“Slashed.”
My head snaps up as that one word echoes in the night, my heart starts beating faster.
“Slashed? Why would they?—”
“Somebody slashed them,” Matthew reiterates. “The cut in the tire is small. Maybe an inch or so. Straight cut.”
Straight cut.
Slashed.
Somebodyslashedmy tires.
A shudder rocks my body. I wrap my arms around myself, rubbing at my exposed skin.
“Why—?” I shake my head, my gaze going to my SUV. “Who—?” I suck in a breath, my throat feeling tight. “Damien.”
It has to be. Who else could have done something like this? And why would they do it? Damien is the only one who has a reason to be angry with me. I just humiliated him in the bar in front of everyone. Kissed Matthew right in front of his nose. And if slashing tires doesn’t scream angry, I don’t know what does.
Matthew turns off the flashlight and starts typing something on his phone.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m calling the station.”
My heart speeds up as the panic slams into me. “What? Why?”
The light from the screen illuminates Matthew’s incredulous expression. “What do you mean, why? Your tires have been slashed. Not only is that damage to your property, it’s a clear sign of aggression. You need to report it.”
Report it?
“I’m not going to report it,” I say immediately, shaking my head.
If possible, his expression only grows darker. “Jessica, he slashed your tires.”
My fingers sink into my upper arms, squeezing tightly. “I know!” I yell. Inhaling deeply, I will myself to calm down.
How the hell did we get tothis?
“He was pissed off about what happened.”
“You can say that again,” Matthew comments dryly.
“He was drunk.”
“Is there any other state for that guy? Oh, yes, I know. A douchebag. I seriously don’t know what you saw in him in the first place. You have to report it.”
“I don’t have to do anything.”
Matthew growls in frustration. “Jessica…”
“No. I’ve made enough of a spectacle as is. I’m not going to make it worse by filing a report.” Unfolding my arms, I run my fingers through my hair. “He’s going to stop. He just needs time to process it, and things will calm down.”
“He hasn’t stopped so far!” Matthew protests. “That guy is dangerous, and he’s getting cockier by the second. Just think about it rationally.”
“I am thinking about it rationally.”
“What is going on here?”
