I have justenough time to drive home, shower, and change into the Quinn Brothers T-shirt and black shorts combo that I chose for our team. The hangover from last night throbs in my temples as I stand at the bathroom mirror and attempt to give myself a head massage.
My phone lights up on the vanity with a message, and my brow scrunches at the name on the screen.
Shithead
Are you at the mud run yet? Is it okay if we meet up to talk about yesterday?
Who the heck isShithead?
Then I remember Dylan entering his number into my phone last night. I know he’s self-deprecating, but calling himself “Shithead” is going a bit far, isn’t it?
My stomach dips when I read his question again. Do Iwantto meet up with him to discuss last night’s dangerous flirtations and fall back under the spell of that take-my-pants-off smile?
Hell yes.
But that’s a form of torture I don’t need.
I’m still at home, sorry, running late
Blame it on the guy who forced me to do shots last night
What the hell??? What guy? Are you OK?
If you give me his name, I’ll run a check. See if he has any priors.
I stare at the message before it slots into place. This isn’t Dylan, it’s Nate.
Dylan was playing with my phone last night.Sneaky bastard.I bite away a smile while hurriedly typing back to Nate.
I was just kidding
But I won’t get there early enough to talk, sorry
See you there
I toss my phone back onto the counter, still salty at Nate over how he spoke to me yesterday. I really have no interest in trying to salvage this thing between us or even hearing what he has to say. He lost me at “Fuck you.”
* * *
I stepover the small fence surrounding the local park, which has been transformed into what looks like a military obstacle course from hell. I don’t know how they’re going to get rid of all this mud that’s been poured in to create a soggy track of physical challenges, which disappears into the wooded area that’s hiding goodness knows what horrors.
Silently thanking my painkillers for being so good to me, I weave my way through the small crowd of competitors, finding Ruby and Flynn lingering near the starting line. I shoot them a wave before Nate steps into my path, his lips turned down, his eyes red, his cheeks pale.
“What’s wrong?” I say on a breath.Oh god, who died now?
“I’m so sorry, Jade.”
“For what?”
My gut twists as Nate reaches for my arm. “For yesterday.”
I let out a long breath. “Oh jeez, from the look on your face, I thought something really terrible happened.”
Actual tears spring to Nate’s eyes. “It did. You broke up with me. I never thought I’d feel this way. I didn’t sleep at all last night.”
I glance impatiently over his shoulder to where Ruby’s gripping Flynn’s bicep while she stretches out her quads. “Nate, we weren’t technically in a relationship yet,” I remind him. “And we have to go start the race. Sorry, but this isn’t the right time to talk about this.”
I edge past him, and he trails me like a lost dog over to Ruby and Flynn. The four of us discuss the race, though Nate’s only plan seems to be making regretful eyes at me.
