Fighting Fate (Fighting #7)(33)

“Yes… Killian…”

My lips freeze against her skin. I blink away the Axelle haze at the sound of her voice.

“Fuck.” I’m such an *.

She laughs and leans back into her seat. The pale skin of her cheeks and neck is flushed red, and shame washes over me at seeing it. “That was the hottest first kiss I’ve ever had.”

I turn to gaze out the windshield and hope she doesn’t see the regret I’m drowning in. I know I should say something, apologize or explain, but I can’t even bring myself to speak the words.

“Oh look!” She points to Ryder’s Toyota pickup. “They waited for us.”

This is good. At least at the party I’ll have the distraction of being in a crowded room. As long as I stay away from bedrooms and bathrooms, I should be able to get through the rest of this night without giving into my deepest, darkest fantasies.





Twelve





Axelle





The good news is I think this Valentine’s Day is shitty enough to trump my original Valentine’s Day.

I never thought anything could top Stewart’s impromptu drop in, but leaning against the wall in a dark corner nursing a warm beer and watching my date openly flirt with other girls has done it. Ding-ding-ding! We have a winner! The only thing that could make this any worse is if he’d strip them down and f*ck them right in front of me.

But only a total meanie-face would do that. And Clifford, well, he’s just friendly with his hands.

The sarcasm in my head makes me grin, but it’s all teeth.

Turns out I was wrong. Clifford did take me out to dinner at the little Italian place down the street. He also invited three of his stoner friends to join us. They ate all the garlic bread, and I swear when I went to the restroom I came back and half my rigatoni was gone.

But that wasn’t the highlight of my romantic V-day dinner, nooo. The topper was how Clifford forgot his wallet when the bill came. Oh, and what do ya know, so did everyone else. So I bought those free-loading f*ckholes dinner.

They all disappeared and left me on my own once we got back to the house. When they reappeared, Clifford had that weird party smell he gets that turns my stomach.

And if I could escape and go home, I would, but ta-da! Guess what? I can’t because I promised Mindy she could have the apartment for the night, and just because my holiday sucks big fat hairy moldy donkey balls doesn’t mean I’m going to ruin hers too.

However, there is a bright side to all this, and that is that Clifford and I are over.

O.

V.

E.

R.

Done.

I will never so much as smile in his direction again.

One more night of torture I can handle. I’ll fake sick, although the way I’ve been feeling lately I may not have to, avoid kissing and sex, and by the time the sun rises in—I check the time—six hours, I will never have to give Clifford a second of my time ever again.

And it’s on that thought that I’m able to tolerate this total disaster of a night.

The same ole screamo is blasting through the speakers, people are chattering obnoxiously, but I’ve erected a sphere of silence all around me. I’m numb to everything, every look, every attempt at conversation, every single f*cking thing.

Even now I’m watching as a girl whispers something in Clifford’s ear and he holds her close to him by her hip.

I almost feel sorry for her.

“Take a look over here, sweet cheeks.” I bounce my eyebrows and laugh, not that it matters because no one can hear me over the music anyway. “This’ll be you in three months.”

A dude close to me stares at me like I’ve lost my mind, but I only smile. This is it. I’ve officially lost every single f*ck I’ve ever given.

Gotta admit. Feels pretty good.

Grinning like an idiot, I’m a fly on the wall as the party rages on. My feet hurt, but I refuse to go get comfortable in Clifford’s bed. I’m staying right here until the sun breaks and then I’m out.

The front door opens, and all my resolve turns to shit when in walks my salvation.

Killian.

Tears spring to my eyes as anguish and relief strip me of my strength. I open my mouth to call to him, but the words freeze in my throat when his eyes meet mine and scream their apology. Something pulls his attention, and I follow the line of his gaze to the pretty little redhead grinning up at him as if he’s the sun in a winter wasteland.

And then I notice it.

He’s holding her hand.

*





Killian





I knew this was a mistake.

When we pulled up behind Ryder, I almost kept driving, but then I thought why the hell not? I knew Axelle would be here, and f*ck if my heart didn’t jump in my chest at the idea of seeing her, but not like this.

She’s surrounded by a sea of people and has never looked more alone. It’s as if she’s invisible to everyone but me. Her face pales, and even with all that black shit around her eyes, I notice them glistening the way they always do when she’s fighting tears.

Fuck. What the hell did Clifford do this time?

I rip my gaze from her and search the dick-lick out only to find him playing quarters with a girl no more than a few yards from where Axelle’s standing. That sorry sack of shi—