But running into Ben, Bella’s brother? Probably not a good idea.
I shake my head. “I suspect Elias was driving the Boxster.”
“Unfortunately.” Dale navigates the ambulance out of our lot. The low rumble of the ambulance is comforting. I suppose if I was on the other side of the calls, I’d have a different experience when I heard or saw the ambulance coming but as a paramedic, it settles my nerves.
Against my better judgment, I glance toward the police station. Jake’s 4x4 is in the lot. Of course, he’s at work. My only hope is that he’s stuck in the office this morning and Ramirez will be the officer on call.
Two minutes later, we arrive at the scene and I’m out of hope. Jake has his hand on Elias’s shoulder as they talk. So much for Ramirez being the one on the scene.
My attention shifts to the Boxster. It was a beautiful black car. Now, the front bumper is dragging the ground, one headlight is busted, and the fender has seen better days.
The other vehicle is Ben’s lifted pickup. There isn’t a dent on his vehicle. If he hadn’t felt a bump, he probably could’ve driven over the sports car.
“It’s a travesty.” Dale shakes his head.
“Yes, it is. Boxy is Elias’s pride and joy.”
“It looks like he’s not taking it well,” Dale says as he drives toward the parked cars.
At this point, there’s eight vehicles parked along the street as well as the cars pulling up to the stop sign. It’s our version of a traffic jam. As soon as the ambulance is parked, I climb out and walk toward the accident. Jake glances at me but as soon as he sees me, his face hardens, and he shifts his attention back to Elias.
The coldness in his eyes feels like someone punched me in the gut. Less than six hours ago, Jake’s eyes were warm and filled with lust as he took my body to places I’ve never been. And won’t ever go again.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Jake
After commiserating with Elias for an extra ten minutes while Emily and Dale checked over Ben, I’ve run out of things to say. Not that there’s anything wrong with Ben. His vehicle is built like a tank, but Emily appears as interested in avoiding me as I do in pretending she doesn’t exist.
We’ve discussed the specific damage to his baby, his dislike of oversized vehicles being allowed on the streets, the overcompensation for small dicks by those who drive said pickups, the best places to get bodywork done, and the need for a full traffic light in Brookhaven versus the blinking one that he ran.
The latter is humorous, but Elias isn’t in a laughing mood, and neither am I. The sound of Emily’s amusement feels like a velvet caress covered in shards of glass as it strokes and jabs along my skin.
Now, we’ve resorted to the game on television last night. I didn’t see the game because I was too busy with Emily. Until she left me. In the middle of the night. Like I was a random asshole she fucked in the bathroom of a bar.
The scent of her jasmine and vanilla laced perfume swirls around me, setting my teeth on edge. I don’t have to turn around to know she’s approaching our position.
She walked out on me. She got up in the middle of the night and walked the fuck out on me. I spent six blissfulhours worshipping her body, touching her, tasting her, being surrounded by her. Sleeping beside her. It was heaven or as close as I’ll ever get.
And it was nothing to her. I swallow over the acid in my throat. This is why I stopped sleeping around.
After Emily chose Spencer, I doubled down, going from woman to woman, trying to fill my head with anything but her. It didn’t work. And one day a few months later, I woke up with a girl in my bed. I didn’t know her name, and I realized I didn’t care to know it.
She woke up with stars in her eyes. I got out of bed and told her to leave. It didn’t matter that I’d explained in detail that I was only looking for a good time when we met the night before. By morning, I could tell she wanted something I couldn’t give her.
Hope. Me. A future. I couldn’t give her any of those things.
That was the last time. The tears in her eyes left me feeling like a selfish asshole.
And now, Emily did the same thing to me. She was only looking for a good time, and I built it up to be something. Everything. Only to have the door slammed in my face. Maybe I deserved it.
I straighten my shoulders and take her in. Her face is clean of makeup, revealing the dark circles under her eyes. She’s pale. Is she sick? “Are you okay?”
She frowns and ignores my question. “Elias, are you suffering any injuries?”
“No, I’m fine.” One corner of Elias’s mouth quirks upward. “Now if you want to give my car a checkup, you’re going to find different results. My poor baby is flatlining.”
Emily smiles in response to his attempt at levity. “Boxy has seen better days.”
