Picking Up the Pieces (Pieces, #2)(17)

My legs shook and my chest burned when I returned home an hour later. I stripped from my sweaty clothes as I climbed the stairs and headed for the shower, turning the nozzle all the way to the right. Frigid water was exactly what I needed to quell the burning heat that was blazing within me. I had to push this shit out of my mind. I couldn’t meet her tonight with all of this running through my brain. As I placed my palm on the wall beneath the showerhead and exhaled a deep breath, I started to force myself to relax.

I hope she wears something tight.

Dammit.

***

When I arrived, I chose a seat at the bar. A table felt too intimate and I didn’t want to make her uncomfortable. Even with my back to the door, I still couldn’t resist the urge to turn around and look at it every thirty seconds. I pushed my beer bottle back and forth between my hands on the bar impatiently, stopping to glance down at my large Bulova watch. It was still a few minutes before 6:00; she wasn’t late yet. But I was annoyed anyway. Why was I the only one who had cared enough to be early? Why did I care at all? Lily had ripped my heart out and stomped all over it. I didn’t owe her this meeting. And I especially didn’t owe her an apology. What had I been thinking?

Suddenly, my body tensed and my skin prickled. I knew that when I turned around, she’d be there. I cocked my head to the side, looking at her out of the corner of my eye. She scanned the bar and stopped on me, her lips lifting to a small smile. Shiny and perfect, her hair looked as though she had just stepped out of a shampoo commercial. A fitted purple CrossFit T-shirt formed snuggly to her body, and her jeans settled casually on her hips. Suddenly, my annoyance turned to anger. How dare she look so fantastic. I had been a mess for the past five months, and she looked like a f*cking model. If there had been any question as to whether or not I had meant a damn thing to her, that question had been answered. If anything, she looked better. I guess kicking me out of her life had done wonders for her. Fuck this. I quickly turned back toward the bar, not acknowledging her approach. Thank God I had the wherewithal to meet her in a bar. I held up my beer bottle to the bartender, signaling for another.

“Hey, Max. Have you been here long?”

“No, not long,” I said simply. She had been there five seconds and I was already being a dick. But I didn’t care. The bartender set the bottle in front of me and I brought it directly to my lips and took a swig.

“Anything for you, miss?” the bartender asked.

Lily looked over at me for a split second. When I didn’t make any move to look back at her, she replied, “Just water for right now.”

“Comin’ right up.”

“So, what’s been going on?” Lily asked, discomfort evident in her voice.

“Nothin’ much. Just figuring some things out. What about you? I didn’t know you did CrossFit," I said with a snort.

She looked confused for a minute before looking down at her shirt. “Oh, yeah, I started it over the summer. One of our coaches was in a competition in the city today. I came right from there.”

“Huh. I didn’t peg you for a trendy exerciser.”

“What does that mean exactly?” She narrowed her eyes at me, probably trying to figure out what the hell my problem was.

Truth be told, I wasn’t sure what my problem was. I had been excited, and somewhat nervous, to see her all day. But now that she was there, I was pissed off and edgy. “It’s such a fad. I didn’t think you’d be someone who would buy into the hype.”

“I’m not sure how something that has been around since 2000 and has millions of participants can be considered a fad.”

“I just hate all of those people who act like CrossFit is the best thing that’s ever been invented. Like anyone really cares how many burpees you can do or how much weight you can jerk.”

“Speaking of jerks, I thought I told you not to be an *.”

“You told me to try not to be one.”

“What’s your problem? You tell me you want to meet up so you can apologize, and I agree only to show up and have you be a complete dick for no reason?” Her face flushed as anger started to flood into her. Now we were on a level playing field.

“I’m being a dick for voicing my opinions? Aren’t you a teacher? Shouldn’t you be encouraging people to speak their minds?”

“Oh, you want us to speak our minds? No problem, playboy. Just let me order a drink, and maybe dinner and dessert, since I’ll probably be here a while. I have plenty to say to you.” She motioned to the bartender and ordered a gin and tonic.

What a bitch! She’d ordered that drink on purpose; I knew she had.

When the bartender set it down in front of her, she brought it up to her lips, but turned toward me before taking a sip. “What’s the matter, Max? Bring back memories?”

I was immediately transported back to the plane. Back to how good it had felt to touch her, hear her breathing quicken, watch her chest rise and fall. I had even been turned on when she’d told the flight attendant to ignore the drink I’d ordered for her and to bring a gin and tonic instead. She’d been so pigheaded. I knew right away that I had to have her. It was this memory that reminded me of how much I had loved her once. But the way she threw this memory in my face made me hate her in that moment. “No good ones,” I retorted bitterly.

Lily’s face showed no sign that my comment had stung her, but I knew it had. Because I knew her. Better than anyone.