Make Me (Sterling Shore Series #10)(6)

"Harley Hayden?" he asks, his voice a little scratchy now.

His eyes dart toward the booth where his family awaits, and I can tell he's ready to bolt. So am I.

"Yeah," I say, my voice growing a little stronger.

He swings his gaze back to me, his smile forced now. "When'd you get back into town? I haven't seen you since-"

"I should go," I say as I almost fall off my stool, closing my eyes as I try to escape the humiliation that just keeps oozing through this moment.

I can't believe I thought I could seduce and destroy him. I can't even speak to him.

I manage to right myself and grab my purse, but just as I move to walk by him, his hand shoots out, gently clamping around my arm near my elbow. It's like fire and ice in one touch, and my entire body trembles.

What is wrong with me!?





Chapter 6



DALE



Hot girl. Sexy curves. Blonde hair that barely goes past her shoulders. And a dress that complements her in too many ways to count, showing off all her best features …

Yeah. I wasn't planning on doing more than flirting, but couldn't simply walk away.

Then she said one word. "Harley."

That was it. That was the trigger that started this disaster.

Let go of her arm, you fucking idiot.

I don't listen to my head, because the shittiest thing I've ever done has just come back to haunt me. And she's trying her damnedest to run away. Usually I have no problem letting women run away from me. It's a hell of a lot easier than trying to leave myself open to any of them.

But Harley? I really fucked her over, even worse than I realized.

Because never once did I understand that I made her a punchline, until she was suddenly gone.

So now I'm holding her arm like a lunatic as I hover over her. She's staring at me like I'm crazy. I am crazy. How do you apologize for ruining someone's senior year because of one insanely pathetic oversight?

How do you do it in a club several years too late?

With people everywhere?

She didn't even graduate before transferring or whatever she did.

"Want to grab a drink?" I ask lamely.

She looks like the thought absolutely horrifies her. Got it. I'm the asshole who basically ruined her high school existence, and I didn't even know. Because Harley never told me. Why would she?

It was the least observant time in my life, and I was an oblivious prick.

"No thanks," she finally says, tugging her arm loose as she swallows hard.

I nod, letting my hand fall away. She's tall, the top of her head almost reaching my chin. Was she that tall in school?

Or is it the heels?

I'm trying damn hard not to let my eyes drop to see if she's wearing heels, because one wrong move, and she might throat punch me.

Deservedly so.

"How long are you in town?" I ask, even though it's clear she's desperately trying to get away from me.

"Long enough," she says before finally walking away, and I watch her go.

She has on heels.

She also has a much nicer ass than I remember.

Blowing out a long breath, I head back to the booth. Maverick practically pounces on me the second I rejoin them.



       
         
       
        

"Please tell me why a girl was just running away? What'd you say?" he asks, his grin huge on his face.

Dick.

"I didn't have to say anything. The mere sight of me was enough to send her fleeing," I tell them, watching as everyone's eyebrows raise.

Corbin-the prick-leans over and sniffs me. "You smell good," he says with a shrug.

I roll my eyes.

"Nothing in your teeth," Rain chimes in.

"Bats in the cave! Bats in the cave!" Maverick states, then shakes his head when I glare at him. "False alarm."

Kode groans as Tria starts sliding out, and Dane stands, letting her and Rain out. "We'll be back. I want details. But my bladder insists on a quick reprieve, and I need to check in on Carrie," Rain says, practically running toward the bathroom with Tria walking slower behind her.

"It was Harley," I say when the girls are out of earshot.

The entire room feels like the oxygen was just sucked out. Maverick finally hisses out a breath. "Shit."

"Yeah, shit," I agree.

"That was Harley?" Kode asks, his eyes wide. "Gnarly Harley? The girl with acne and-"

"Stop calling her that," I say, glaring at him.

"Sorry," he says, holding his hands up. "I just … that's her? Looked nothing like her."

"She learned how to make those curves work," Maverick points out. "I mean …  Did you see that ass?"

I pinch the bridge of my nose, wondering why I even bother sharing anything.

"Sorry," Maverick says, but I feel him grinning. "How the hell you gonna handle that?"

