12. Spike
CHAPTER 12
SPIKE
You have five minutes.
I’m not entirely sure I can say what’s on my mind in that amount of time, but I’m inside, and that’s a giant step in the right direction.
“Time’s ticking,” she snipes as she paces the length of her living room.
I watch her every move, and my eyes are drawn to her face. Her eyes are puffy, and she looks exhausted.
“Are you okay?” I ask.
She stops in her tracks and spins to glare at me. “Like you give a damn.”
“I know you won’t believe me, but I do care. I’m not a monster.”
“Coulda fooled me.”
Thrusting my fingers through my hair, I close the distance between us and grab her arm with my free hand. “C’mon. Sit down,” I urge.
Surprisingly, she doesn’t resist, but she does sit as far away from me as her couch will allow. I take in the pillow and rumpled blanket, and guilt surges through me.
“Why’d you sleep on the couch?” I ask.
“What makes you think I did?”
I tilt my head. “Ivory, I’m not stupid.”
She huffs out a breath. “Fine. I was pissed after you called me an uptight bitch, so I decided to watch true crime documentaries to help me plot your murder.”
I chuckle, and for the first time since arriving, I feel a little lighter. “Learn anything good?”
A ghost of a smile graces her lips. “Yep. You should be careful because you might not make it outta here alive.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Ivory relaxes slightly and curls her legs under her. “Why are you here, Spike?”
“Because I wanted to talk to you.”
“You made it pretty clear how you feel about me on the phone,” she snaps. “What more is there to say?”
“I’m sorry about that.”
“Okay, fine. Apology accepted.” She glances toward the door. “You can leave now.”
“Why’d you come looking for me at Purgatory?” I ask, ignoring her obvious desire for me to leave her alone. Her only response is to shrug. “C’mon, Ivory. You must’ve had a reason.”
“I don’t remember.”
“Damn, you’re stubborn.” I grin. “That’s kinda hot.”
Without warning, she grabs a pillow and launches it at my head. I swat it before it hits me.
“Spike, I’m really tired,” she says with a sigh. “Can you just get to your point? Please?”
“Fine. I wanted to apologize for calling you an uptight bitch, which I’ve already done.” I scoot closer to her and brush a blonde strand of hair out of her face. “And I just wanted to see you again.”
Her eyes snap to mine. “You did?”
“Yeah. I mean, I enjoyed our night together. But then you left, and I thought…” I shake my head. “Well, it doesn’t matter what I thought. We clearly weren’t on the same page.”
Ivory stares at me, her chocolate eyes swimming with some unidentifiable emotion. “I don’t do one-night stands, Spike. That night with you… It was way out of character for me.”
“Was it? Because I remember a girl who made it clear she doesn’t back down from a dare. And I also remember that you had zero complaints while we were at that motel.”
“Okay, so I don’t back down from a dare,” she concedes. “Problem is, my heart and soul do. I’m not looking for a relationship, certainly not from a?—”
“Biker,” I snap bitterly. “Yeah, you’ve made that clear.” I stare at her imploringly. “Then why’d you come looking for me?”
“Because…” Ivory shrugs. “I don’t know. I had fun with you, that’s all.”
“And what? You were hoping for a repeat performance?”
Please say yes.
“Yes. No.” She sighs. “I don’t know.”
“Well, which is it?”
“Look, just forget you ever met me, okay?”
“Not likely.”
Ivory shifts to sit on the edge of the cushion and picks her cell up off the coffee table. “Dammit. I, uh, gotta get ready for work.”
I see right through her attempt to politely dismiss me and decide to give in… for now. “Okay.”
She stands and walks to the door. “Um… give me a call later, and we can talk some more.”
“You won’t hang up on me this time?”
“Depends.” She opens the front door. “Now, I really do need you to go. I’ve gotta get movin’.”
Rising to my feet, I nod and stride to the door. “I’ll call you later.”
“Right. Goodbye, Spike.”
She shuts the door as soon as I’m over the threshold, and at this moment, I know she won’t answer my call.
Doesn’t mean I won’t try.