31. Chapter 31
Chapter thirty-one
Pony
Driving to McQueen’s, I’m having second thoughts about this outing. I’m not sure why, but I have a bad feeling about it, and bailing on tonight is starting to sound like a much better option.
My thoughts keep circling back to what the guys said at Remi and Ricochet’s.
When I met Sherry, I was still licking my wounds.
I was convinced Remi and I had something special, and I was crushed when I didn’t hear from her.
I couldn’t believe she lied about wanting to see me again.
Or so I thought. I realize now I jumped in too fast with Sherry, trying to forget Remington. That’s not Sherry’s fault…it’s mine.
With Remi back in the States, knowing she wasn’t intentionally ghosting me, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about her. I’m struggling with the guilt over the feelings I have for Remi that I don’t have for Sherry. And never will.
My friends are right, Sherry isn’t the woman for me. That’s not her fault either.
This whole situation feels like a bad dream, and while I couldn’t have known what was happening to Remi, this fucked up mess is still all my fault.
I pull into the McQueen’s lot and park, scrubbing my hands over my face as I climb out of the car.
“Hey, Pony,” Doc calls, yanking me out of my thoughts. Seeing me alone, he glances around. “Where’s Sherry?”
“She’s meeting me here.”
“What’s going on with you? You’ve been distracted lately. Talk to me, brother.”
I don’t hesitate. “I fucked up. Remi was out there, being tortured, and I jumped to conclusions and gave up on her. I feel like shit about that.”
“There was no way for you to know. You didn’t hear from her for months. Stop beating yourself up over it.”
“I guess.”
“Look, I’ve never been in your position, but it seems to me if you want to pursue something with RJ, then you need to break things off with Sherry and go for it. You’re a SEAL, work the problem.”
Doc and I head inside and snag a large table upstairs in the restaurant. Warlock, Tallahassee, and Nitro are the next to arrive.
At least Remi said she couldn’t come. I feel bad about that, but it’s probably for the best. Remington and Sherry in the same room would be the equivalent of pitting a grizzly against a polar bear and hoping both come out unscathed.
Not to mention how spectacularly uncomfortable it would be with both women at the same table.
My reprieve is short-lived when Remi strolls through the door with Ricochet. With the way things have been going, I should’ve known luck wouldn’t be on my side.
I get that same twisted gut feeling I always get when I see her.
Our gazes catch as the two of them make their way to our table, but hers darts away, the same way it did when we were visiting Ricochet. My heart breaks knowing she can’t even look at me.
Thankfully, Tallahassee catches her attention and eases the tension lingering between us. “Hi, RJ. I’m Tallahassee,” she says cheerfully. “I’ve heard so much about you. It’s nice to finally meet you.”
“Nice to meet you too,” Remi replies with an easy smile.
We’ve just finished ordering drinks when Sherry comes breezing up the stairs. “Colton, I’m here!” she calls across the dining room, waving her manicured nails as if we hadn’t noticed her. I stand and pull out the chair next to me. After kissing me on the cheek, she takes her seat.
Hawk arrives last, right on Sherry’s heels. “The gang’s all here. Betty. Veronica. Good to see you, ladies,” he greets Tallahassee and Remi with a bright smile and a nod of his head.
Tallahassee grins, rolling her eyes.
Remi smiles back. “Archie.”
I get a pang of jealousy over their easy banter. I have no right to feel that way and immediately feel guilty about it.
Not ignoring Sherry, Hawk gives her a mocking look. “Cruella,” he greets her, taking the empty seat next to Remi.
“Hawk,” I warn. “Sherry, this is Remington,” I say, completing the introductions.
Our server delivers our drinks, takes Hawk and Sherry’s order, then disappears again.
Sherry sees every woman as competition, so I’m not surprised when she turns her sights on Remi with open disdain. “Ew. What happened to your face? With all due respect, you look awful.”
I catch Remi’s reaction, there and gone in a flash. The uneasiness that clouds her features from Sherry’s harsh reminder.
After what Remi’s been through, I’m pissed and ashamed Sherry would say something so insensitive. Especially when she’s not aware of the details. This time, when Remi’s eyes catch mine, it’s me that has to look away.
“Jesus, Sherry,” I mutter.
“What? She does.” She turns her attention back to Remi. “For future reference, you could try to hide that with some makeup.”
“Nice meeting you,” Remi says under her breath, but I still hear the thick sarcasm.
Hawk wraps his arm around Remi’s shoulders. “Don’t listen to her. You’re gorgeous.”
Our server delivers Hawk and Sherry’s drinks and asks if anyone needs anything. When we decline, she leaves us alone again.
Sherry leans into me, running her hand over my chest, staking her claim for Remington’s benefit. I have to fight the urge to pull away from her.
“So, Rollington, what do you do?” Sherry asks, picking up her drink.
“It’s Remington. But you can call me RJ if that’s too difficult for you.”
Tallahassee ducks her head and snickers, but Hawk throws his head back and laughs outright.
“I’m a photojournalist.”
Sherry glares at the three of them. “Photojournalist. That makes sense.”
“I know I’ll regret asking, but how does that make sense to you?”
“You have a face for radio. So instead of working as a reporter, you hide behind the camera instead of being in front of it.”
