I glance up at the apartment and back to him. "You heard that?"
"I think the whole damn county heard it," he says with a smirk. "I hope whatever she was throwin' didn't hit you in the head." He hesitates, scratchin' his chin. "I take that back. Maybe it would have knocked some sense into you."
Shakin' my head, I walk past him and into the back of the bar. "We're fine.It'sfine," I quickly correct.
"You two always did love to fight."
I glance back at him with a raised brow. "Really?"
"Oh, yeah. Your relationship was like a tornado, destroyin' everything in its path when you fought."
I stop walkin' and turn to him. "Why the hell would I want to be in a relationship like that?" I ask.
"Because you loved each other, and that was just the way it was. You'd fight and make up. You never stayed mad at each other for very long. And more often than not you were the first one to cave."
"Me? Cave first?" I shake my head in disbelief.
"Yeah, I know it's hard to believe given how stubborn you are now. But you loved that girl more than anything in this world, and you knew it." He grins and then adds, "Hell, everyone knew it."
His words cut me to the core. I'm gettin' a sense of how much I loved Penny, because it feels like someone is rippin' my heart out of my chest right now. I stare around the kitchen, and it makes me think of Penny. I will drive myself crazy stayin' here tonight, wonderin' what she's doin', what she's thinkin'. "I can't deal with this shit right now, Buddy." Runnin' a hand through my hair, I tell him, "I'm takin' a couple nights off. She needs to cool off before I can explain my side of things. I just don't think we should be in the same room right now."
He frowns. "Fine. I'll cover for you, but you owe me."
I clasp a hand on his shoulder and give it a light squeeze. And then I make my way back out of the bar and towards my house, the only place I can find any peace.
CHAPTER 20
PENNY
IT'S WEIRD HOW the mind works sometimes. A week ago I truly thought I could change my life and the life of Colton. I thought we could make it work and finally have our happily ever after. Then I learned that happily ever afters are for suckers. And now I've made up my mind that I'm not going to waste any more time on Colton James or silly notions that somehow everything's going to be all right.
With a new attitude on life, I pull on my Crawford's Bar tee and a pair of shorts and stand in front of the mirror, adjusting my top. I spent the past few days thinking about my future, and I decided that I'm going to take the job up in New York for Tucker. I can still work at the bar for a couple more months until summer is over and help out Buddy and Shelby, who are my only true friends here. And then I'll be gone like a whisper in the wind with brighter and better things on my horizon. At least my heart will be mostly intact when I leave…even though it already feels like it's in a million jagged pieces inside of my chest.
Frowning, I grab my purse and head downstairs to the bar. Buddy is behind the counter, and there's no sign of Colton. I glance around, fearful that he'll come around the corner. I'm not ready to face him yet. And I don't know if I'll ever be ready.
"He's not here," Buddy confirms.
I breathe out a thankful sigh. "Good. I don't think I could stand being in the same room with him right now."
Buddy grins and presses his lips together in a thin line.
"What?" I ask.
"Colt didn't think you two should be in the same room either."
I roll my eyes and duck under the pass-through. I help Buddy stack glasses and get the bar ready to open. A few stragglers are in the place already, but the real action comes after eight o'clock on a Saturday night. After I refill a beer to one of the patrons, I turn to Buddy. "I'm over him."
Buddy arches a brow and tilts his head. "I think I've heard you say that before."
"No. I mean it this time, Buddy." Pausing and swallowing past the lump forming in my throat, I tell him, "He's not my Colt anymore. He doesn't love me, and…I don't think he ever will again."
"Just give it time, Penny. Time heals all wounds, or so they say."
"I'm leaving at the end of the summer, Buddy. I'm going back to New York." He raises his hand to protest, but I don't let him talk. "I've already made my mind up. I'll train Shelby Rae. Hell, I'll even teach her how to cook and bake."
"Teach me what?" Shelby asks, walking through the front door. She's dressed in her uniform and ready for the afternoon shift.
"Penny's goin' to New York," Buddy says, scowling.
