11. Before It’s Too Late
11
Before It’s Too Late
I’m woken up by the sound of the front door slamming. Immediately, I sit up and rub my heavy eyelids. A short moment of oblivion is the best I can do because, apparently, the memories are just as eager to come back as Haze was eager to leave me last night.
It was almost perfect.
It could’ve been a fairy-tale scene.
If, of course, Prince Charming hadn’t told the princess that he wanted to sleep with other princesses all the while still having access to her castle.
I reach for the lamp next to the bed and flick the switch on.
Nothing.
Still no power.
But what truly bothers me is the roar of a car coming from outside the house and the way it keeps on getting farther and farther away. I run to the window and barely manage to see Haze’s black car disappearing down the driveway.
What the hell? Where is he going?
I take in the front yard of the house. A small tree fell over, but it’s nothing too bad. The fact that we don’t have power yet tells me that the damage must’ve been worse elsewhere in town. I walk back to the nightstand and reach for my phone. I have one text message. It’s from Haze.
Haze: Had stuff to do. Be back tonight.
Short and cold.
I ignore the sharp pain in my chest as well as his message. Is this the part where I look for cameras? He can’t be serious right now. You take me away from my family, bring me to a town I don’t know, tell me you love me, and then hook up with me, only to freak out when I mention commitment and leave me alone in a house with no power the next day?
Nuh-huh, I don’t think so.
I throw on the first clothes I can find and search the internet for a cab company in Colton Gate. I frown when I read the first name that came up on Google. Adams Taxi Co.
Adams? As in Haze Adams? Could the Adamses own the taxi company? Before I let myself fall deeper into a toxic question cycle, I push all Haze-related thoughts out of my head and dial the number. The only places with power will probably be stores and restaurants, and I am not spending the entire day here alone while Mr. Afraid of Commitment is out there doing God knows what.
“Welcome to Beck’s. How many people?” The waitress from the last time I was here forces a smile at the sight of me. I get it. I wouldn’t like me either. It sucks having Haze Adams slip through your fingers. I would know.
“Just one, please.”
“You didn’t bring your friend this time?” she says, the arrogance in her tone covered up by fake politeness.
I can’t deal with this right now.
“No, he’s out with his boyfriend today.”
Her jaw drops.
I do everything in my power not to laugh.
I just had to. She gave me no choice.
To my great surprise, she looks relieved. I bet she thinks that this is why he was ignoring her pickup lines. Whatever helps her sleep at night.
She leads me to my table and brings me a menu. I don’t know why I came back to the restaurant Haze and I went to. When the taxi driver asked me, “Where to?” I went for the only place in Colton Gate that felt somewhat familiar.
A short while after the waitress brought me the menu, she comes back to take my order.
“What can I get you?” She holds her notepad in her hands.
“I’ll have the breakfast combo.”
She nods. “Would you like a drink with that?”
“She’ll have a cappuccino. It’s on me.”
I look ahead to see a familiar set of eyes staring back at me. I recognize the guy who bought me the black dress a week ago. He just sat down in front of me. I’m tempted to ask him who he thinks he is to choose a drink for me but bite back my words.
“Make that two, actually,” he says to the waitress.
She raises her eyebrows at him the same way she did at Haze the first time she saw him and gives him a warm smile.
Uh-uh. Looks like she’s found her next victim.
I do have to agree with her: this Ryder guy is cute. I’d have to be blind to say that his dimples and messy black hair don’t give him a head start on the good-looking scale, but he’s not Haze. That’s all I see when I look at any guy now: Not Haze .
“Hey. Winter, right?” He smiles.
“Yes,” I say with uncertainty in my voice. “And you’re Ryder if I recall?”
“That I am. Sorry to interrupt. I just saw you sitting there alone, and I thought you could use some company. Hope you don’t mind.”
I’m tempted to tell him to leave me alone but decide against it. We’re in a public place, and he seems pretty harmless. Plus, I might as well talk to some people instead of just roaming around town alone for the rest of the day.
“No, it’s fine.”
“So, how was the storm last night?” he asks.
“It was windy,” I joke but can’t even muster a smile. “Weren’t you there?”
“No, I was out of town. Just came back this morning.”
“Well, you didn’t miss much.”