"Pretty sure that was her telling me I wasn't allowed to handle it. She practically sprinted out of here when the surprise of seeing me wore off."

"Look, it's not your fault she became the brunt of the joke. We found out too late what was going on. It was high school. People are dicks," Kode says. "Hell, look how I treated Tria. Now look at where she sleeps. I'd kill a fucker for saying anything to her the way I used to."

"Tria wasn't tied to a flag pole and left mostly naked with cow udders drawn on her stomach for the entire student body to see," I point out.

He grimaces. "No. Not even I was that big of a dick. Can't believe people actually did that to Harley either."

Corbin nods before adding, "I remember the 'GOT MILK' slogan they wrote across her chest too. Or I remember hearing about it. I missed the visual that day."

I'm glad I didn't see it, but at the same time, I wish I had been the only one to see it so I could have cut her down and spared her that humiliation. 

"Girls are fucking vicious," Maverick says with a shudder. "Remember that when all you married or basically-married fuckers lay down with one at night and close your eyes next to them. I don't want any hauntings from the grave when they end you in your sleep."

He points to Kode, Dane, and Corbin. Dane just grunts, then leans up on his elbows, studying me.

"Sterling Shore isn't small, but it's small enough to run into her again. Just figure out what to say. Like Kode pointed out, all that shit wasn't our fault. We had no idea she was being taunted like that because of prom."

"Not a word about this to Tria or Rain," I tell them on a sigh. "Rain still hasn't forgiven herself for what happened to Harley, even though it was my fault. Not hers. All I had to do was at least call her and explain something. Rain would have given me permission to tell her everything if I'd just asked. And I was too young and stupid to realize Harley deserved that much."

My phone chimes with a text, and I pull it out, reading it. It's from Kade Colton, and I tilt my head. He never texts me.



KADE: Hey, you got plans tomorrow?

ME: Few meetings. Why?

KADE: Need to talk. Meet us for lunch?

ME: Okay …  1 good?

KADE: Yeah. Pick a restaurant and we'll be there.



"Weird," I say to myself, putting my phone back up.

The guys have started talking amongst themselves, and I decide I'm not much in a partying mood. So I stand, toss a few bills on the table, argue about me ditching them early, and get out before Tria and Rain even return.

Harley Hayden is the reason karma hasn't been too nice to me.

And now she's back.

That's like a sign, right?

There's really only one way to find out, so I risk revisiting the past on a whim that I'm searching out the right place.





Chapter 7



HARLEY



I'm a nutless fruitcake. Yep.

I'm a spineless parasite.

A pathetic little rabbit instead of the she-wolf I've labeled myself. I'm the underbelly of a fraud.

I'm embarrassed of myself.

A cab hauled me to my house where I grabbed my new car and drove around. I should have known where I'd end up. It seems I haven't changed my habits as well as I thought.

Sighing, I get out of my car, kick out of my shoes, and head out onto the beach. The briny scent of the ocean wafts over me, the sea offering me some peace and solace after the giant cluster fuck I just stepped out of.

I always used to come here back when I was younger. This pier was the best place to do my homework far away from my shitty house and my shittier excuse for parents.

I loved this pier.

It's where I drew my first sketch.

It's where I laid down my life plans.

It's where I made all the hard decisions.

Sitting down, I dangle my legs off the edge, my toes several feet from touching the water.

A throat clearing has me hiccupping out a squeal, and then my entire body goes rigid when I see who has scared the hell out of me. It's like he's everywhere.

"Hi," Dale says, his hands in his pockets as he walks closer.

"Hi," I squeak out.

Oh, for fuck's sake. Get it together, Harley.

"I know you'd probably just like to drown me, but do you care if I sit with you instead?"

I shrug, staring back out at the sea. My voice finally decides to work.

"Sure. Free country sort of prohibits me from banning it."

Really stupid thing to say, but at least it's not a bumbled attempt at words and stuff.



       
         
       
        

He drops beside me, gracefully sitting down and tossing his legs over the side as well. He's still as beautiful and dangerously sophisticated as ever.