Breaking Even(95)

I had a chance to try and get her back, and I know she would have caved after I brought her car home. But I didn’t want to use that against her. After meeting her sorry excuse for an ex, I don’t blame her for expecting more. She deserves it. I’ve always known that she deserves more, but I never thought I’d be able to give it to her.

But the smile she gave me when I showed up with her car... I wish I could see her smile like that every day. I doubt she knows about the fact her credit card debt is paid off. And I don’t want her to know. Yet.

She might kick my ass over that one.

“You’re smiling,” Dad says, and I turn to see the tears in his eyes as his own smile forms.

My grin only grows as I think about Brin’s temper, her feisty attitude, and her smile that is only reserved me. No one else sees that smile. They only get the generic smile that she gives everyone. She has a special one for me.

The misery ebbs with every good thought. She’s the misery. It’s all her. Not this. Not my dad. Not my mom. Not my guilt. It’s Brin that’s making me feel this shitty. She stole the place of my anger and replaced it with her own miserable trap. Ah, hell.

“I need to go. I’ve got something that needs to be done,” I tell him, and he nods knowingly as I stand.

The first thing I need to do is make a phone call, but as I look at my phone, fucking Hillary Barns’s name is flashing across my screen. Shit. I forgot I’m supposed to be having lunch with her to discuss Tag’s party since Ash hates the woman.

I’ll make my call after I make up some bullshit reason for being late.

***

BRIN

I pick up my phone the second I see Ash’s name. If she’s calling to set me up on a date, I’m going to hang myself.

“Do not mention a date,” I grumble by way of answering, and she huffs.

“I’m calling about Tag’s party Saturday. You’re still coming, aren’t you?”

This does not fit in with my plan to avoid Rye. Since he brought my car home, he seems to be avoiding me. If he’s avoiding me, then I need to avoid him.

I think.

Maybe.

Ah, hell. I don’t know what’s going on anymore. Up means down, stop means go, front means back... Everything is so confusing around him. Now not even my own head makes sense anymore.

He’s stolen my sanity. Yep. It’s gone.

“No. Not this time. Sorry, Ash. I’ll try to make the next party.”

I can actually hear her pouting from the other side of the phone as I cross the street to go to the drycleaners.

“I have a date for you. It’s not going to be awkward. I can promise Rye will be on his best behavior if you’re worried about seeing him.”

“No,” I groan. Relentless matchmaker. Terrible, terrible matchmaker.

When I finally reach the other side of the street, my eyes lift up, and my heart sinks to my toes, cementing me to my spot on the sidewalk. Rye is about fifty feet away, and he’s not alone.

On the patio of a restaurant, he’s smiling and eating with a woman. And she’s leaning over, touching his arm, and biting on her lip very suggestively.

Sick. I’m so, so, sick.

I knew it would happen eventually, but I really didn’t expect it to happen just now. This soon. Four days ago he went and punched my ex on his way to get my car. Now he’s here. With her. A woman more suited for him than I ever was.

“Brin? You still there?” Ash prompts as I stare mindlessly at Rye.

He moves his arm from her grasp only to grab a bite of the dessert in front of him. He stands and moves toward a waiter, and I just watch. I watch as he talks to the guy and grabs the check. I watch as he hands him cash. And I watch as he returns to say something to the woman who stands.

I don’t watch him touch her, because I turn away from the sight and move toward my car again, abandoning my mission to collect my dry-cleaning.

“Brin?” Ash prompts again.

“Go ahead and set me up,” I murmur softly, holding back the onslaught of tears that are beating against the backs of my eyes.

“O...kay. Um... Great. I’ll see you in two days.”

I don’t say anything as I make it back to my car, and I hang up the phone. Once I drop to the seat, I put my head on the steering wheel, and I listen to the roar of a familiar engine. I look up just in time to meet his eyes, and he brings the bike to an abrupt halt.

Once upon a time I was a plain girl in an unimpressive car that no one ever noticed. But this man sees me even when I try to hide.

He pulls into the spot behind me, and I contemplate gassing my car and speeding down the street. But there are too many crosswalks, so a speedy getaway wouldn’t work out.

He pulls his helmet off and walks around to my window that I reluctantly roll down. He drops down to where he can see in, and I force a smile.