it, sighs, and closes it. She turns to face me.

“Did you have to buy the whole store?”

Pouring myself a double, I nod. “Yes.”

“Better pour me one, then,” she replies, making her way into the living room and dropping down onto the couch. “So, you going to tell me what happened? You were very vague earlier.”

I had been intentionally vague. How the hell do I tell her Savage and I have never had sex? How do I tell her I confessed my love for him and he just laid there, silent? She’s my best friend, but that doesn’t mean she’ll understand. In fact, her knowing me so well makes me think she won’t understand this, not at all.

I pour her a drink and drop down into the opposite end of the couch, facing her, with my knees pulled up to my chest. Taking a long sip of my whiskey, I savor the burn and sweetness as it slides down my throat.

It’s better to get this done quickly, like ripping off a Band-Aid.

“Savage and I have never had sex.”

She jerks up, her eyes wide, her mouth hanging open. “What? How the hell is that even possible? You have been together for months!”

No shit.

“I know. It’s hard to explain. I wanted to, believe me, but, he always managed to divert me from it. He is so damn good at distracting me, I never actually thought about why he was doing it. It was frustrating, but I never thought anything was seriously wrong.”

She nods and sips her whiskey. “Are you sure he can? I mean, it doesn’t have to do with the accident, does it?”

“No, believe me, he is very capable.”

“So, what happened last night?”

I start with the gallery, describing our run-in with Andrew and Becca.

“Woah! You’re right. She sounds like a total raging cunt. She abandons him when he needs her the most, and then runs off to marry his good friend right away. Talk about heartless.”

“No shit.”

“So, was he a total prick the rest of the night after that?”

I smile, remembering the way his eyes shimmered with joy and laughter as we made our way around what we dubbed “The Hall of Vagina,” not bothering to attempt to hide our giggles until Maggie saw us. Then, we sobered up quickly. “No, actually, he was pretty fucking perfect once we left that bitch behind.”