Page 71 of Silver Fox Puck

And yet—silence.

I exhale slowly, my jaw ticking. She’s ignoring me. Which means she’s fighting this. Which means she’s losing.

I should let her go. That was the rule, wasn’t it?

No names. No strings. No expectations.

So why the fuck is my grip so tight on the wheel? Why is my pulse hammering every time I check my phone? Why is it taking everything in me not to drive straight to her and finish what we started?

But the problem?

I don’t give a damn about the rules anymore. Because last night wasn’t just sex. It was something else entirely. And I know she felt it, too.

I drag a hand down my face, trying to shake it off.

Because this isn’t me.

I don’t chase.

I don’t text. I don’t wait around, checking my phone like a goddamn teenager. I don’t let a woman get under my skin.

But here I am. Checking the clock. Waiting for her to crack.

And when my phone vibrates, I feel it in my fucking chest. My stomach tightens as I glance at the screen—but it’s not her.

It’s Lauren.

I let out a slow, controlled exhale.

I can ignore her for now. I turn my focus back to my real problem.

Kenzie.

Because she can pretend all she wants.

She can run, she can bury herself in distractions, she can lie to herself about what happened.

But I know the truth.

And sooner or later?

She’s going to know it, too.

I type out another message.

I hit send.

Then I drop my phone onto the passenger seat, lean back against the headrest, and wait.

I don’t care how long it takes. I don’t care how much she tries to fight it. I know how this ends.

And I have more patience than she does. I tell myself to let it go.

I should. She made her choice.

She threw up her walls, slammed the door in my face, and walked away like I was just some mistake she couldn’t shove into the past fast enough.

And fine.

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