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“I was honest with you from the start, Leigh-Ann. This was only ever casual and I should have ended it weeks ago when it was clear to me that you wanted more than I could ever give you.”
She stares at me for a full three seconds, her jaw slack and tears welling up in her eyes before her brows slant down into a glare and she grits her teeth. Stomping over to the bar, she snatches her bag off the top and jabs a finger in my direction with all the malice she can muster.
“I hate you,” she hisses. “You’re such a goddamn asshole and when you realize what you’ve just done, you’re going to come crawling back to me. Do you hear me?”
I shake my head as I lift the bottle of beer to my lips, my annoyance ratcheting up another notch. “Don’t hold your fucking breath… or do. Either way, I won’t have to listen to this bullshit anymore.”
“You’re going to fucking regret this, Rooster.”
I barely hold back the sarcastic laugh that wants to bubble past my lips. Of all the things I regret, this won’t even make the top fifty. “No, I won’t.”
Shocked by my words, she stares at me for a second before she pivots and marches out of the clubhouse, hissing the whole way about what an unbelievable asshole I am. Like that’s news to anyone around here. The sound of an engine roars of the parking lot followed by squealing tires and then, everything is quiet.
Too goddamn quiet.
I shove myself out of my chair and turn towards the back of the clubhouse, taking my beer with me, as my brothers start to laugh.
“Where you going, Roost?” Gear asks.
“To fucking hit something,” I hiss, continuing on my way to the only thing that’s going to be able to make me feel like a human being again.
Chapter Four
Lennon
As soon as I pull into the parking lot attached to my apartment building, a lead weight presses down on me and I let out a sigh. I’m fighting the urge to just close my eyes right here, right now. It’s creeping up on midnight and I don’t even have words anymore for how tired I am. Pulling my Jeep into its regular spot, I turn the car off and sink back into my seat, closing my eyes. I swear, I don’t even have the energy to get out of this damn vehicle.
And I damn sure don’t have the energy to deal with Owen.
Opening my eyes and glancing up at the apartment door, I let out a groan. Tonight was absolute hell. Two buses full of high school kids from up north arrived at the hotel for some kind of tournament over the weekend. I spent more of my night acting like a chaperone and a slave than a front desk clerk. Between running little odds and ends to spoiled teenagers who were getting a kick out of seeing me power walk up and down the halls of the hotel and helping the actual chaperones keep the boys and girls is separate rooms, I didn’t get a single moment to sit down or do any of my regular duties.
I didn’t even have time to think.
Which is a problem since I planned on spending a quiet evening at the hotel figuring out what the hell I’m going to do to get me out of this relationship.
And I don’t have the energy to put any focus on it now.
A feeling of dread washes over me as I stare up at the apartment door. My entire body aches. There isn’t much I wouldn’t give right now for the ability to teleport my body to my bed so I didn’t have to trudge up the stairs or face whatever state the apartment is in at the moment.
Owen said he would clean up.
Do I believe that?
No.
No, I do not.
A groan slips out of my lips as I grab my bag from the passenger seat and open the door, practically falling out of my Jeep. I press my hand to the side of the vehicle for a moment, Mila’s words ringing in my ears. Taking a deep breath, I stand up straight. My muscles feel weak and shaky but they are miraculously holding me upright.
Mila’s right.
I know she is.
I just need some time to figure out a plan and then, I’m gone.
My breath hisses through my teeth at the thought. Time is the one damn thing I don’t have. But I can’t focus on that now. What I need to focus on is getting upstairs and collapsing into my bed so I can get a few hours of sleep before I have to be back at the bakery. With renewed resolve and fantasies of unconsciousness dancing through my mind, I readjust my bag and make sure my legs feel stable before I start walking towards the apartment.
Getting up the stairs feels like a mammoth task and I’m convinced that my legs are going to give out on me with every step but then, finally, I’m standing in front of our door. My stomach rolls as my mind turns to what is waiting for me on the other side of this door.