A bunch of small talk comes next, and I’m not that bothered by it. He knows how to hold a conversation, and he’s pretty nice.
“So, did your boyfriend like the dress?”
That’s right. He saw Haze back at the store.
“He’s not my boyfriend.” I take a long sip of water, hoping that the wait will make him change the topic. It hurts to say the words. No, he’s not my boyfriend. He’s not my boyfriend because he wants the sex but not the title.
“Oh, I’m sorry. My bad. It’s just…” He pauses, obviously uncomfortable. “Your neck.”
Shit.
It comes back to me. Haze gave me the biggest hickey of all time yesterday. It slipped my mind the second his fingers slid under my underwear. He got away with it. I can’t believe it.
I bring my hand to my neck, my eyes widening. I’m going to kill him when he comes back from wherever he went tonight. Then, I guess I’ll call Kendrick and leave the lake house. What else is left for me to do? Stick around to let him break my heart even more? I can’t be just another Bianca to him. I won’t.
“It’s complicated,” I say quietly.
“Well, if that makes you feel any better, I’m sure he doesn’t know what he’s missing.”
Oh, he kind of does, actually.
Because my stupid ass let him into my pants.
I’m so thankful that I didn’t go all the way. I would’ve felt awful if he’d told me he didn’t want a relationship after we’d slept together.
When he sees that I don’t intend to answer, Ryder takes the hint that I don’t want to talk about it.
“What are you doing here alone anyway?”
“Power’s still out where I’m staying, so I thought I’d spend the day in town.”
The waitress brings us our meals and bats her eyelashes at Ryder, who also doesn’t seem to notice. Maybe it’s just a female thing, and I’m the only one who sees what she does. Maybe Haze really didn’t have a clue last time.
“Well, there’s a fair in a nearby town, and I have two free passes, if you’re interested.” He gets two tickets out of his pocket.
“They have power?”
“The storm went right by them. Lucky bastards.”
“What’s to say you’re not a dangerous killer who wants to kidnap me?”
“I’m not, I swear.” He puts his hands up. “But I get that this is what every serial killer says, so we can get a cab there if that makes you feel better. It’s on me.” He grins.
“Don’t you want to use the passes on friends and family?”
“My friends are back home. I’ve been here visiting my grandparents for a while now, but I’m not sure Grandma would enjoy the monster roller coasters.”
I let out a small laugh and glance at my phone. I have no new messages from Haze. He obviously doesn’t care that I didn’t answer his previous one. The pain burdens my heart, and the words come out before I can think about it.
“Sure. Why not?”
Haze
The rumble of my car is all I can hear when I pull into Vic’s parking lot. I glance up at the large apartment complex building ahead of me and stop in the visitor spot. I don’t know why I’m here. And by here, I don’t mean at Vic’s place.
I mean, in this fucking town.
I shouldn’t have brought Winter here in the first place. I think I always knew, deep down, that eventually I couldn’t contain myself anymore and it would come to this. Of course she would end up wanting a relationship. Any other scenarios I fed myself before that were bullshit. Why does she need the damn title? It’s like she needs to put us into a cage.
I push the gear to park, kill the engine, and get out of the car with the memory of her body convulsing in pleasure intoxicating me. I can’t stop thinking about how insanely sexy she looked. I can still feel my fingers squeezing their way inside her. She says that she’s not a virgin, but just by the way she felt and how her innocent brown eyes widened at my touch… I’d be surprised if she’d had more than one guy.
And I know I’m an asshole who doesn’t deserve her, but I really, really, really… want to be number two.
Images of us crossing the line fill my already messed-up head, and I shut the unwelcomed thoughts out. I could get hard just thinking about her. Not the time, brain.
I text Vic that I’m outside and to buzz me in. Barely a few minutes after, I’m inside the building and knocking on his apartment door. That’s just how good of a friend Vic is. He wasn’t kidding when he said I could show up at his place anytime I wanted. He was right. I can’t run from the truth anymore. Which is why I have to talk to him. He’s the only one who can help me.
The door opens in a creak.
“Haze, man, what are you doing here?” He raises an eyebrow.
I stare at him and finally let myself articulate the haunting words that have been following me everywhere I go for the past two years.
“Have you heard from Riley?”