Crushed (Torn #7)(53)

That was messed up. What—why would he even put himself through this when we clearly had discussed what would happen afterwards?

“I’m not ready.” For any of it … for what he was insinuating.

“Then I’ll wait. I already told you I’ll wait, but don’t f*uk around with me, Amber. I don’t think I can do it the second time.”

He meant Lindsey. Lindsey had strung him along, but I didn’t do that to him. I had been open about my expectations of our short arrangement.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t. I care enough to tell you that I can’t be with you the way you want me to be.”

Anger came off him in waves before he made a curt, determined nod. “I see,” he uttered harshly before directing one last look at me. Then he spun on his heels and went inside the house, leaving me speechless as I watched him walk away.

There was no way in hell I could go back in the house without attracting Trista’s attention, and to be quite honest, I just couldn’t fathom dealing with any of that at the moment.

I needed to breathe, to think. I desperately needed space away from here, away from him.

Therefore, instead of heading inside, I went back home to fetch my car then went for an aimless drive. I was contemplating where I should go, to the local bar or somewhere out of town to drink my sorrows away, when something caught my attention.

My dashboard beeped, blinking in red, indicating that I needed to refill my tank. Reluctantly, I had to make a detour in search of the local gas station. Once I reached it, I immediately hopped out of the car and went about my way as I contemplated where to go once this was over and done with.

I had just finished swiping my credit card on the gas pump’s machine slot when I heard the unwelcomed voice of Rob behind me. It raised the back of my hair as I ground my teeth together, knowing well enough that I had seconds until he would see me and act as if we were still on good terms.

“I knew those hot legs looked familiar,” he drawled in such a sickeningly sweet way that I seriously growled in irritation.

f*uk. I was wearing a skirt, and that f*uktard was hitting on me.

f*uk.

f*uk.

f*uk!

I was so mad, so pissed off that I chose to ignore him. I was so tense, so sick to my stomach to be breathing the same air as he was, standing a few inches away as he accelerated his steps towards me.

“Hey, sweets!” he tried again, but this time, I decided to face him full-on.

Maybe it was the pent up anger or the way he had treated me the day after—so vile, spouting shit as he tried to make it look like I was “begging” for it, but I was just done with him. As a result, when he got up close and personal, my twitchy hand fiercely connected with his sweaty cheek, and then my knee swiftly lunged for his gross dick. I’d had no clue I had the physical capacity to do that, yet I did. Call it adrenaline or whatever, but I was pulsing with it and maybe a little bit of triumph as I saw how much the impact caused him pain.

“Come near me again and I will call the cops on you for date rape,” I threatened then heard him mutter some incoherent stuff about his swollen, bruised dick.

Blue, purple balls was the least he deserved, but he should know I wasn’t to be f*uked with, not anymore.

Not caring about the gas any longer, I got in my car and drove off.

After my encounter with Rob, I wasn’t sure what I was anymore.





Chapter Twenty-Eight





I knew I needed to see him. My mind persisted after thirty minutes of sitting in utter silence the second I parked my car somewhere in between the route from my house to the gas station.

Regardless, I knew I couldn’t go back to the party looking like a frazzled woman with so much adrenaline they’d think I was high on something. Trust me, I was borderline hyperventilating and a little all over the place after seeing that snake.

Therefore, after fifteen minutes of everything being back to normal, I started the engine, heading to go see him. It took another seven to get there, a minute to get out of my car before reaching the front door, and a second to realize that the house was jam-packed with people. What happened to the laid back atmosphere I left earlier? I thought with utter frustration as I plowed myself through the crowd.

It wasn’t intentional, more like a bad habit I couldn’t help, but I scanned the crowd for Brody. My intention of coming back here was to speak to him, but at least I could have been subtle about it. What the heck, though? Who cared anymore? After seeing Rob, I simply wanted someone to soothe me, my soul, and Brody was the only person who had the power to do just that. With him, nothing mattered. With him, I was cocooned in his safe embrace.

After thirty minutes of not seeing him, I finally cornered Cooper. “Have you seen Brody around?”

“Hmmm … he’s around,” he said.

“But he’s not here.” My eyes and body would surely give me a telltale sign if he was around. None of my senses had gone off, however, so I had to know where he was.

He pondered a moment as he looked at me intently before finally responding to me again. “I think he’s still upstairs…”

I stared at him, knowing what he was thinking. Cooper wasn’t necessarily vague unless, of course, for a reason—such as covering one of his friend’s asses, which I thought was the case here since he was being such a pain about giving me more information.