Page 72 of My Last Dance

He ran his tongue over his teeth. “Fine, but first, please let me knowyourrecollection of events, because in my book, you’re theone who dipped out first, calling me ajoke.”

I stared at him incredulously. “You had a girlfriend, but still danced with me, talked about a future with me, and evenkissedme. Do you not see how that is wrong? You’ve always had your secrets, and I never questioned them, and forthatI am sorry.” I harrumphed.

“I have never had a girlfriend,” he swore. “I’ve had casual situations with girls, hookups, whatever you wanna call them, big difference, Piper.”

He could’ve just slapped me across the face. “So, you and I were…what? Nothing?”

His jaw locked.

“So, what we had,” I gestured between us, “was the same as what you had with that Brandi chick?” I challenged, my eyes narrowing to slits. “Because you’ve never had a girlfriend, just casualsituations.” I threw his words back at him. My palm slammed down on the bar. “Do you not see how incredibly insulting that is?”

He paused, looking caught. “What we had was… It was…” He let out a frustrated growl. “What we had was different and you know that.”

My eyebrows flew up. “Do I?”

“Yeah, Piper, you do. But that doesn’t change the fact that we were never exclusive, we never discussed that.”

“This was a mistake.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “If you can’t see that what you did back then was disrespectful, then I’m out.”

“Fine, okay, yes.” He hung his head. “We should’ve sat down and talked through things like adults, but I’m trying to right now and you’re the one acting all crazy.”

Anger skyrocketed through my body. Maybe I was being crazy, but he was driving me to it. I suddenly felt like simultaneously crying and screaming. All I wanted was…was…an actual remorseful apology. Because deep down, I wanted him, and it hurt so bad that he could casually be with someone else back then. Frustration coursed through me, and I just wanted him to feel a fraction of the overwhelming feelings I was feeling. It’s like my body acted on its own accord. I reached for my full glass and flung the dark liquid at his face.

The old jukebox chose that second to cut out between songs and the silence in the bar seemed so incredibly loud as the drink dripped down all the crevicesof his face.

His jaw tightened as he wiped his eyes, and it took everything in me not to start laughing.

“Finished my drink,” I said, giving him a cutesy smile.

He calmly wiped his mouth and flexed his jaw. “You’re forgetting something about me. I’m not Colt, and I’m not JP. Equal rights, equal fights, baby girl.”

Oh shit.I scrambled off my chair to get away from him, but he grasped my forearm and dumped his drink over my hair.

“You asshole!” I shoved at his chest once, twice, a third time.

He grabbed my wrists.

“You two! Out!” the bartender yelled.

“No!” we both yelled back.

We continued screaming at each other, completely oblivious of the rest of the bar. I’m not even sure what Kappy was yelling at me because I was yelling back louder.

“If you don’t leave, you will be escorted out,” the bartender warned, making me pause.

“We’re finishing this argument once and for all,” Kappy said, pulling me right back in. “You’re the one who walked out on us!” he yelled. “So stop acting like I dumped you or some shit. It fucking hurts, Piper.” His eyebrows pulled together. “I wanted to be with you more than anything, okay?”

“Yeah, well, you had a shitty way of showing it. I walked out because I had to! You were stringing me along.” I shoved a finger in his chest. “For years!” I fumed. “Thatfucking hurt, Kappy.”

“I thought we’d be together! You wanted to get your gold first. I was letting you—”

“Lettingme?!” I screamed.

“Oh my God! You keep interrupting me and making it sound worse than—”

A handcuff slapped on his wrist.

“What the—” My neck snapped to the side.

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