Beauty from Pain(112)

“Good thing you came when you did. I was about to have it towed.”


I didn’t give a roo’s ass and I almost told him as much. Any other time I would, but right now I didn’t care enough to tell him anything.


I get into my car and drive away from the airport. I don’t make it two miles before I’m on the side of the road thinking of anything I can do to get to Laurelyn, but I’m totally blank.


I can’t stop this from happening.


Think. Think. Think. Okay, as much as I hate to admit it, Ben Donavon is my only answer. He might not know how to get in touch with Laurelyn, but he can put me in touch with his sister.


I grind my teeth as I drive toward his apartment. It’s going to hurt like hell to ask for his help, but I’m willing to walk through fire to get to Laurelyn.


After I use the intercom to let him know I’m here, he buzzes me into the building. I knock on his door and wait. When he opens it and sees it’s me, he cocks his head to the side and shifts his jaw. He is going to enjoy the hell out of this and that pisses me off.


“You already know she’s not here, so what do you want?”


It kills me to depend on him as my only link to Laurelyn. Literally, I’m having chest pain because I’m lowered to this level. “I need to know how to reach Laurelyn.”


He narrows his eyes at me. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” He’s smirking and shrugs. “I wish I could help you out, bro.”


He’s enjoying this way too much. “Okay, let’s not pretend like you’re not loving this.”


The little f*cker laughs. “I’m not pretending. I am loving this shit, but I still can’t help you out because I don’t have her number.”


“Then I need Addison’s.”


He’s smirking bigger now. “Sorry. I’m not giving you my sister’s number.”


It’ll be a miracle if I don’t choke this little bastard. “You know I only want it so I can contact Laurelyn.”


He crosses his arms to let me know he doesn’t plan on giving in. “If Laurelyn wanted contact with you, she would have given you her number, so I think that means she’s dropped you.”


I feel panic coming on. If he won’t give me her number, how am I going to find her when I don’t even know her last name? I debate asking him and decide to eat shit if it means I find out. “What’s her last name?”


“Laurelyn’s?”


He’s shaking his head at me, judging me. “Dude! You just f*cked her for three months and you don’t know her last name?”


“It was part of an agreement we had,” I spit out through a clenched jaw.


“I don’t know what the two of you agreed on, but apparently she left here keeping her end of it, so I suggest you respect her enough to keep yours.”


I watch the door slam in my face before I kick the hell out of it. Fuck! What do I do now?


I walk like a zombie to my car. I get inside, but I don’t drive away. I sit there. Thinking.


Shit, I’m so stupid.


She tried to tell me she loved me and I wouldn’t listen. I refused to see I might love her in return because I was too unbending. I thought I had something to prove by not falling in love with anyone. Ever.


But I did fall in love with her, and now she’s gone.


47


Laurelyn Prescott


I feel Addison shake my arm. “Wake up, Laurelyn. You’re freaking me out.”


I feel myself snubbing. At least that’s what my mom calls it when you’re crying so hard that your chest forcefully heaves so you can catch your breath.


I open my eyes and she’s staring at me. “You were crying in your sleep. Hard.”


I sit up in the uncomfortable airplane seat and warm tears roll out of the corners of my eyes. I suck back the snot threatening to drip from my nose. Then I remember. I was dreaming of Jack Henry.


“What’s wrong with you?”


“Nothing’s wrong. I’m good.”


She gives me her I know better than that look. “You’re a damn liar. I know you’re torn up about leaving him.”


I stare out the window. I don’t want this. I don’t want to talk about it. Him. I want to forget the whole thing ever happened.