I shake my head. I’m notthatdesperate. I don’t need my brother and sister-in-law to find me a date, so I don’t show up pathetically alone, sitting next to an empty plate at a table while my ex marries the love of her life. I slide in the other direction, weaving through the crowd, almost making it to the door when suddenly my eyes snag on a familiar face. A face that I haven’t been able to stop thinking about.
Maggie Hollister stands in the middle of the crowd, surrounded by a small group clapping and cheering as she line dances with the same blonde guy that I’d stopped her from drunkenly getting into a car with just over a month ago.
Leaning against the side of the warehouse, I fold my armsover my chest, kicking one booted foot back against the wall to watch. She’s good—okay, she’s amazing. Her chestnut curls bounce around her as she moves, and she’s wearing a tiny pair of Daisy Duke shorts that barely cover her ass cheeks, paired with a snug green tank top and matching cowgirl boots. Her eyes are alive with joy, her laugh ringing out like wind chimes as she spins and kicks, tipping her head toward her partner.
After the disaster of a blind date, I was just on, I realize I could stand here watching her all night and not be tired anymore. But then reality hits—she’s here with that same idiot who was willing to risk both their lives, and anyone else on the road, just to make it to a concert.
My mind reels at the possibility of her getting in a car with him again. He doesn’t have any regard for her safety, and I doubt he’s sober tonight by the way his hands are touching her.
Is he driving her home?
My eyes lock onto his fingers resting on her hip, gripping tighter as he spins and dips her before they break apart again. Every time he touches her, it’s like a spark ignites, one that is burning up the thread of my control, and the thought of her going home with him sends a wave of anger pulsing through me.
I know I promised myself to keep my distance from her—that she’s too good for me, too pure, too innocent. I’m a wreck, a walking disaster with a one-way ticket to destruction, and the last thing I want is to drag her down with me.
But here I am, lingering in the shadows, unable to walk away. Waiting. Patiently, for the perfect moment to ruin her night and derail their little date...
Chapter 19 – Maggie
The song changes to something slower as the crowd of people around Kaleb and I disperse.?
“You were amazing. I’m glad you called tonight,” Kaleb says, wrapping his arms around my waist snuggly and pulling me in closer.
I nod in response, because I don’t have the words to explain why I called tonight other than my self-esteem had taken a bruising a few weeks ago after Clay Cameron rocked my world with his sinful mouth in a dirty locker room. He valiantly fought some mean looking guy, won, and made my childhood heart swoon in a matter of minutes, then basically told me to get lost rather than allow me to even see his dick.
A bruising to my self-esteem would be putting it mildly. More like a lethal blow.
Maybe it was a bad idea to call Kaleb, of all people, but I knew he’d come through. He’s always had a way of distracting me and reminding me that I have plenty going for me.
Kaleb and I have known each other since high school. Now, heworks as a carpenter in town, helping his dad’s business while saving up to buy his parents’ house so that they can retire. He isn’t a bad guy—just reckless, like most twenty-somethings in our small town. He also happens to be the guy I’d lost my virginity to three years ago, and, well, the only guy I’ve slept with since.
As his hands slide past my hips, settling at the top of my butt, I consider moving them—but I don’t. I know it’s pathetic, enjoying the feeling of being wanted. But tonight, I need it. I just need to lick my wounds, forget Clay’s rejection for a little while, and then get back to crushing all of my dreams tomorrow like the bad ass that I know I am.
“Whatcha got going on later tonight?” he asks, and I realize, now’s the time to give him my made-up excuse so that I can get home safely without being persuaded into lackluster sex with an ex.
“My dad’s off work so I was planning on spending time with him. Sorry.”
I can see the disappointment flash across his face before he smiles and nods. “No worries. Maybe tomorrow night.”
Maybe...Maybe not…
We continue dancing until the song ends and I shift out of his grip.
“I’m going to go grab a drink. Do you want something?” he asks.
I raise my brow in response.
He shrugs. “Fake ID. Remember?”
Oh, yea…
That’s the other thing about Kaleb. He doesn’t think about the future. He rarely thinks about the consequences of his decisions and the impact that they might have on him if he gets caught doing something illegal.
“I’m good,” I respond.
He shrugs and walks off, leaving me standing in a sea of swaying bodies on the dance floor. The music feels distant now and I decide I need some fresh air. I weave through the crowd, almost reaching the exit when a hand clamps around my wrist. Instinctively, I jerk back, ready to fight, until I see who it is that’s holding me.
“Clay...?”
