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I spin him around and his eyes widen. Without thinking, I pull back, then slam my fist into with his jaw, knocking him clean on his ass. Pain radiates through my hand and up my arm.
"What the hell, man? Who are you?" He jumps back to his feet.
"Why was Andrea crying? What the hell did you do to her?" I grit my teeth, looking for any reason to hit him again.
"Oh, that's right. You're the stalker following around the boring ass boomer who couldn't even get me hard."
And there it is.
My fist connects with Lucky's face so hard that I just put him to sleep for the next week.
Leaving Lucky knocked out in the dirt, I sprint back to Andrea's campground to make she's okay, and that asswipe didn't do anything to hurt her.
The entire R.V. is dark. She couldn't have fallen asleep already, could she? Should I knock? I know she saw me when Lucky left. Maybe this is her way of saying she doesn't want anything to do with me anymore.
Wanting to give her space, I head to bed, hoping to talk to her in the morning.
My heart sinks as I stare at the now empty space where Andrea's R.V. was parked last night. Lindsay mentioned she wanted an early start on the day, but I didn't think she'd leave without saying goodbye.
But what else could I expect when I pushed her away every time we got close?
Shit, I'd run away from me, too, if I could.
Andrea's kiss was incredible. She tasted like coffee, with hints of vanilla. No matter how close I pulled her to me, it wasn't close enough. When Andrea is near, and I see her gorgeous smile, I feel a sense of calm I haven't felt in months.
And then guilt comes and kicks me in the balls. I don’tdeservecalm.
If Bailey is unable to love, why should I be able to?
Lindsay surprises me with a hot cup of coffee. "Fresh grounds from Brazil with some organic vanilla creamer."
"Thank you. Where's your friend?" I attempt to sound casual rather than nosey, still blankly staring at the empty camping spot.
“She decided to leave early this morning. Last night was a little too much for her,” she explains. "She’s off to a hot spring resort someplace in Montana. She said she wants to meditate and reset before continuing."
"Oh. Cool." I shrug, taking another sip of my coffee. "Delicious," I say, even though it tastes no different than any other coffee I've tasted.
"Jacob told me a little about what happened to you and your friend. I won't say anything to Andi. It's your story to tell. She's a great listener, and I bet you are too. You both may just need each other. You should give her a call sometime." She slips a small piece of paper into my flannel pocket before walking away.
"Hey, what happened with her and that douchebag last night?"
"I'll let Andi tell you about it," she says with a chuckle before disappearing into the bus.
Within a few hours, the campsites are packed, and we begin the twenty-hour trek to Denver, Colorado, for the second stop on the festival's five-city circuit.
Turning my phone on after three-day disconnect, my device begins buzzing like crazy with all the missed calls and messages. When I stop to get gas, I take a minute to scroll through the laundry list of names. Mom, lawyer, lawyer, Kevin, Ms. Giordano, lawyer, mom, and my lawyer again.
Not a single person I'm interested in talking to today.
I find the next episode of my favorite podcast and throw my truck into drive.
Three hours in, I've lost interest in the ghostly podcast, my mind starts to drift, and my eyes flutter with attempts to close. I roll down the windows and crank up the latest Hustlers CD to force myself awake.
Car horns from all directions startle me from my momentary slumber party for one, so I make the intelligent decision to grab a hotel room for the night. A hot shower and a comfortable bed after spending the weekend on an air mattress in the bed of my truck sounds like heaven.
After settling in and enjoying one of the best showers I've had in a while, my mind still races. Thoughts of Andrea and her altercation with Lucky mix with questions about why my lawyer called so many times, and unanswered questions about Bailey, the case… all combine to create a restlessness within me that I can't escape.
I should have at least called my lawyer back.
