No, I don’t know.But I swear I could look at her gold dust skin and big brown eyes all night if she would let me.
“Now that we have that sorted out, sweetheart, I need you to tell me something.Facts.Or you can tell me to fuck off and stop being nosy.But I’m kinda hoping you won’t.”
The trusting happiness in her eyes shuts off as she withdraws from me.
“You’re not my boyfriend, Theron.Nor are you my boss.I don’t have to divulge the truth about anything in my private life to you.”
That’s all the confirmation I needed to know she’s hiding something.
“Can I ask the fucking question first before you mount that high horse of yours, darlin’?”
There’s a hint of a pout, but Aila is certainly more pissed than pouty.“Fine,” she says, gesturing like an usher with an invitation, “ask the fucking question.”
“Why do you use your paternal surname online?”
Even in the subdued lighting of the clubhouse, I see Aila’s eyes roll.Crossing her arms, she leans away from me, even going so far as to push back her barstool.
“I’ll answer, Theron, but only because I like you.And also because I think you had something to do with the lucky break I had back at Harry’s Saloon four years ago.”
I get ready to deny having anything to do with kicking Belt Buckle’s sorry ass and leaving two grand on the ground to help settle his bill, but she ain’t having any of it.
Snapping her fingers together as if she’s using a sock puppet, Aila shakes her head.“Tsst.No, don’t bother denying it.Just like I’m not going to bother denying why I had to change my name.”
This little firecracker is ready to confess.She intrigues me with every movement she makes, every word she says.
Taking a deep breath, Aila lets it out.“Mom and I were still comfortable after her first relationship imploded, enough for us to live within a budget and for me to apply to colleges in the States.”
“You went to university Stateside?”
Another grim nod.“Yeah, that’s where we are from.One year was all it took for me to mess it all up.And I had no one else to blame but myself when I didn’t make it past my second year.”
This is interesting.Was it drugs?Partying?Poor grades?Aila as a brat doesn’t fly with me.
“I started dating someone.It got intensereallyfast.He was my first serious partner.But he was more than that to me, because he offered stability, too.It made total sense to me that I nail my flag to his post and stake my claim.And I let him do the same to me.”
Does the jealous beast lurking inside me roar with displeasure when I hear Aila saying this?Yep.But I enjoy that she is older and wiser now.At least I hope she is.
“Hey, is there a beer around?”Aila knows she is not going to get through this without some kind of social lubricant.Vaulting over the bar counter, I go grab her one.My movements are too fast and athletic for a human performance, but Aila is deeply absorbed in what she wants to say and doesn't notice.
Swallowing one or two sips of her beer seems to put her in a better frame of mind.
“Thanks.Where was I?Okay.My first-year university lovefest.It was lame of me to pair off with the first guy who showed an interest in me, but he had this way of making me feel special.I loved being able to wave goodbye to my friends before hopping into his sports car.I felt pity for my single friends, you know?Guess I was one smug bitch for rubbing my romance in their faces like that.And it goes without saying that I didn’t listen when the alarm bells went off.”
I let her know that I’m listening when Aila checks my expression before continuing.
“And what alarm bells are you referring to?”
ChapterThirteen
Aila
Iwish this wasn’t my backstory.I would give anything for that monster to be obliterated from my short history.But I made the mistake, and I have to live with it forever.
“It started off small in the beginning.He would get mad over something and just pop off.We were in my bedroom the first time he acted out—I can’t even remember what we were arguing about—and he kicked the lamp off the end table.Like he was some kind of a Ninja, lifting his leg and pow!The lamp was shattered.”
Theron’s knuckles go white as he grips the bottle of special beer he drinks, but he doesn’t interrupt.
“He went into damage control mode immediately.Gaslighting me into blaming myself.‘See what you made me do, babes?I swear you like to drive me crazy.Please let’s drop this.I’ll buy you a new lamp.That one was fucking ugly anyway.You want to go shopping?Let’s go shopping.’And like a bimbo, I fell for it.”
