Page 23 of Slide

The fact she hadn’t been that girl in quite a while was irrelevant.

She’d lost herself when she’d been in her relationship with Daniel. She’d believed his lies, had fallen for his flattery. He’d used his position of power to get close to her, and she hadn’t seen it, not until it was too late, until she was in too deep. She’d been foolish, and had trusted him when she shouldn’t have.

She’d become someone else, someone she didn’t recognize. Someone she didn’t like very much. And honestly, she didn’t know who she was anymore, or what she wanted. Everything was so mixed up.

She didn’t know how long she sat on that bed—maybe an hour, longer than she’d intended to—trying to plan her next move, to clear her thoughts. All she knew for sure was she had to leave. Had to get the hell away. Now. She slung her bag over her shoulder and headed down the stairs, but came up short when she hit the bottom. The main door was partway rolled up. She thought everyone was gone after they’d closed up for the night. God, was Joe already there?

She heard Adam’s voice a second before the side door opened and he strode out onto the parking lot. She ducked back, pressing against the wall so he didn’t see her. He was on his phone, deep in conversation.

“I’m leaving tonight, taking a few vacation days. I should have her back to you in about four days, if all goes to plan.” He paused. “Yeah, I’ll be there in time for the show. You’re covered.”

Her?

Adam shook his head. “She’s fine. Not a scratch.” She could see him roll his eyes, even from her spot in the shadows. “No, they didn’t fuck up the upholstery.”

A car.

She stayed where she was listening to Adam discuss the details of his trip. A road trip to Chicago to drop off someone’s car.

Hitching her bag on her shoulder, she waited for him to turn his back then ducked under the garage door. A gorgeous red car took up a good amount of space, hood up, driver’s door open. There was a duffel and a sleeping bag thrown on the backseat.

Yeah, the old Lucy had pissed off her big brothers, done some crazy things, but she’d also been sure of what she wanted, where she was going. This new version of herself, after her disastrous sham of a relationship with Daniel and what followed, didn’t have the first clue what she wanted. She was lost, confused…and, God, lonely.

A zip of electricity shot through her lower belly. That familiar thrill.

A way to find herself again.

She knew what she needed. And Adam was going to be the one to help her.

One last adventure.

She just had to come up with a way to convince him to take her with him. That she wasn’t the kind of girl who would ask more of him than he was willing to give. That one night—or three—was all she wanted, and afterward she’d walk away. It was insane, made no sense whatsoever, but at that moment she knew taking this trip with him, getting him to give in to what he wanted, was what she needed. The only way to pull her from the dark place she’d been living in for too damn long. A way to wake up just a small piece of the girl she’d been, the girl who had been so sure of her future and what she wanted.

I won’t lie. I’d love a night between your thighs…

They both wanted this, and that knowledge gave her a sense of confidence…something she hadn’t felt in a long time. She didn’t want to feel powerless anymore. God, no more.

If she could do this, she’d emerge a stronger version of herself. Because if she could be with Adam, a man she’d been in love with since she was twelve, and keep her feelings in check and walk away whole, she could survive anything.

And she needed to believe that. To know it down to her bones.

Screwed up logic to be sure, but to her it made perfect sense.

The other night at Abella’s, he’d thought his words would scare her off, that she’d scurry away and never look back. She’d thought so, too.

Turned out they were both wrong.

Lucy Colton, the young woman who had walked onto campus four years ago with her future all mapped out, excited, desperate to try new things and tackle new challenges, hadn’t been scared of any damn thing. Well, she’d just been resurrected. A small part of her anyway.

She heard Adam ending his call.

Thinking time was up.

Time to take action.