Remi downs her drink in one gulp, setting the glass on the table with a thunk. “Yep, you’ve got me all figured out.” She slides out of her chair. “I’m going to go get another drink. Anyone want anything?”
“I’ll go with you,” Tallahassee eagerly offers, giving Warlock a quick kiss that he turns into something lingering. When he releases her, she pushes her own chair back and follows Remi downstairs to the bar.
I pick up my own drink and take a healthy swallow. This isn’t going well.
Several minutes later, both Warlock and Ricochet’s phones ping with text messages. After simultaneously reading the messages, they glance up from their phones. I follow their line of sight downstairs to the bar.
Instead of getting drinks and coming back, Remi and Tallahassee have taken up residence at a two-top in the bar. Unlike when they were sitting with us, they’re chatting and laughing like a couple of old friends.
Remi is animated and smiling, telling a story with her hands. Tallahassee is bent over laughing, listening with rapt attention. I find myself smiling while watching them. After everything these two women have survived, it’s good to see them happy and having a good time.
When I drag my attention away, Sherry’s glaring at me.
Fuck.
Remi and Tallahassee take their time in the bar, while the rest of us spend an uncomfortable half hour until they return.
“Well, this has been loads of fun,” Ricochet announces when the two women come back upstairs. “But Remi and I have rehab early in the morning.” It’s obvious he’s making an excuse to leave.
“I don’t blame you for leaving,” Sherry tells Remi. “If I looked like that, I wouldn’t go out in public either. Bye-bye. Drive safely.”
Remi stays silent, only shaking her head, the movement so slight it’s hardly noticeable. Then she turns and gives Tallahassee a warm hug, saying their goodbyes.
Watching Remi and Ricochet head downstairs, my eyes slide closed, and shame slithers up my spine.
“Jesus, Sherry. What the fuck is wrong with you?”
“What? Someone needed to tell her.”
I don’t respond. After thinking about this disastrous evening for a couple of minutes, I shove my chair back and follow them out. When I catch up to them, Remington’s helping Ricochet into the car.
It’s clear Ricochet’s furious, and I don’t blame him. I’m not only angry with Sherry, I’m angry with myself too. I should’ve known this wasn’t a good idea.
Ricochet’s expression turns menacing when he notices Sherry trailing behind me. “C’mon, RJ, let’s get the fuck out of here before the wicked witch catches up.”
“Please leave me alone, Colton,” Remi pleads as she rounds the front of the car and slides into the driver’s seat. The request, along with the tears shimmering in her eyes, are like a knife to the chest, and I can’t do anything but stand there and watch Remi drive away.
“I’m bored,” Sherry says when she reaches me. “Can we go somewhere fun now, Colton?”
Whatever this thing with Sherry was, tonight it’s become crystal clear she’s not the woman for me.
I spin around to face her. “No. I’m not going anywhere with you.”
“I knew it! Something’s going on with you and that hot mess. You’re mad because of her, aren’t you? What was I supposed to do? Stand by while she flirted and fawned all over you?”
“She is not a hot mess, and no one was flirting or fawning. That’s in your fucking head, Sherry. It doesn’t matter. You and I, we’re done.”
Her hands land on her hips. “What do you mean…done?”
“I mean done. Over. Finished.” I take a breath and calm myself down. Anger won’t help the situation. When I speak again, my voice is much calmer. “This isn’t working out. We’re not compatible, and we make each other miserable. I think it’s best if we don’t see each other anymore.”
“You’re breaking up with me?” She twirls in a circle as she waves her arms around. “In the parking lot of a crappy bar?”
“Yeah, looks like I am.” From the death stare she gives me, it’s possible I’ve actually gotten through to her. “Go home, Sherry.”
Everything about her changes. She stiffens and her eyes narrow. She takes a couple steps toward me and slaps me across the face. Hard.
Okay, maybe I deserved that.
She storms across the parking lot to her car and peels out.
I watch Sherry drive away and head back inside. My cheek stings, but as far as I’m concerned, it’s a small price to pay.
When I make my way back to our table, Warlock has his arm around Tallahassee’s shoulders, and she’s tucked comfortably into his side. “What the fuck, Pony?”
“Why are you with that woman?” Nitro asks. “She’s a shrew.”
“I can think of a few more appropriate names for her,” Hawk comments, taking a slug off his beer.
“You guys can save your complaints. Sherry and I broke up.”
“That would explain the handprint on your face,” Doc says with a grin.
“Finally,” Tallahassee says. “We were about to stage an intervention to knock some sense into you.”
“Funny.”
Hawk chuckles. “You think she’s joking?”
Warlock pulls Tallahassee closer and kisses the top of her head. “It’s about fucking time.”
“Now you can be with the woman you love,” Tallahassee tells me, her smile firmly in place.
I know the look on my face is one of confusion.
“RJ,” Hawk, Tallahassee, and Warlock fire back in unison. The duh is implied.
Nitro grunts, a sound that could either be agreement or mockery.
“I’m not in love with Remi,” I protest. “I hardly know her.”
“Sometimes love hits like a lightning bolt,” Tallahassee says softly, staring up at Warlock.
Sudden-onset romance, maybe. But love? Is that even possible?