I threw the towel over my shoulder and poured some water into my mouth. It was the exact moment that something on the Television hanging across the hall caught my eye.
Not quite believing my eyes, I stepped through the glass doors.
A picture of me.
That I’d sent her. Yesterday. My junk had been blurred out but everything else lit up the screen in high definition.
My throat went dry as I watched her betrayal play out. With the TV muted, captions flashed across the bottom of the screen.
Not quite believing my eyes, I read about my marriage. Twisted shit I’d told her the other night. Speculation as to whether or not I’d stay in Denver. How many times I’d fucked her Saturday night?
This wasn’t happening.
I just stood there long after the segment was over. She played me?
She used my gran? A choking laugh tore past my throat. My eyes burned and I thought for a minute I might throw up.
Suddenly I had the answer for all my unanswered texts.
Like a movie, our time together rolled through my head.
Holly on the floor, crawling around in a pile of erotic lingerie. Holly sitting with my gran, raising her hand to bid and smiling at me. Sprawled on the grass in the courtyard at the Worthington… and then Saturday at Alesandro’s. Telling me about her friend, Bernadette. Feeding me bites of her dinner. Teasing me for losing my car. And god, that night. In my room. Inside of her. Tasting her. Holding her. Telling her all my fucking secrets.
I wiped a hand across my face and tried to breathe.
Never again. Anger, like a poison, iced my veins.
No way she’d expect me to pick her up now. If she was stupid enough to wait for me she could fucking wait forever.
I shook my head and returned to the weight room. So much for hiking.
And then another annoying thought pierced my heart.
So much for love.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Holly
Iwanted totext Hunter as soon as I stepped out of the building but needed to get over to the Lodo Saloon. The lunch rush would start around eleven and it was already almost ten. I’d never been there before and even though I’d lived here most of my life, I easily got turned around downtown.
Pumping my legs to cover ground quickly, I wished I’d forgone the heels today. Or brought some flats along.
The shuttle was approaching so I broke into a run.
THWACK.
This was me. As much as my knees and palms stung, I hated the fact that people had actually seen me face plant on the sidewalk. Damn sidewalk grates.
My purse and bag had gone flying as well. At least I’d returned the lingerie already. Feeling a little tender, I pushed myself up to get my bearings.
“You all right, sweetheart?” An older woman knelt beside me while the gentleman she’d been with casually collected the items which had gone flying from my purse and bag. Another woman helped him stuff all of it in the bag.
I stared ahead, stunned. My breath caught in my throat somehow. “You hit your head. I finally registered her hand on my shoulder and nodded.
“I’m okay,” I expelled somehow. I brushed at my knees. Lovely.
The woman pressed a tissue into my hand. “Thank you.” When I went to stand, she took my hand and pulled. “Thank you,” I managed again.
