Chapter 31 #2
I walked the short distance to Whiskey Falls and pulled open the door. Evie shouted my name, her words already slurring from where she sat with a few of her friends. I held up my hand to briefly acknowledge her as my eyes scanned the bar. No sign of Ruby.
Doreen was behind the bar, and I walked over to her.
“Hey, River, what can I get you?”
“Nothing for now. I thought Ruby was working the night shift tonight?”
“Yeah. She asked me to stay on late because her friend is here, and they’ve been in the back talking for the last hour. Maybe he’s here to help with her move? I don’t know, but if you want to tell her to hurry up, that would be great. My feet are killing me, and I’d love to clock out.”
My shoulders stiffened.
He’s here to help with her move.
“Who is the dude she’s with?” I asked, as she stood at the tap, filling a few beer glasses for an order.
“Some guy named Dereck. He’s from the city, I think.”
The fucking professor.
Well, that didn’t take long.
I stormed behind the bar, pushing open the double doors to the kitchen and barreling through like a man on a mission. I nodded at Calvin, who was cooking, and strolled toward the stairs, assuming they were in her office.
The place I’d first been with her.
But I startled when I found them in the corner of the kitchen, her back against the wall, looking like she was trying to convince him of something.
He appeared to be pretty devastated, and she was comforting him like she felt bad about something.
I’ll bet she fucking did.
Had they been together this whole time while she’d been fucking around with me?
And now she was going back to her old life.
Back to her routine, with her boring-ass boyfriend who probably had old man balls.
“What the fuck is going on here?” I barked, and they both startled.
Highlight of my day was seeing this motherfucker squirm as he took me in.
“What the hell are you doing?” Ruby narrowed her gaze at me as I moved toward them like a goddamn stormtrooper on a mission.
“Who do we have here?” I said, my voice smooth and calm, even though I was ready to rip his head from his body. He wore a goddamn polo shirt and khaki pants, and his hair was cut short like he was in the military.
This was the dude she was going back to?
“Hey, I’m Dereck Hamilton,” he said, and even his voice was pretentious. He had a slight East Coast Ivy League twang that made him seem like he was better than the rest of us. He extended his hand, and I stared down at it.
“Put your hand away, Professor.”
He raised a brow, as if the man had never had anyone deny him anything.
And clearly, the woman I loved wasn’t denying him either.
“River, you’re being an ass.”
“Oh, well, you didn’t seem to have a problem with my ass over the last two months, did you?” I smirked.
Her cheeks flamed red, as if she couldn’t believe I was saying it aloud.
Yeah, buckle up, Queenie. I’m just getting started.
Rage and anger and something foreign I wasn’t used to coursed through my veins.
Maybe disappointment.
Hurt.
I wasn’t sure, because the only way I knew how to respond was to hit back.
She’d wounded me, and I wasn’t going down without fighting back.
Professor Douchebag looked at her like he wanted to swoop in and save her, and that only infuriated me more.
That wasn’t his fucking job.
“Dereck.” Ruby’s voice cut through the anger buzzing in my ears, and a knife sliced me in the chest at the sound of her calling out to him, even while I stood here, clearly upset. “Can you go out to the bar? I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
“You sure you’re okay?” Dereck asked, and my hands fisted.
“Is she okay? Are you fucking kidding me? Why don’t you go pour yourself a nice glass of chardonnay and order a few more polo shirts on your phone, you pretentious prick.”
The professor didn’t even appear offended. He looked—disappointed, as if he couldn’t believe I would speak to him that way.
He had no idea how ugly this could get.
“Oh my god, what is wrong with you?” Ruby grabbed my forearm and turned me to face her, as her boyfriend did what she told him to do and left the kitchen.
“What’s wrong with me? What the fuck is wrong with you? Jesus. I’m an asshole, and even I wouldn’t move on this quickly after all the time we’ve spent together.”
She sighed, her eyes showing the hurt she rarely showed. “All right, River. Give me your best. What is it you think I’ve done wrong?”
Un-fucking-believable.
She was just going to let me give it to her and act as if she was innocent here?
“Oh, you’d like that, wouldn’t you?” I leaned in close to her, my face just inches from hers. “Then you could leave Magnolia Falls feeling like the good guy and act like you had a valid reason for hating me.”
“I don’t hate you,” she said as she met my gaze.
“Yeah. We’re fine, right? You’ve got your boyfriend here, and you’re moving the fuck on. And that’s if anything you’ve ever told me was the fucking truth.”
Her chin tipped up, eyes hardening now, preparing for battle. “What wasn’t I truthful about?”
“Have you been with him this whole time? Does your boyfriend think you were here taking care of your father while you’ve been in my bed? And now you’re jumping right back into his, huh? You’ve played me the whole fucking time.” I spewed my anger, wanting to get a reaction out of her.
Needing a fucking reaction out of her.
But she was giving me nothing.
“Are you done?” she asked, as a tear ran down her cheek.
“I’m so fucking done.” I stepped back, my finger pointing in her face. “I guess you got the last laugh. But at least you warned me, didn’t you?”
“I warned you about what?” She swiped at her cheeks, and she glared at me.
“Rule number one. No catching feelings. I guess the evil queen was the only one still playing the game.” I stepped back, my gaze locked with hers. “And don’t let that sticky note go to your head. It didn’t mean shit. Have a nice life.”
“Fuck you, River,” she said, anger radiating off her hot little body.
“Well, you’ve already done that. But I’m sure there are plenty of women out there who would like to take their shot and leave with me right now.” I turned and walked out of the kitchen, and people were staring as if they’d heard the fight going on.
Evie was right there, waiting for me.
She reached for my hand and walked beside me toward the exit. I flipped the preppy professor the bird as I passed him, and he just sat there with his wineglass, gaping at me.
When I got to the door, I turned around and found those hazel eyes on me. They were sapphire blue tonight with gold rings around them.
Angry. Hurt. Confused.
Good. I hope she felt a little bit of the pain that I felt.
I needed her to feel something, or it meant that none of this was real.
“You okay?” Evie asked as I pushed through the door, and we made our way outside.
“I will be.” I dropped her hand. “But I need to be alone right now. I appreciate you being there, though.”
She nodded. “I know you do. I just didn’t want you to walk out of there alone.”
“Thanks.” I held up a hand as I stepped back. “Take care, Evie.”
I watched as her friends came walking out of the bar and told her they were heading to the Golden Goose to grab some food, and she fell in line beside them.
I pulled out my phone and opened the group chat and texted my boys.
I need you.
I knew that was all I had to say. When I got to my house, they were already there.
Ride or die.