16. Chapter 16
Fylis
I leave the club absolutely mortified. I shouldn’t have said what I did, but Jade didn’t have to kick me out like that. Guilt swirls in my belly, distracting me from my path until I slam into a rigid body. Fucking Burgess.
“Woah! Distracted much, friend?” He looks down at the tears threatening behind my eyes and quickly changes his tone. “Shit, Fylis, what happened?”
I shove him away from me, wiping my eyes across my sleeve.
“Don’t! I’m fine.” Snapping at him, I quickly move around him and continue walking. Thankfully, he gets my needs for space and leaves me alone.
Once home, I can’t help but replay the night in my head.
Over and over and over until I can hardly keep my eyes open.
When the sun wakes me, I’m back to my weekly routine.
Meeting, classes, office hours, dinner alone, grade papers until an ungodly hour, bed, repeat.
Burgess walks on eggshells around me all week, probably because of the state he found me in last week.
Not that I’m complaining. Ada even steered clear of me.
When I finally sit down and open my laptop to check next week’s lesson plans, my standing Saturday appointment with Jade stares back at me. Shit.
***
When Saturday arrives, I nearly pace a hole into my flooring.
Can I face Jade after all of that? I shower and get dressed in a simple, linen button-down.
My mind wars with me, and my old ways settle in quickly.
Throwing on one of my old knit sweaters over top, I grab my keys and lock the door behind me.
My engine roars to life, making me bite my cheek.
Secretly hoping for the universe to give me a sign not to go back to the club.
But everything goes perfectly in my favor.
No traffic. No red lights. Plenty of parking.
Glancing at the large neon sign of the Whip’s End, my heart starts to race.
Images of Jade dance in my head, but every single fantasy ends with her kicking me out again.
I can’t do this. I drive out of the lot and take the following two rights until I end up in a different parking lot, silencing my phone before I head inside.