Page 16 of Colt

I wrapped my legs around his waist, clinging to his neck as he walked us both out of the bar and into the cool fall night air. “What about Lucy Bloom?”

He didn’t meet my eyes. “Not my girlfriend.”

I rolled my eyes.

Last year, I thought something would finally happen between Colt and I until the day of Bowie and Layla’s wedding when he got close to Lucy Bloom, the town’s florist.

I got it. I was off-limits. Dating me would cause issues for Colt with the club. I loved him enough to want him to be happy, even if it wasn’t with me, so I tried to move on by dating a doctor from Baines Memorial.

Sully was a great guy, but I knew he wasn’tmyguy, so I ended it. He wanted more than I was willing to give. Leading him on wasn’t fair.

Watching Colt with Lucy affected me. I couldn’t eat or sleep. My stomach ached, and it hurt to breathe. After a while, it seemed easier to avoid going home altogether. He still visited me occasionally, but never talked about her, despite the fact he’d been seeing her for months.

“It’s just as well I had plans to come down anyway,” he muttered, reaching into his pocket for his keys. He opened the passenger door and dumped me onto the seat. “If not, I would’ve tanned your ass for that shit. It’s not funny.”

Swinging the door closed, Colt jogged around the hood and hauled open the driver's door. “You know how busy I am,” he rasped, sliding into the car. “The fuckin’ Sinners are causing me headaches, but instead of concentrating on that, I’m runnin’ around Denver pullin’ you outta bars.” He jerked his seat belt on, looking at me disappointedly.

I rolled my eyes, pulling my belt and clicking it into place. “I repeat. I’m an adult, almost a doctor. I never asked you to pull me out of the bar and I don’t need a babysitter.”

Colt started the engine and drove toward the main road, checking both ways before he joined the light flow of traffic heading downtown toward my apartment. “You need to grow up, Freya.”

I flinched slightly at the sting in his words. “Do you know the average age of med school graduates?”

“Late twenties,” he muttered. “Usually around twenty-eight.”

Ugh. Of course he knew, clever bastard.

“Right,” I agreed. “How old am I?”

He glanced right. Colt’s eyes were half-mast. If I didn’t know better, I’d have thought he was eye-fucking me.

“Twenty-four,” he said sarcastically. “Your point?”

“My point, Colter, is that I’m the ever youngest graduate in the school, except for one guy a few years ago who also graduated at my age. People start med school at my age, but I’m graduating. Does that sound like somebody who needs to grow up? All I’ve done since my first day of junior high is work my derrière off. Do I go out? Yes. Do I go out excessively? No. If I did, there’s no way I’d be in the position I’m in now.”

“Is that why you’re taking a year out?” he asked, tone biting.

I banged the back of my skull against the headrest. “Dad’s been talking.”

“Just as well, seeing as you didn’t confide in me.” He leaned forward, looking right to take the turn off. “Usually, you tell me everythin’.”

“I haven’t seen you,” I said softly.

“So, pick up the damned phone, Freya. Or visit once in a while.”

My throat thickened.

How could I tell him I couldn’t go back home and watch him and Lucy together? How could I tell him it broke me inside every time he smiled at her like he should’ve been smiling at me?

“What else has he been saying?” I asked quietly.

“Nothin’ much except you’re looking at takin’ an internship out of state,” he murmured. “But what I can’t seem to work out is, why?”

My eyes lowered to inspect my nails.

“Lots of reasons,” I said evasively.

Because of you.

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