Page 58 of Slide

“What if he dragged you in with him? What if he decided to finish what you started in that bar?” He stood, shoving a hand through his hair. “Do you even know you’re doing it? Are you even aware of the reckless shit you do?”

“Now, hang on—”

“No wonder Hugh’s so damn pissed with you. Jesus.” He locked eyes with her. “You don’t fucking think, Lucy.”

She grabbed her tank and tugged it on. “I was trying to help.” She got to her feet, still holding the other end of the blanket to her nose.

“By getting yourself hurt. By nearly getting yourself kidnapped!”

“He wasn’t trying to kidnap me!”

“You little fool.” He grabbed her arms. His fear over what could have happened was totally in the driver’s seat now, and had complete control over what came out of his mouth. “You think you know, but you don’t. You don’t know goddamn anything.” She had no idea, no fucking idea how he felt about her, how seeing someone punch her, make her bleed, had affected him. He felt like he was losing his mind.

“You’re an asshole.”

“I know,” he fired back. “Doesn’t change the fact that you nearly got yourself seriously hurt…that it could have ended up a hell of a lot worse. That you don’t think before you act.”

She was standing stiff, but at his words, yanked her arms free of his hold and took several steps back—away from him. “That’s not true.”

“Were you thinking when you started fucking your professor? A married man? Were you thinking then, baby girl?”

Her body jerked back like he’d punched her this time.

“Don’t call me that,” she whispered.

“Name fits.” He was breathing heavily, heart racing, head spinning. He knew he was fucking up more with every frightened, jealous word that came out of his mouth, but he was so past rational thought he didn’t know how to stop it. “Time to grow the hell up.”

She was shaking now. “Says the man with the revolving bedroom door.”

Now it was his turn to flinch.

“I thought we were going to have some fun together.” She shook her head. “I’m not having fun anymore.”

“Lucy…” He didn’t know what to say. He’d messed everything up, had hurt her. God, he could see it in her eyes. “I…I…” What? What could he possibly say to make up for the shit he’d just flung at her? I’m sorry sure as hell wouldn’t cut it.

She turned her back on him and pulled on her shorts and shoes. Without a backward glance, she headed toward the road.

“Where are you going?”

“We need to get to the next town, right?” She walked over to the piece of shit car their thief must have used to follow them and climbed in.

Shit.