Page 86 of Ride the Sky

Tears stinging my eyes, I grab my walker. “I have to go.”

Dakota extends a hand. “Fallon, wait—”

Before they can stop me, I’m outside, stalking down the sidewalk as fast as I can.

Halfway down the block, I stop. “Fuck,” I swear, remembering I don’t even have my own truck to speed away angrily in. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.”

Between PT, Dakota’s broached conversation about Aiden, and my father’s anger, my chest is tightening. Tightening.

Grimly, I glance along the road. When I spy Dakota’s car, my eyes narrow. A long-stemmed red rose is tucked into the passenger side window. As I get closer, I see the card is addressed to me. On a growl, I reach out and rip it away.

I’ll wait forever if I have to.

Goddamn. The last thing I need. Another man getting in my way.

Footsteps behind me make me freeze.

For a split second, I think it’s Aiden. Creeping up from the depths of my nightmare to claim me in broad daylight.

“Fallon?”

I turn, willing my pulse to slow. It’s only Tripp, bumbling his way out of the Zeke’s Hardware.

Tripp smirks at the flower. “Secret admirer?”

Sick of everyone saying that, I snap the rose in half, ignoring the prick of a thorn. I drop it and the note into the gutter.

Tripp’s smile fades. “Something I said?”

“Fuck this place.” I eye the paper sack in his hand. “You have beer in there?”

“You know it.” Tripp follows my gaze. “You want a ride and a drink?”

“Yeah.” I exhale. “I do.”

After a long drive out to the Dead Fred’s Curve, I’m dropped back at my cottage. Glumly, I wheel my walker up the ramp.Tripp, a big grin on his face, waves from his truck. I wince, wave back, then open the front door.

The scent of burgers hits me, and my stomach growls.

I’m still in a sour mood, pissed off by my aching body, my father’s cold shoulder, and that stupid fucking rose. Even the small beer buzz I have going isn’t enough to take the edge off.

The feet of my walker squeak as I enter the kitchen. When I see Wyatt at the counter on his phone, I close my eyes. Maybe he’ll disappear and leave me to my misery.

His head snaps up at my approach.No such luck.

“Where the hell have you been?” he demands, taking a step toward me.

Even furious, he’s handsome as hell.

“Great, you’re mad at me, too.” Guilt flares to life inside of me when I see the cold burgers on the stove, the place settings on the table.

Fuck. I’m late.

It’s not late, only eight, the sun still high in the sky, but it’s later than I said I would be. Not to mention, I turned off my phone.

Wyatt shoves a hand through his hair, his wild eyes raking over me as if taking inventory. “Oh, I’m more than mad, Fallon.”

“Welcome to my fucking life.” I don’t want to fight with him. I’m so tired, all I want to do is collapse on my bed and let it swallow me whole.

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