Yes!“Thank you.”
I took off my helmet and rested against the bike until she came out. A scowl on her little face. Her arms stiff. Her eyes wary.
“Shit. I was hoping you still liked me.” I plastered my best crooked smile on my lips.
She shrugged. “You’ve been a dick.”
“True. And I understand if you don’t wanna be seen with me, especially here. Do you wanna go somewhere?”
“No. Just say what you’re here for. But know I’m not gonna be your messenger.”
I nodded once. “Fair enough. Can you tell if she’s gonna be home tonight?”
“Where else would she be? Today was the first day she left the apartment after that stupid Valentine’s and look what happened to…” she chopped off her words.
My body jerked upright away from the bike, fully alarmed. “What happened to her?”
“Oh fuck.” She filled me in on the notes and the bike. My fists and teeth clenched, and my blood simmered by the second as I listened.
She stared at me with a warning in her eyes. “You’re gonna do something stupid again, aren’t you?”
My demons played with my head. Yes, I wanted to hurt every bastard who thought he could mess with my girl. But I knew if I did that again, she’d hate me forever.
I was trying to win her back not lose her.
Taking a deep breath, I tried to let go of my anger and pride for a minute. “No.” I shook my head, convincing myself before her. “Not this time.”
“Good.”
“All right. I’ll take care of the bike. If it’s finished by tonight, I’ll swing by and bring it at your place.” If I fixed things instead of destroying them, maybe Cammie would see that I was changing and give me a chance. “Could you do me a favor and tell her I’ve moved to SLO?”
“Did ya?”
“Yes, and I’m not going anywhere.”
“Okay.” She bit her lip on a smile. “Or, maybe, I can go out for drinks around nine-ish and stupidly forget to lock the door so someone even stupider can show up and tell her himself?”
I chuckled. “Much stupider, yes.”
“Um-hum.”
“Thank you so much, Ash. You’re a really good friend.”
“And you’re trouble.” She spun and started back to campus. “Very big, hot, fucking good-looking trouble.”
“I heard that.”
She flipped me. “Don’t blow it.”
17. Cameron
“Can I come?” I asked Ash as she told me she was going out tonight.
“Uh…really?” She looked stunned.
I shrugged. “Probably not a good idea, but I don’t want to be alone. Today has been more than stressful, and I don’t want spend the rest of it brooding or overthinking.”
Her lashes fluttered. “Yeah…sure.”
